Fig Bread

This fig bread is a hearty, wholesome quick bread loaded with dried figs, semisweet chocolate chunks, and walnuts, with a deep golden crust and a surprisingly tender crumb.

“I made this and the smell coming from the oven was unreal. The figs on top caramelized beautifully and the chocolate chunks made every slice feel a little indulgent. My family demolished it before it even fully cooled!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Renata

This is the kind of bread I reach for when I want something that feels a little special without requiring a whole afternoon of work. The mix of figs, chocolate, and walnuts makes every slice interesting in a way that’s hard to explain until you try it.

It fits anywhere you’d bring a quick bread: on the breakfast table, sliced up for a weekend brunch, or wrapped up and given as a gift during the holidays. If you’re a fan of fruit-forward loaves, my strawberry bread is another one worth keeping in your back pocket.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Whole Wheat Flour: This gives the loaf its hearty, slightly nutty base and adds structure alongside the all-purpose flour. Don’t substitute all whole wheat for the full amount or the bread will turn out too dense or you could make this chocolate chip zucchini bread that uses whole wheat pastry flour.
• All-Purpose Flour: It lightens the crumb and keeps the texture from becoming too heavy. The combination of both flours is what makes this fig bread tender rather than brick-like.
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Salt
• Dried Mission Figs: They’re the heart of this recipe, divided between the batter and the top of the loaf as a garnish. Make sure you make this homemade fig newton recipe next if you love figs!
• Semisweet Chocolate Chunks: They melt into soft pockets throughout the crumb and balance the earthiness of the whole wheat and figs.
• Walnuts: They add crunch and a slightly bitter edge that keeps the loaf from being overly sweet. You can leave them out if you prefer, but they really do earn their place here.
• Unsalted Butter
• Packed Brown Sugar: It sweetens the loaf and adds a subtle molasses depth that pairs well with the figs and chocolate.
• Low-Fat Buttermilk: The acidity reacts with the baking soda to help the loaf rise and keeps the texture tender. If you make the best buttermilk biscuit recipe regularly, you likely already keep this on hand! Or you can make your own by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
• Egg:

Variations for Fig Bread

• Change the chocolate or dried fruit! You can make this recipe with chocolate chips, white chocolate, or dark chocolate chunks! You can also swap out the figs for dried cherries, apples, or cranberries.
• Streusel topping. You can add a streusel or crumble before baking! Use the topping from these raspberry crumble bars or from this apple streusel bread!
• Mini Loaves.: Divide the batter between two smaller loaf pans and reduce the bake time to around 40 to 50 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick. You get two shorter loaves that are easier to gift or freeze individually.
• Change the walnut! The walnuts can be left out or swapped for pecans, cashews, or macadamia nuts!

Professional Tips for Perfect Fig Bread

• Soak the garnish figs before they go on top. The halved figs sitting on the surface of the loaf are exposed to direct oven heat for over an hour. Skipping the hot-water soak means they’ll shrivel and scorch before the bread’s center is done. Even a quick 10-minute soak makes them stay plump and glossy.
• Let the loaf cool completely before slicing. It’s tempting to cut into it at the 10-minute mark, but the interior is still setting as it cools. Slicing too soon gives you a gummy, compressed crumb. A full hour on the rack makes a real difference in how clean and tender each slice looks.
• Check doneness with a toothpick, not just color. The whole-wheat flour and brown sugar give this loaf a deep golden-brown crust that can look done before the center is finished. Push the toothpick all the way into the center of the loaf — if it comes out with wet batter, it needs more time even if the top looks perfect.

How to Make Whole Wheat Chocolate Chunk Fig Bread

Use these step-by-step instructions to make a hearty, tender fig bread. Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prep your pan and oven. Heat your oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Then spray just the bottom with cooking spray. The parchment along the sides makes it easy to lift the finished loaf out cleanly without it sticking.

Step 2: Soak the garnish figs. Place the halved dried figs in a small bowl and cover them with very hot water. The soak plumps them back up and keeps them from scorching on top of the loaf during the long bake. Let them sit while you mix the batter.

Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until they’re evenly combined. The mixture should look uniformly pale with no visible clumps of leavener.

Step 4: Stir in the figs, chocolate, and walnuts. Add the chopped dried figs, chocolate chunks, and walnuts directly to the flour mixture and stir until everything is coated in flour. Coating the mix-ins before adding the wet ingredients helps keep them suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom.

Step 5: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate small bowl, beat the melted butter and packed brown sugar together with a whisk until they’re well combined. The mixture will look thick and paste-like at first. Beat in the buttermilk and egg until the mixture smooths out into a pourable, uniform liquid.

Step 6: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the mixture is just combined. The batter will be thick. Overmixing is the main thing to avoid here, so resist the urge to keep going until it looks perfectly smooth.

Step 7: Fill the pan and add the fig topping. Spoon the thick batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it into an even layer with your spatula, making sure it reaches the corners. Drain the soaked figs and arrange them cut side-up across the top of the loaf, pressing each one down lightly so they nestle into the batter without disappearing.

Step 8: Bake the loaf. Slide the pan into the center of your preheated oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. The loaf is done when the top is a deep, rich golden brown, the edges have pulled away slightly from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with no wet batter clinging to it. If the top is browning too quickly before the center is set, tent it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.

Step 9: Cool in the pan, then transfer. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting it out by the parchment and setting it on a wire rack. The loaf needs that short rest to firm up enough to hold its shape when you move it.

Step 10: Cool completely before slicing. Leave the loaf on the rack for about 1 hour, until it’s fully cooled before cutting into it. Slicing too early compresses the crumb and makes the texture gummy, so this step is worth the wait.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope this fig bread finds a regular spot in your baking rotation. Browse our quick bread recipes or make this vegan banana bread next!