Similar in taste to a gingerbread cookie, these hermit cookies are soft and chewy and made with ginger, molasses, and raisins.
Credit must be given where credit is due: Hermit Cookie bars are my husband’s specialty.
A Boston Massachusetts native, when he was growing up he would find these cookies in a local bakery and purchase them by the bag for a couple of dollars.
History of hermit cookies:
Many people ask where these hermit cookies came from. As far as he could tell, they originated in New England back in the 1800s because of the molasses in the cookies they kept well on long voyages.
Dense and moist, hermits age very well and were given to sailors in tins to last on long expeditions. Sweet, chewy, spicy (from the ginger), buttery and perfectly balanced with the right amount of salt, a chef friend of ours describes hermits as “sweet crack.”
Once the dough is prepared, you spread it in a well-floured baking sheet using well-floured hands. Why do you need to flour your hands? Because this moist and soft dough is extra sticky!
The more flour on your hands, the easier it will be to spread out on the pan. Don’t worry if the dough doesn’t reach each edge, just push it out about ½-inch thick. It doesn’t need to be a perfect rectangle.
Once baked, I liked to slice them into squares but you could also use cookie cutters to cut them into cute shapes. A fantastic edible holiday gift, these babies will stay moist and delicious for weeks – if you can avoid eating them all first! We’ve also made them for classroom parties as they are nut free.
Whip up a batch of these soft and chewy hermit bar cookies for your next cookie swap, classroom party, hostess gift or holiday open house!
What are your favorite holiday cookies? I’d love to hear from you.
Frequently asked questions:
Hermit cookies store well. Up to a week in an airtight container and they will still taste great!
These molasses cookies have a forgiveness factor. While the time states 17 minutes, they are hard to burn if you put them in for a little longer than that.
You may be able to find them in a local bakery. If you’re going to find them you may find in a local bakery in the Northeast United States.
Use a pizza cutter or knife and cut them into squares (or any shape you prefer).
No forks required.
📖 Recipe
New England Hermit Cookie Bars 🍪
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks softened – preferably unsalted
- ⅔ cup dark molasses
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups raisins
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease (I typically will use Crisco which is preferred or Pam Baking spray) and flour one standard jelly roll pan (standard cooking sheet) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cloves.
- With the mixer on medium, beat together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in molasses then egg and mix until well combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Use a spoon to stir in raisins.
- Scrape edges of the bowl with a plastic spatula to get the mixture together in a ball then scrape out onto a cookie sheet.
- Flour hands then carefully press dough into even layer on the floured cookie sheet.
- Bake 17-19 minutes depending on oven. Typically I'll spend half the time on the top rack and the other half on the bottom. Remove from the oven when toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before slicing into bars.
Video
Chef’s Notes
Nutrition
Cat
These hermit cookies were delicious and I even shared the recipe with my Maine Farmer neighbor, she loved them. I baked them longer than 19 minutes, more like 25 minutes and left them to cool in the open oven as I like them a bit dryer. Will definitely keep this recipe and add chopped walnuts next time.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Ronnie
Delicious, although the pan required is much larger than the 9″ x 13″ written. (The photo shows something larger.)
Liz DellaCroce
My goodness that’s a type-o! You’re correct it’s a cooking sheet – much bigger. Fixed!!
Kim
I haven’t had these in years. Made the recipe and all the memories came flooding back. These are spot on. Thank you for this great recipe.
JoLee
A solid five stars! I made the full recipe with only a few changes: added a pinch of mace, sifted dry ingredients instead of whisking them, and used a wooden spoon to mix (no electric mixer). Easy and fast! My husband, Ed, was born in VT in 1937. His mother made hermits, and of course they were his favorite. I was born in New Orleans and had never heard of a hermit cookie. Having tried several different recipes (resulting in several batches of “not-hermits”), I am thrilled to report: I just cut into this pan and gave two squares to my husband. And… success! Ed says I have captured the elusive HERMIT! Thank you so much.
Susan Connor
When dough is put on the floured cookie sheet should it be spread out to cover the entire pan?
Liz DellaCroce
Yes I like to spread it out but it doesnt need to reach the entire pan!
DV
Here’s FIVE STARS***** from someone who actually made these! These cookies are fantastic. I made 1/2 the recipe and it almost filled up the entire 9×13 sheet pan (so 1/2 the recipe is still a good amount!). The recipe was super easy to follow, very quick to make and baked perfectly in 17 mins in my oven. The dough wasn’t super sticky to work with so no trouble pushing it out on the pan. I haven’t cut them into bars yet, they’re still cooling, but I did tear off a corner to taste and wow, these are so good. The store nearby adds a vanilla glaze to their hermits, but these are delicious plain. Thank you for a great and quick/easy recipe!
lorraine shicko
I grew up in the South end of Hartford, CT and hermits were always in the house…Dad always bought them at a local bakery on Franklin Ave. Later in life when my Mom and I lived close by (because Dad had passed on) Mom and I went grocery shopping together and we found hermits at a local Big “Y” and Mom scooped them up….when my son visited from Virginia he absolutely LOVED our hermits and just lately he said that he was not going to visit again without me making those “hermit cookies”(I since have moved to SC where hermits aren’t even heard of and Italian grinders with my homemade peppers)…so here I am searching for a hermit recipe…and VOILA!…i found you!…I will try your recipe and let you know….sounds so good and bring back so many wonderful childhood memories!
Thanks!!!!!