An Amazing Recipe with No Preservatives Homemade Fig Bars

Instructions

1. Prepare the filling: Put dried figs in a little bowl and pour boiling water over them. While others soak for 10 minutes to facilitate softening them. Then chop the apples. Add figs, water, orange juice, and honey or maple syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until figs are soft and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest. Prepare and let cool fully.
2. For the Crust and Topping: Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. To begin, you will need to preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Combine the rolled oats, whole wheat flour, almond meal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir until well combined. Place the melted butter, vanilla extract, and honey into the dry ingredients. Then mix until this can be crumbled and pressed together.
3. Assemble the Bars: Use your hands to press about 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of prepared baking pan in an even layer for a crust. Pat it down really well with your hands or the back of a spoon. With a spatula, spread the figgy filling over the crust layer. Pat the rest of the oat mixture down over the top layer. Combine all.
4. Bake the bars:  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are set. The bars will be firm. Cool the bars completely in the pan on a wire rack. When the plate is cold, lift the parchment paper out of the pan and slice fig bars into squares or rectangles.
5. Store and Enjoy: Place the homemade fig bars in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate them for up to 1 week. 

Tips and Variations:

1. Add dry fruits: Dates, raisins or even a combination of other dried fruits like apricots and prunes gives a good taste.
2. Gluten-Free: Replace whole wheat flour with gluten-free flour blend and use certified gluten-free oats.
3. Vegan-Friendly: Use coconut oil instead of butter and maple syrup in place of honey. Naturally both are swaps that keep the bars chewy and give a sweet, molasses-y undercurrent to the coconut-ginger flavor.
4. Add-Ins for More Flavor: You can even add some chia seeds or flaxseeds on top for some fiber and omega-3 nutrients.
5. For a brighter flavor, increase the orange zest in the filling Citrus Twist You could also use lemon juice if you prefer a tangier filling instead of the OJ.
6. Sweetness: Adjust the honey or maple syrup in an amount as needed to your desired sweetness level. 
7. For No-Bake: Press the crust and filling layers in the pan, then let it chill for a few hours before slicing. 

Nutrition Information (Approximate per 12 servings):

• Calories: You will get 220 calories with this meal.
• Protein: An amount of 3 g of protein is obtained with this meal, in which protein is very important for muscle repair and growth.
• Fat: An amount of 15 g is served, which helps you to keep on the diet track.
• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the fuel source of the brain; here, 30 g of carbohydrates is obtained.
• Sugars: A 18g of sugar is contained here depending on the fruits and honey used.
• Fiber: 4 g of fiber is obtained here.
• Cholesterol: Around 15 mg of cholesterol is obtained.
• Sodium: 70 g of sodium is used.