Blackberry Chocolate Fig Bars

Sweet berries, mission figs, and dark chocolate come together in sweet harmony in these blackberry chocolate fig bars – an indulgent treat that’s gooey in all the right places and bursting with complex flavor.

While I typically think of fresh figs as an end of summer/early fall treat, I spotted some at Whole Foods this week, and naturally a dainty basket of delicate, deeply purple Mission figs made their way into my cart.

While those plump, fresh beauties were destined to be stuffed with soft goat cheese and wrapped in translucent prosciutto before baking to caramelized nirvana, they inspired me to dig through the back of my baking cabinet for some dried figs, which I combined with fresh, juicy Marion blackberries, deep dark chocolate, and a sweet oat cookie crumble to make these indulgent blackberry chocolate fig bars.

I thought it might all be a little much – the blackberries, figs, and chocolate – all layered between a rich and buttery cookie crust, but the trio balances each other out incredibly well.

Figs and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Chocolate and blackberries are two peas in a pod. And blackberries and figs are seasonal bffs, so why not combine all three?

I had my hopes, but when they emerged from the oven, these blackberry chocolate fig bars exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds.

The figs add a subtle, earthy, and complex flavor and welcome chewiness that almost delves into caramel territory. The blackberries add a fresh burst of sweet and tangy goodness that cooks down into a near jammy swirl.

And the chocolate… well, I don’t need to sell you on the virtues of rich, melty dark chocolate.

The resultant bars are gooey in all the right places, easy to make, beaming with wonderfully complex flavor, and I hope you’ll be equally smitten!

Blackberry Chocolate Fig Bars

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Fork Knife Swoon
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 9 large or 12 small bars 1x

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Ingredients

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for the crust/crumble

• 1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled (old-fashioned) oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room-temperature
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room-temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

for the filling

• 1 cup blackberries, halved
• 1 Tbsp organic cane sugar
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch¹
• 1/2 cup chopped dried figs
• 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the blackberries, sugar, and arrowroot until combined. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until combined. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat for another minute.
5. Turn the mixer down to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
6. Press three quarters of the crumble mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the blackberries, figs, and chocolate. Top with the remaining crumble mixture.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown, and a knife inserted into the middle of the bars comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire baking rack to cool completely. The bars will be easier to slice once they’ve cooled to room-temperature.

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Notes

¹ Arrowroot starch is my thickener of choice for pies and fruit fillings. Substitute cornstarch as desired.