I can’t get enough of these oatmeal fig cookies! Like most cookies, they are super quick to make once you gathered all the ingredients. You don’t even need to let the dough rest in the fridge! They are my go-to crumbly crispy cookies when I want to eat something sweet that isn’t overly sweet. This is a well-balanced cookie, my friends. In one bite, you’ll get a nice crunch from the nuts and seeds, a hint of honey and cinnamon, and chunks of chewy figs. Oatmeal fig cookies are super satisfying, don’t feel too ‘dirty’ and they taste even better the day after.
I love munching on those oatmeal fig cookies with a cup of tea when I’m reading. Following the current state of the world and the lockdown measures, I’m a much more assiduous reader. Maybe this year I can finally finish my Goodreads challenge. The silver lining, am I right?
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

You need less than 1h to make and bake these oatmeal fig cookies! You don’t need to let the butter soften to room temperature nor to refrigerate the dough either. Like most cookies, this is pretty much a one-bowl type of recipe.
- Melt the butter over low heat.
- Whisk together the sugar, honey and melted butter in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
- Roll the cookies into balls, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake!
Easy-peasy! Baking can be a great way to relax or to keep kids busy while we’re all in lockdown and there is nothing easier than making these oatmeal fig cookies! All kidding aside about having more time to read, I hope you and your loved ones are safe. My heart goes out to everyone whose livelihood is threatened, those who are working overtime to ensure that life goes on and to all the healthcare workers we owe so much.
WITH OR WITHOUT WHOLEMEAL FLOUR
My oatmeal fig cookies are a re-creation of shop-bought cookies I used to eat in Turkey that came in a purple wrapping. I can’t remember the brand’s name, and they would be next to impossible to find in France anyway so I had to make my own. Plus baked goods always feel more wholesome when you make them yourself. They probably are, I never checked the processed oatmeal fig cookies’ list of ingredients.
I used to make these cookies with ¾ all-purpose flour – ¼ wholemeal flour. It was a nice addition and made the taste closer to the oatmeal fig cookies I was trying to recreate, but it was also burning my stomach. Apparently, I can’t digest wholemeal flour very well. Obviously, everybody is different and you’d probably be fine with wholemeal flour, but I just wanted to warn you.
I usually add 1 tbsp of unsalted sunflower seeds to the dough but I couldn’t get my hands on any. Be sure to finely chop the figs and peanuts. They will be easier to fold into the dough and the shaped oatmeal fig cookies won’t break as easily while you move them to the baking tray.

CRISPY COOKIES 101
➝ How to get crispy cookies? To get crispy cookies it’s important to use caster sugar, rather than brown sugar. Brown sugar is moister due to its molasses content and will make your cookies chewy. Avoid anything that would soften your oatmeal fig cookies (like eggs). You should also melt your butter instead of creaming it with sugar. Without incorporating air into your dough, your cookies will spread more quickly. Thinner cookies make for crispier cookies.
➝ Can I make these oatmeal fig cookies in advance? Sure! After putting the shaped cookies on a baking tray, you can either:
- Wrap them airtight and refrigerate them for up to 3 days before baking. If you bake the cookies straight up from the fridge, they won’t spread as much and will be a bit chewier.
- Freeze them until firm, place them in a sealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. You don’t need to thaw the oatmeal fig cookies before baking, however, you should definitely add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Looking for other cookie recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
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Oatmeal fig cookies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These crispy oatmeal fig cookies are crumbly, buttery and full of nuts & seeds. You don’t even need to refrigerate the dough, so you can treat yourself in no time!
Ingredients
- 140g butter (5 oz)
- 60g caster sugar (¼ cup)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 160g all-purpose flour (1 cup + 2 tbsp), sifted
- 5g baking powder (1 tsp)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 6 semi-dried figs, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sunflower seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
- Melt the butter. Cut the butter into several big chunks. Place them in a heavy-based saucepan and cook over low heat until the butter is melted. Swirl the pan occasionally and remove it from the heat as soon as the butter is melted.
- Make the dough. Pour the sugar and honey in a large mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk together until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the butter mixture and mix well with a spatula to form a stiff dough. Fold in the chopped figs, peanuts, rolled oats and seeds.
- Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into equal size balls (around 1 heaped tbsp of cookie dough per cookie). Flatten them with your palms and place on the baking tray. They should approximatively be 7cm (2.7 inch) wide and 1cm (0.4 inch) thick.
- Bake. Bake for 10 to 11 min. The cookies will be golden brown and have darker edges. Take out of the oven. Let them rest and harden for 15 min on the tray before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely before eating.
Notes
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I actually enjoy them better the day after.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 231
Keywords: quickest cookie recipe, fast oatmeal cookies, fast cookies, crispy oatmeal cookies, crunchy cookie, semi-dried figs
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