If you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, chances are you occasionally had a Fig Newton or two in your school lunchbox. I know I sure did. But what exactly are Fig Newtons? Are Fig Newtons cookies? Let’s bite into this and find out the answers.
What is a Fig Newton?
Fig Newtons are a soft, doughy, chewy treat filled with a sticky and sweet fig paste. Back in the 1800s, a pastry called a fig roll was a popular snack. It was commonly believed that fruit, particularly figs, and biscuits were a great digestion aid and could improve overall health. In the 1890s, Kennedy Biscuit Works in Boston invented a cookie extrusion press that could squeeze out two mixes at once, such as fig jam inside of dough. Soon they were making an industrialized fig roll. Kennedy Biscuit Company named their products after local Boston area communities, and they named the Fig Newton after a nearby town called Newton.
What is in Fig Newtons?
Basically, Fig Newtons are made of dough and fig paste. Of course, being a mass produced, shelf-stable product, they include a whole host of ingredients. The label lists flour, figs, sugar, corn syrup, vegetable oil, salt, corn fiber, oat fiber, baking soda, calcium lactate, malic acid, soy lecithin, sodium Benzoate, and sulfur dioxide. There is no dairy in there or any animal based products, so, yes, Fig Newtons are vegan. However, Fig Newtons are not gluten-free. The dough is made of flour and starch, which contain gluten.
Is a Fig Newton a cookie?
Fig Newtons are found in the cookie aisle, but from the day they were invented, they were called cakes. Fig Newton packaging called them cake from the 1890s all the way until the 1980s, when Nabisco began referring to them as a doughy cookie. Around the same time, advertising popped up declaring that a cookie is just a cookie, but a Fig Newton is fruit and cake. The marketing worked and in the 1990s Fig Newtons were Nabisco’s third highest selling cookie brand, right behind Oreo and Chips Ahoy. In 2012, the former cake-now-doughy-cookie underwent another change. Fig Newtons were no longer Fig Newtons. That’s right, we’ve been calling them the wrong name! Fig Newtons dropped the Fig and rebranded as Newtons. I guess having a fig-based cookie that had fig in the name was just too much of a barrier for modern kids.
FAQs
The label lists flour, figs, sugar, corn syrup, vegetable oil, salt, corn fiber, oat fiber, baking soda, calcium lactate, malic acid, soy lecithin, sodium Benzoate, and sulfur dioxide. There is no dairy in there or any animal based products, so, yes, Fig Newtons are vegan. However, Fig Newtons are not gluten-free.
Are Fig Newtons a healthy cookie? ›
Fig Newton Cookies
They are also fairly healthy. Figs are well known for having fiber, which helps with digestion, as well as protein and several vitamins and minerals. This means there are quite a few health benefits of fig bars like fig Newtons.
Are fig newton cookies good for constipation? ›
Try high fiber snack foods such as sesame bread sticks, date-nut or prune bread, oatmeal cookies, fig newtons, date or raisin bars, granola and corn chips. Try natural “laxative-type” foods- bran, whole grain cereals, and prune juice.
How many cookies are in a fig Newton? ›
Product information
| Ingredient Type | Kosher |
|---|
| Number of Pieces | 24 |
| Item Form | Snacks |
| Specialty | Kosher |
| Item Firmness Description | Cookies |
2 more rowsThey Can Still Be Part Of A Healthy Diet
"If you like Fig Newtons, they can be [a] healthy part of a balanced diet and would make an easy and convenient snack, especially for on the go," Van Eck said. "They contain whole grain flour and figs, both quite good for you.
What kind of fruit is in Fig Newtons? ›
INGREDIENTS: FIGS, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, SUGAR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, INVERT SUGAR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, PALM OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM ...
Can 1 year olds eat Fig Newtons? ›
Dried figs are a choking hazard for babies—as is all dried fruit. Hold off on serving dried figs, and instead, opt for fresh fruit when it's available.
Can a dog eat a fig Newton cookie? ›
Do not feed your dog Fig Newtons. These sugary cookies contain additional ingredients (especially sugar and spices) that are not healthy for dogs and, in large amounts, could be toxic. The figs used in these cookies also aren't fresh—so when it comes to sharing your treats, just say no to your dog's begging eyes.
What's the healthiest cookie? ›
10+ Healthy Cookies That You Can Eat Every Day
- No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies. ...
- Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies. ...
- Flourless Oatmeal Shortbread Cookies. ...
- Flourless Strawberry Shortcake Cookies. ...
- Healthy No Sugar Banana Cookies. ...
- Flourless Oatmeal Cookies With Chocolate Chunks. ...
- 10-Minute Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Cookies.
Popcorn is a whole grain that may help prevent constipation. As a source of fiber, popcorn may help support regular bowel movements and prevent constipation. Constipation is a common condition, affecting around 16% of adults in the United States and 33% of those aged 60 years or older.
Newtons are a Nabisco-trademarked version of a cookie filled with sweet fruit paste. "Fig Newtons" are the most popular variety (fig rolls filled with fig paste). They are produced by an extrusion process.
How long are Fig Newtons good for? ›
If you want them to last longer, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can flash freeze them or wrap them individually in plastic wrap before storing them in a freezer-safe zip lock bag and freezing them for up to 3 months.
Who owns Fig Newtons? ›
Fig Newtons are cookies filled with fig paste or jam, which are a trademarked variation of the fig roll; they are manufactured by Nabisco, a company owned by Mondelez International.
How many bugs are allowed in Fig Newtons? ›
Here you would learn that fig paste is allowed to have up to 13 insect heads per 100 grams.
Do Fig Newtons have dates in them? ›
How to Make Fig Newtons. These cookies are easy to make, requiring just 8 ingredients! Plus, they're naturally sweetened and no-bake (with the exception of toasting your oats and nuts before blending). The filling is a simple blend of dried figs, cinnamon, dates, and orange zest.
Do fresh figs taste like Fig Newtons? ›
The first thing to note is that fresh figs taste nothing like Fig Newtons. A fresh fig does not have the extreme sweetness, the chewiness, or the noticeable seeds of a dried fig.
Are Fig Newtons made from dates? ›
Nabisco's recipes are (obviously) a secret, but modern copies suggest that you start with dried mission figs, and add applesauce and orange juice, and a little orange zest as you process the fruit. More exotic recipes add Medjool dates, currants and crystallized ginger and perhaps a few ground almonds.
Can vegans eat Fig Newtons? ›
Sugar: The sugar used in Fig Newtons comes from various suppliers, some of whom employ a filtration process involving bone char. Bone char is a byproduct of charred animal bones, making it decidedly non-vegan.
