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Hermit Cookies

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baked goods•american•contains gluten, contains dairy, contains eggs, contains nuts
65 minutes•24 cookies•

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter – softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar – packed (220g)
  • 2 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (330g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda (4.6g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup raisin
  • 3/4 cup walnut – chopped
Hermit Cookies

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. 2.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, fine sea salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg until evenly combined.

  3. 3.

    In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.

  4. 4.

    Beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth, then mix in the vanilla extract and molasses until fully incorporated.

  5. 5.

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain.

  6. 6.

    Fold in the raisins and chopped walnuts until evenly distributed.

  7. 7.

    Divide the dough in half. On the prepared baking sheet, shape each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, roughly 0.75 inch thick. Smooth and square the sides with damp fingers, leaving several inches between logs for spreading.

  8. 8.

    Bake until the tops look matte and set, edges are just firm, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 15–18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway.

  9. 9.

    Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. While still warm, slice each log crosswise into 1-inch bars. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Hermit cookies are soft, chewy spice cookies enriched with molasses and studded with raisins and nuts. Their flavor is warm and aromatic from cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg, balanced by the deep, bittersweet notes of molasses. Traditionally baked as bars from logs and sliced while warm, they deliver a satisfying chew with tender centers and lightly crisped edges.

Rooted in New England, hermits emerged in the 19th century as travel-worthy sweets prized for their keeping qualities—hence their name, which hints at a long, sheltered shelf life. Sailors and travelers favored them because the molasses and spices helped preserve moisture and flavor over time. Over the decades they became a general-store staple and lunchbox favorite, appearing in both bar and drop-cookie forms while holding onto their signature spice-and-molasses identity.