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
Scale
- 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