Chewy; flavorful; delicious. That’s just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about these bars. Plus they keep for a long time. They’re called Hermits and they’re a must-try.
Ever hear of Hermit bars? If you answered “no,” no worries–I hadn’t either until I stumbled across a recipe for them in a cookbook I recently picked up at Goodwill. I feel like you can learn a LOT about baking just by perusing a good cookbook. The one I got was a King Arthur Flour one (an older version of this one) and it’s excellent. I love anything King Arthur–between their cookbooks and their website (not to mention their flour), there’s a trove of info you can gleam from them. So I took one of their recipes for hermits and tweaked it by swapping out the called-for shortening with Golden Barrel Coconut Oil, among a couple other things.
Hermit bars are original to the New England coastal area. According to King Arthur Flour, hermit bars were made for New England sailors and fishermen who were headed out to sea for months at a time. The name hermit is thought to have been used because just like a typical human hermit, these bars can “hide away” for a long period of time and still taste as good as the day they were baked. In fact, some would even say that they taste better over time, since the spices have a chance to develop together.
These bars are delicious. Their flavor is unsurpassed and the chewy texture is delightful. Then with that vanilla glaze drizzle on top…perfection! They remind me of the cooler weather that is heading our way very soon. Ahh…can’t wait for fall!
You definitely should add these chewy hermit bars to your must-try list. They’re simple, can be made in either a 9×13 or jelly roll pan, and oh-so yummy!
Chewy Hermit Bars
Print Recipe
Chewy; flavorful; delicious. That's just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about these bars. Plus they keep for a long time. They're called Hermits and they're a must-try.
Chewy; flavorful; delicious. That's just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about these bars. Plus they keep for a long time. They're called Hermits and they're a must-try.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10x15 (or 9x13) pan with coconut oil.
In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, coconut oil and butter until smooth.
Mix in the dry ingredients (spices, salt, and flour) until combined. Pour in molasses. Stir in raisins lastly. The dough will be dry and slightly crumbly.
Pat the dough into the prepared pan, wetting fingers to help spread it.
Bake hermits for 20-30 minutes, keeping a close eye on them to prevent overbaking.
Remove onto wire rack until completely cool. Drizzle with glaze. Store in airtight container. You can also freeze them for longer periods of time.
Recipe should say, 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted…….sadly I missed that