Preheat oven to 350° F and line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.
Soak the figs in hot water for 10 minutes while you're making the crust.
Make the crust
In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flax meal, and salt.
In a smaller bowl, combine the tahini, vanilla, applesauce, maple syrup, and water.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir well. Set this aside while you make the filling.
Make the filling
Drain the figs, then combine them with maple syrup, lemon juice, and water in your food processor, and run it until you have a sticky jam-like mixture. You can add more water, a teaspoon at a time, if you need to get things moving. It depends on how dry your figs are.
Assemble & bake
Press half of the oat dough into the bottom of your lined baking pan. Press the fig mixture into the pan on top of the dough. Carefully press the remaining oat dough on top of the fig layer (see note).
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned on the edges. Let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes before you pop them out. Then, let them cool on the cutting board for 10 more minutes before you slice and serve them.
Video
Notes
The oat topping is going to want to press into the jam layer, so I like to break up the dough into four or five pieces, and scatter them on top. Then, gently spread those out until you have a single, top layer of dough.Store leftover fig bars in an airtight container. They will keep for 2-3 days in the pantry or for up to a week in the fridge. If you have to stack them, place a piece of parchment paper between rows, so the bars don't stick together.To freeze, layer them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers. They will keep for three months. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.