Chewy Hermit Bars

Hermit bars are a New England classic that’s been around for generations. Molasses and brown sugar give them a deep, caramel-like chewiness, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves fill the kitchen with the kind of warm spice aroma that makes people wander in asking what’s baking.

These are bar cookies, not drop cookies. The batter spreads into a 13×9 pan and bakes in one shot, which means no standing at the oven sliding trays in and out. The bars come out soft and chewy with raisins and nuts throughout, then a dusting of powdered sugar on top finishes them off.

Cream the shortening and brown sugar until genuinely fluffy before adding the eggs one at a time. That creaming step traps air and gives the bars their chewy-yet-tender texture. The molasses goes in after the eggs, and it will look shaggy and loose. That’s normal.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the bars cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar but don’t wait until they’re cold. A slightly warm surface helps the sugar stick.
• Cool completely before cutting. Warm hermit bars are too soft to cut cleanly and will crumble.
• These actually taste better the next day once the spices have mellowed and the texture firms up. Store in an airtight container.

Variations

• Swap raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dates for a different chewy element.
• Use pecans or walnuts for the chopped nuts, or a combination of both.
• Add a teaspoon of ground ginger to the spice mix for extra warmth.