Flourless Grain-Free Fig Newton Mini Cakes
Oh geez, you guys. I had NO idea what to name these. They’re not cookies – they’re bigger and…well, cakier. But it’s not cake and they’re not traditional fig newtons because I couldn’t find my 8X8 square pan ANYWHERE and wanted them to be fluffier. They’re like figgy purses of goodness, but I didn’t think that name would come up well in searches, because I fear “figgy purses” would land most of us in a Lady Gaga-like wormhole of the internet.
I made 13 of these this morning on a whim, and there are 4 left. As I hang my head in shame, I will tell you I ate three. IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE. I mean, I HAD to test them for you guys, right?!!? I also did “Angie” at Crossfit today which is 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, and 100 squats, so I worked them off, right? RIGHT!?!? And then I took three to my mom and she and her neighbor tested them and she gave one to Charlotte who declared it “totally yummarific.” Sawyer had two when he got home. Two. The kid who eats nothing but cheese.
These contain NO flour at all. None. They’re made from almond butter alone. Crazy huh? I also used one egg and one chia-seed egg replacer. This is for no other reason other than 1) I love the nutritional benefits of chia seeds and 2) I only had one egg left from the FOUR dozen I bought three days ago. Mostly 2) though. To make the chia seed egg replacement, use this formula: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water and let sit for 15 minutes. This creates a “gel” that acts as one egg. You can use 2 eggs, one of each, or total chia egg replacer. The world’s your chia oyster.
When you form the “cakies,” you need to oil your fingers. Otherwise, the “dough” is way too sticky and you won’t be able to do anything at all. I pour a little EVOO in a small dish and dip my fingers in it to be able to form the cakes in the way I want.
The best part? The entire recipe only has 3 tbsp of sweetener – that’s all. I used honey but you could use agave if that’s your sweetener of choice. So, to recap: very little sugar, protein-rich almond butter, omega-rich chia seeds, and figs. WHAT IS BETTER? Nothing. That’s what. Just look.
Flourless Grain-Free Fig Newton Mini-Cakes
What you need:
For the fig filling:
- 1 c. figs, stems removed
- 3 tbsp. chopped dates
- 1 tbsp honey
For the dough:
- 1 small jar of unsweetened almond butter (12 oz) – use Sunbutter if nut-free
- 1 egg + 1 chia seed egg replacer (1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water, sit for 15 minutes till gel forms) or 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 c. applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
What you do:
- In a food processor or blender, blend the figs, dates, and honey/agave until a paste forms.
- In a separate bowl, mix the almond butter, egg, chia seed gel, baking soda, applesauce and vanilla. I used my KitchenAid because the mixture will be very thick.
- On a sheet lined with parchment – YES you need parchment – spoon a heaping tablespoon of the mixture.
- Using your oiled fingers, form into small mounds with a “thumbprint” center.
- Spoon a small amount of the fig mixture into the middle of the cakes.
- Oil your fingers again and “pinch” the cakes around the fig-filled center to secure it.
- Bake at 350 for 13-15 miunutes until slightly brown on edges but still slightly soft.
- Let sit out until completely cooled. This will allow the dough to settle and finish cooking.
- Makes 12-14 mini-cakes. Store covered lightly in foil; otherwise, they will get soggy.
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Wow these look and sound amazing!! I will have to get the ingredients necessary to make these the next time I go town.
I ate them all! Need more STAT!!! Absolutely the best yet! These litlle figgy gems are my new favorite, Sorry Mike the Bread is now in 2nd place!
Fig tarts.
Yes!!! Well, when I think of tart I think of a mini-pie, no? Fruity with a crumbly crust? Eh, whatever. They were YUM. LOL
i am sooooooo making these!! i was hooked at cakey-figgy-newton. did you use fresh or dried figs? not sure i can find fresh around here.
I used dried Mission figs. Fresh ones are not in season yet!
made these yesterday and love them. i love that the cake portion is not sweet and that there is hardly any sweetner in these at all. the date/fig filling and almond butter cake portion make this a great pre-workout snack. can’t stop eating these, i ended up freezing them to stop myself. my fitness class will be paying for this tonight. ;]
I must try these, they look like Hamentashen (Hamen’s Hats), that we make for the Jewish holiday, Purim.
You are awesome! I just had to say. These look so fantastic and I can’t wait to make them.
I knew I was going to have to make these for the hubby when you tweeted the pic earlier. Looks to be way easier than I expected too. I’m excited!!
I wish these were vegan! ;) Do you think I could get away with using 2 chia egg replacements?
Yes, I totally think so, And please do try and come back and let me know!
LOL thanks. We don’t have fig trees here in PA. :] I’m pretty sure I can find some dried one’s though.
I have everything and will be making these. Thanks! My grain-free hubby will be so thrilled.
These look delicious and perfect for a post workout treat! And yes, you totally burned them off doing “Angie” :)
Absolutely gorgeous, dear! You know I’m all over flourless creations. ;-) Plus, I love that they are grain free, too, and with those healthy, but still tasty natural sweeteners. :-) BTW, “figgy purses” and Lady GaGa fears cracked me up!
Shirley
Figgy purses FTW!
HAD to make these a couple days ago, seriously its been eons since I have been inspired to bake, so thank you! Grain free + Baking + high altitude = frustration for me.
MMMMM…love ‘em! The cake part is very mild in sweetness, but that is my preference (might have been my choice in apple sauce). I ended up with a lot of leftover figgy filling, I think I did not expect them to puff up as much as they did….course that just means I will have to make more to use up the extra.
Just made these tonight; so good! I ended up adding about 1T of almond meal to the dough because it’s so hot and humid here today; helped pull it all together. Thanks for the recipe.
Will these freeze, do you know?
I can’t eat a whole batch so I always freeze them and they taste the same once defrosted. I wrap them airtight in the press and seal wrap then freeze in a freezer bag. (sorry AndreAnna I hope it’s ok that I answered this)
YUM. These are beautiful and look delicious!
i made these today. i love figs,and couldn’t wait for them to cool down to take a bite.(gone in seconds) i added some ground hazelnut meal to the dough part and some cinnamon.they are amazing,what a treat it will be to eat one slowly every day. thanks so much for this recipe.