Recreating Lauren’s Spicy Hermit Cookies

As the title suggests, this recipe is Lauren’s iteration of Spicy Hermit Cookies.

To be honest, I haven’t heard of hermit cookies before. But, now that I’ve tried it? It’s awesome! Just like the Ricotta Cookie, it has become one of my favorites in the unique cookie genre.

Upon a simple Google search and some reading, I found out that this recipe may have originated in New England. And, it’s dated all the way back to the 19th century. 

Jump to Recipe

Nowadays, there are generally American and Canadian versions. I used dates (and maple syrup), so I recreated the Canadian Variant of Hermit Cookies.

Here’s the thing:

The ginger is what gives it that nuanced spicy flavor. If you want a more robust spicy-ness, use twice the amount of ground ginger for the recipe.

The general idea for the name Hermit is that these cookies can be stored for a long time. Regardless, there’s no specific definition as to why it’s named Hermit Cookie. The important thing is that it’s delicious!

With all that said, let’s bake some Spicy Hermit Cookies!

Tips and Substitutions

Lauren’s recipe is made with molasses. I didn’t have one at hand and I didn’t want to go to the grocery store. Instead, I used maple syrup as an alternative. Consequently, you can also try it with honey.

If you want to make it a bit healthier, you can switch half of the flour to whole wheat. So, the ratio would be 1½ cups all-purpose flour and ¾ cup whole wheat flour.

Now, considering this is a Canadian version of the Spicy Hermit Cookies, I utilized dates. If you don’t have dates on hand, you can also use craisins or raisins. In addition to those dried fruits, you can also add nuts for a pinch of crunchy texture (American version).

If you want to make this recipe into a more indulgent dessert, you can add some toppings. One of which is a sprinkle of sugar icing on top or a glaze.

Spicy Hermit Cookies

Course: Snacks, DessertCuisine: American, CanadianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Total time

22

minutes

This unique flavored Spicy Hermit Cookies Recipe is an excellent dessert or snack. It’s a break from the traditional chocolate chip, oatmeal, and peanut butter cookie.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, melted

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 egg

• ¼ cup maple syrup

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ teaspoon ground  nutmeg

• ¼ cup dates, cut up

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
• In a stand mixer bowl (with paddle attachment), blend melted butter, sugars, egg, and maple syrup until cohesive.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the rest of the dry ingredients—flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.
• Little by little, pour the dry ingredients into the stand mixer bowl and blend until fully incorporated.
• Fold in the dates with a spatula.
• Lightly grease your baking sheet with cooking spray or brush it with butter.
• Using a cookie scoop, portion your cookie dough into the baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies look slightly set on top.
• Let cool for at least 2 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Recipe by Lauren Sharifi.