These Fig and Cream Cheese Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, a rich and chewy fig filling, and a perfectly smooth cream cheese layer. This easy homemade dessert is a wonderful treat to share, delivering bakery-style flavor right from your own oven. It’s the perfect sweet bite for holidays or a cozy afternoon coffee break.
My sister Jennifer had a special touch in the kitchen. I’ll always remember the afternoon we first made these. The whole house smelled of sweet, simmering figs and warm shortbread. It wasn’t just a recipe we made that day, but a beautiful memory I treasure.
A Few Reasons You’ll Fall for This Recipe
- Perfectly Layered: This recipe guides you through creating three distinct, delicious layers: a crisp shortbread base, a sweet and chewy fig center, and a tangy, smooth cream cheese topping.
- Bakery-Style at Home: Achieve that professional, bakery-quality taste and appearance with simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps.
- Crowd-Pleasing Dessert: These bars are ideal for sharing. They travel well, are easy to slice, and look beautiful on any dessert platter, making them perfect for potlucks, holidays, or gifting.
- Balanced Flavors: The richness of the buttery crust and creamy topping is perfectly balanced by the concentrated sweetness of the fig filling.
Gathering Your Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Fig Filling:
- 2 cups dried figs, stems removed and chopped
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
A Few of My Favorite Kitchen Helpers
An 8×8-inch Baking Pan
This is the perfect size for getting those lovely thick bars that are so satisfying to bite into.
An Offset Spatula
This little tool is my secret for getting those beautiful, even layers of fig filling and cream cheese without any fuss.
Let’s Get Baking, Shall We?
Preparing a Cozy Bed for Our Crust
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). I always line my 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of an overhang. This little trick makes it so much easier to lift the bars out later for clean slicing!
Crafting the Buttery Shortbread Foundation
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, softened butter, and salt. Mix everything until it forms a crumbly dough, then press it evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or just until the edges are a lovely light golden brown.
Simmering Up a Sweet and Jammy Fig Filling
While the crust bakes, let’s make the rich fig filling. Add the chopped figs, water, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon to a saucepan. Let it simmer over medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the figs are soft and jammy. Let it cool a moment before mashing it into a spreadable texture.
Bringing the First Layers Together
Once the crust is out of the oven, go ahead and spread the warm fig filling evenly over the top. The warmth from the crust will make it glide on smoothly.
Whipping Up a Dreamy Cream Cheese Topping
In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla extract together until it’s wonderfully smooth and creamy. Gently spread this lovely mixture over the fig layer.
A Final Warm Kiss from the Oven
Place the pan back in the oven for a final 10 minutes, just to set that creamy layer. Once it’s done, let the bars cool completely, then pop them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This chilling time is the secret to perfect, clean slices!
💬 For a little extra shine, I love to drizzle a touch of honey over the bars right before serving!
A Little Note on Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate and can vary based on the specific ingredients and brands used. This information is for guidance purposes only.
For a Lighter Touch
- Whole Wheat Crust: For an extra touch of fiber, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour in the crust with whole wheat flour.
- Reduced Sugar: If you’re mindful of sugar, you can reduce the granulated sugar in the crust slightly or use a natural sweetener like maple syrup in the fig filling instead of honey.
- Lighter Cream Cheese: To lower the fat content, consider using Neufchâtel cheese, which has a similar tangy flavor and texture to cream cheese but with fewer calories.
How I Love to Serve These Bars
- Enjoy a bar with a warm cup of black tea or coffee for a delightful afternoon pick-me-up.
- For a more decadent dessert, serve a slice with a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
- Arrange the bars on a platter with some fresh figs and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans for an elegant presentation.
My Tips for a Flawless Bake
- Not Cooling Completely: One of the most common mistakes is slicing the bars before they have had a chance to chill and set properly. Be patient! Allowing them to chill for at least two hours in the fridge is key to getting clean, beautiful squares.
- Overbaking the Crust: Keep a close eye on the shortbread crust during its first bake. It should only be lightly golden. Overbaking can make it hard and difficult to slice.
- Runny Cream Cheese Layer: Ensure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature, but not melted. This helps it beat into a smooth, creamy consistency that will set perfectly in the oven.
Keeping Your Bars Fresh
To keep your Fig and Cream Cheese Bars fresh, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay delicious for up to a week, though in my house, they never last that long!
From My Kitchen to Yours
There’s something so special about pulling a pan of freshly baked bars from the oven. The layers of buttery crust, sweet figs, and creamy topping come together to create a treat that feels both humble and elegant. I hope this recipe brings as much joy to your kitchen as it has to mine and that you create your own wonderful memories with every bite.
A Few Questions You Might Have
What if I only have fresh figs on hand?
While this recipe is designed for dried figs which provide a concentrated, jam-like flavor, you could use fresh figs. You would need to cook them down with a bit of sugar to reduce their moisture content and create a jammy consistency before spreading over the crust.
Can I make a gluten-free version of these bars?
Yes, you can adapt this recipe to be gluten-free. Simply substitute the all-purpose flour in the crust with a quality all-purpose gluten-free baking mix.
Is this a good recipe to make ahead of time?
Absolutely! These bars are a great make-ahead dessert. You can prepare them a day or two in advance and keep them refrigerated. In fact, many people find the flavor is even better the next day as the layers have time to meld together.
Print
Fig And Cream Cheese Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes plus chilling
- Yield: 9 bars 1x
Description
These Fig and Cream Cheese Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, a rich and chewy fig filling, and a perfectly smooth cream cheese layer. A homemade bakery-style dessert perfect for holidays or cozy afternoons.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups dried figs, stems removed and chopped
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, and salt until crumbly. Press evenly into the pan and bake 12–15 minutes until lightly golden.
- In a saucepan, combine chopped figs, water, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Simmer 10–12 minutes until soft and jammy, then mash to a spreadable texture.
- Spread fig filling over warm crust.
- In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the fig layer.
- Bake another 10 minutes to set. Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing.
- Optional: drizzle honey over the bars before serving.
Notes
Chill the bars before slicing for clean edges. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to a week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: fig bars, cream cheese dessert, shortbread, holiday dessert, homemade bars