Gluten Free Replacement for Fig Newtons (Product Review: Jovial Fig Fruit Filled Cookies - Dairy Free Too!)

A couple years ago a friend of mine convinced me to try to bake a gluten free version of a Fig Newton. It was a disaster! I had scaled the recipe and was off on one of the ingredients, which made it a runny mess which then over cooked in parts . . . you get the idea. Eating the broken pieces of a cookie disaster is never fun and I figured I’d never have fig newtons again.

Jovial Gluten Free / Dairy Free Fig Fruit Filled Cookies

That was until I was introduced to Jovial’s Fig Fruit Filled Organic Cookies! As you can see from the photo they are round button cookies (not bars) and they are softer than their glutened counterpart. The cookies are imported from Italy and are both gluten and dairy free (they do contain soy and egg). Each box contains six individually wrapped two-packs (12 cookies total).

Jovial also makes Chocolate button cookie (choice of chocolate or vanilla cream filling) but these both contain dairy. One note of caution: Jovial also produces Einkorn cookies and Einkorn is a strain of wheat so definitely not acceptable for those with Celiac Disease or on a Gluten Free diet. (According to their website, the GF cookies are made on a dedicated line in a shared facility on alternate days. They also test to 10ppm.)

Rounding out Jovial’s product offerings are five shapes of gluten free brown rice pasta - Spaghetti, Capellini, Penne Rigate, Fusilli, and Caserecce in 12oz packages. (Again, watch as they also make Einkorn pasta.) I’ve had the Penne and it is pretty good. To my knowledge they are the only company making a gluten free Capellini and/or a gluten free Caserecce. According to their website, the pasta is made in a gluten free facility and is also tested to 10ppm.

I’ve seen Jovial products are Corrado’s and Fairway as well as a couple of independent shops. If you can’t find them in your area you can also order them online from amazon.com here: Jovial Fig Fruit Filled Gluten Free Organic Cookies