Hermit Cookie Bars (New England Spiced) | CookOS

Hermit Cookie Bars

Name: Hermit Cookie Bars (New England Spiced)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; ¾ cup light brown sugar; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ⅛ tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened; ⅓ cup unsulphured molasses; 2 large eggs; ¾ cup raisins; ½ cup chopped pecans

Hermit cookie bars are chewy, spiced cake-like bars combining molasses with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, studded with raisins and pecans. This darker interpretation of a late-1800s New England staple delivers deep molasses flavor and tender crumb.

🌍American 🥗Vegetarian 🏷️Hermit cookies 🏷️Cookie bars 🏷️Molasses 🏷️Spiced cookies

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🏷️New england

Total

35 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

Est. Cost

$25–$41

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Recette Magazine

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup unsulphured molasses
2 large eggs
¾ cup raisins
½ cup chopped pecans

13 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Line two Suvie pans with parchment paper and lightly grease.
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and molasses on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping bowl halfway through, about 2 minutes total. Scrape down sides of bowl again, add eggs, and beat on medium-low speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
4
Add dry ingredients and beat on slow speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl again and gently fold in raisins and pecans. Alternatively, items can be beaten with a hand mixer in a large bowl at the same speed.
5
Using greased fingertips, evenly spread dough between prepared pans and load into your Suvie.
6
Input settings, and cook now or schedule.
7
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes in both bottom and top zones.
8
After the cook, remove cookie bars from Suvie. Slice each pan into 8 servings. To serve, divide cookies between plates.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Don't overbake—molasses cookies dry out quickly. Pull bars from the oven when the center still jiggles slightly; residual heat finishes cooking as they cool on the pan.
Soften butter fully before creaming to avoid dense bars; room-temperature butter incorporates air and lightness into the dough.
Toast pecans lightly before chopping to deepen nuttiness and prevent them from absorbing excess moisture during storage.
Let bars cool completely in the pan (at least 2 hours) before cutting; warm bars crumble. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting for cleaner edges.

Substitutions

light brown sugar → dark brown sugar (adds deeper molasses notes)
unsalted butter → coconut oil at 1:1 ratio (slightly lighter crumb, no salt adjustment needed)
pecans → walnuts or chopped almonds (1:1, more subtle nuttiness)
unsulphured molasses → blackstrap molasses (reduce to ¼ cup; very strong, bitter edge)

Storage & make-ahead

Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; flavor and chewiness improve overnight. Freeze unbaked dough in the pan up to 1 month, or baked bars up to 2 months.

Common Questions

What makes hermit cookies different from regular spice cookies?

Hermit cookies are bar-form, molasses-forward, and typically contain dried fruit and nuts baked into a cake-like dough rather than rolled and cut. They're meant to stay moist for days.

Can I use dark molasses instead of light?

Yes. Dark molasses will intensify the spice notes and create a deeper color and slightly more bitter edge; reduce quantity by 1–2 tablespoons if using unsulphured dark molasses.

How do I know when the bars are done baking?

A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The edges will be set but the center should still feel slightly soft—they firm up as they cool.