Healthy Chocolate Fig Bars

 
Throughout my entire educational career, I never bought lunch at school. Not one single time. The long lines and terse hairnet-clad ladies terrified me — what if they counted out my change so slowly that I ran out of time to chow down on my slice of pizza before the end-of-recess bell rang? I felt much safer with my insulated purple lunch pail tucked neatly inside my backpack instead, so Dad always prepared my noon meal the night before.  

For every lunch, he tucked a little treat inside as a reward for eating all of my apple slices. Since mom rarely baked homemade cookies, she bought Little Debbie desserts for us at the store. Depending on the week, she switched between Swiss Rolls, Chocolate Cupcakes, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Holiday-Themed Cakes. Although indecisive from a very early age, the latter were my favorite. (I think… Well, I suppose it varied every few days!)
 

 
Whenever I pulled out the plastic-wrapped treats at the school picnic table, my friends clamored to search their lunch bags to find something to trade. Despite their alluring display of big brownies, candy bars, and soft sugar cookies, I rarely forfeited the rights to my Little Debbie desserts. They tasted too good!

But in middle school, I started exchanging those packaged treats for healthier granola bars. Although difficult at first, I learned to love the nutritious snacks too. But I still grow nostalgic when passing by Little Debbie desserts in the grocery store, and I always crave something sweet after every meal!
 

 
These Healthy Chocolate Fig Bars are the perfect compromise. Each square exudes decadent chocolate flavor while simultaneously boasting a protein boost. Speckled with oats and fruity bites of juicy dried figs, they’re a low calorie snack I feel really good about eating!

And if you’re willing to part with any… They’d also be perfect for sharing with your kids!
 

 
This recipe contains only wholesome, clean eating ingredients. I started with a base of whole wheat flour and instant oats, which provide a subtle nuttiness. I love using this flour when baking 100% whole wheat goods. While other brands can sometimes produce dense and dry treats, it keeps my baked goodies light and moist.

If you don’t have instant oats (they’re also called “quick cooking” and “one minute” oats — so check your container for those names too!), you can easily make your own DIY version. Just pulse regular old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor 5-7 times until they turn a little finer — that’s all there is to it!

Tip: If you’d like to make your chocolate fig bars gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included how to do so there!

The chocolate flavor comes from unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder. I opted for Designer Whey. I spotted it at many grocery stores carry, including Trader Joe’s, and you can also find it online!

Tip: Many protein powder brands and products behave differently in baking recipes. For the best results, I highly recommend using the same one that I do! If you’d like to try substituting a different whey-based protein powder, please review my Protein Powder FAQ Page first. I do not recommend substituting plant-based protein powders. They’re more absorbent, so they’ll dry out your bars and ruin the texture.
 

 
These healthy snack bars contain no refined sugar. Instead, the sweetness comes from applesauce and honey — and dried figs! I always enjoy Trader Joe’s dried black mission figs, and after I spotted a few left over from baking these cookies, I immediately set them aside for this recipe. I diced them fairly small, which added a slight chewiness and kept the bars extra moist. A smaller dice also helps when slicing the pan into squares; it reduces the number of big chunks you have to drag the knife through!

When baking these chocolate treats, only let them sit in the oven for 15-18 minutes — no more! The hot pan continues to cook the squares as they cool, so baking them in the oven for more than 18 minutes results in dry, overdone snacks. Not good! The center of the pan will still look slightly wet when you pull it out; that’s okay. By the time it reaches room temperature, it’ll be baked through perfectly!
 

 
Little flecks of hearty oats speckle the surface of these Healthy Chocolate Fig Bars, and sweet bits of chewy dried fruit stud the interior. Each wholesome bar is packed with protein, but with the rich chocolaty flavor shining through, you’d never guess they were low calorie and low fat!
 

 
After slicing the squares and setting them on the counter, I reached for one after lunch… And another after dinner… And a third the following morning with breakfast. I just couldn’t resist! They’re the perfect quick and easy snack to stash in the pantry for hungry kids after school. (Or hungry adults too!)

With how rapidly I ran through this batch, I may need to buy another bag of dried figs before the week ends…
 

 
And I’m perfectly fine with that! Then when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy chocolate fig bars!

Healthy Chocolate Fig Bars

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 16 square bars

These wholesome snack bars remind me of a healthy version of brownies! The dried figs add the perfect touch of natural sweetness, and the squares taste extra chocolaty from cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder. Store them in an airtight container. They'll keep for at least 2 days at room temperature or at least 5 days if refrigerated.

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Ingredients 

• ½ cup (50g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
• ½ cup (60g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 scoops (62g) Designer Whey chocolate protein powder (see Notes!)
• 1 tbsp (8g) cornstarch (measured like this)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup (56g) unsweetened applesauce
• ¼ cup (60mL) honey
• ¼ cup (40g) diced dried figs

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats and next 6 ingredients (through salt). In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, and honey. Add the oat mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the figs.
• Spread the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into squares. (For a fudgier texture, let the pan rest for 6+ hours once at room temperature before slicing into squares.)

Notes

IMPORTANT PROTEIN POWDER NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for Designer Whey chocolate protein powder. Most protein powders behave differently in baking recipes, especially when it comes to absorbing moisture. If you substitute a different whey-based protein powder for the one I used, measure by the grams per scoop of your particular protein powder. You may need to add more protein powder if the batter is too wet OR more milk if the batter is too dry.

 

Do not substitute plant-based protein powder; it tends to be much more absorbent and will most likely result in dry, crumbly bars.

 

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the oats, flour, and cocoa powder correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of any ingredient will dry out the cookies and make them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy. Too much cocoa powder will also make your bars taste bitter.

 

IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not over-bake these bars! They're ready to come out of the oven when the edges look firm but the center still looks glossy and underdone. The heat from the pan continues to cook the center while they cool.

 

I highly recommend letting them rest even longer once they're at room temperature. They'll turn fudgier the longer you let them sit! If you’re too impatient to wait for a few hours once your bars are at room temperature, then you can stick the pan in the refrigerator for 2+ hours after they’ve reached room temperature to speed up the process. (If you cut into them sooner, they can sometimes be more cakey than fugdy.)

 

OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.

 

In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!

 

COCOA POWER NOTES: I do not recommend using Dutched cocoa powder or special dark cocoa powder because they have a different acidity level, which affects the taste and texture. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder (like this) has a much better flavor and texture in this recipe!

 

APPLESAUCE NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Unsweetened applesauce is also called “no sugar added” applesauce. I use regular unsweetened applesauce (not granny smith). I like keeping single-serving containers in my pantry; they’re really handy for baking recipes!

 

Sweetened applesauce may be substituted. Flavored applesauce (such as cinnamon!) would work as well.

 

SWEETENER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. I do not recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. Because it’s often water-based, it makes the bars cakey or bready.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: ¼ cup (30g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) and certified gluten-free oat flour will also work, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover bars in an airtight container. If left at room temperature, they’ll keep for a couple of days. If refrigerated, they’ll last at least 5 days (if not longer!). Once baked and fully cooled, these bars also freeze really well!

 

For answers to all other questions regarding substitutions and tips, see my Protein Powder FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Chocolate Fig Energy Bites
♡  Chocolate Chip Brownie & Oat Snack Bars
♡  Soft Baked Oat Bars
♡  Peanut Butter Pretzel Snack Bars
♡  Fudgy Brownie Protein Bars
♡  Chocolate Granola Bars
♡  Chocolate Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy snack recipes!