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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Classic Hermit Cookies are an old-fashioned favorite packed with raisins, dates, and warm spices that make them perfect for any occasion. Especially popular during the Christmas season, these cookies have been a household staple for generations – and yes, they even have their own holiday! Every November 15th is National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day, which feels like the perfect excuse (not that we need one) to bake and enjoy these cozy cookies all day long.
These Hermit Cookies pair beautifully with my chewy Butterscotch Cookies, or you can keep things classic with a batch of my Sugar Cookies. They’re perfect for holidays, cookie swaps, or gifting!
Reader Review
This is a really good recipe – I tried it with both the coffee and buttermilk versions, equally excellent results, though I personally prefer the coffee. Delicious soft cookie, even better the next day. Highly recommend!
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: While there are quite a few ingredients, these Classic Hermit Cookies are still super easy to make!
- Total Time: You’ll have a full batch of spiced cookies ready in about 20 minutes.
- Variations: Feel free to make these your own! Swap raisins and chopped dates for dried currants, or add chopped walnuts and pecans for extra texture. These cookies are wonderful served with a hot cup of tea or Irish Coffee, and they’re also delicious topped with Chocolate Sauce or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting for a rich contrast to the warm spices!
- Tools For This Recipe: You will need two cookie sheets, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, a whisk, and a medium-sized mixing bowl.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour forms the base of these cookies, giving them structure while still allowing them to bake up soft and tender. Karlynn’s Tip: Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping straight from the bag – too much flour can make these cookies dense instead of perfectly chewy!
Butter: Butter adds richness and helps carry all those warm spices through the dough. Karlynn’s Tip: Make sure your butter is properly softened! It should press easily with your finger, but shouldn’t be melted.
Fruit: Raisins and chopped dates add natural sweetness, moisture, and that signature old-fashioned texture hermit cookies are known for.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar brings a deep, caramelly sweetness that pairs beautifully with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Karlynn’s Tip: Dark brown sugar will give you an even richer molasses flavor, but light brown works just as well.
Sour Milk (or Black Coffee): Sour milk adds a subtle tang and tenderness, while cold black coffee brings a deeper, more complex taste that complements the spices (my favorite!). Karlynn’s Tip: To sour milk quickly, stir 1 teaspoon of vinegar into cold milk and let it sit for a few minutes.
How To Make Classic Hermit Cookies
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or grease the pan, if desired.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, then beat in the egg, sour milk (or coffee), and vanilla until fully combined.
- Now it’s time to whisk together the dry ingredients, then add them to the wet mixture.
- Stir in the raisins and dates, then drop tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet.
- Bake until golden brown, then remove and cool!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Classic Hermit Cookies
- Flatten for a Thinner Cookie: If you prefer flatter hermit cookies, gently press the dough balls down with the bottom of a glass after placing them on the cookie sheet. This helps them spread evenly as they bake!
- Plump Up the Raisins: For extra juicy raisins, boil them briefly in water, then drain and set them aside before adding them to the dough. This simple step keeps them soft and prevents them from drying out in the oven.
- Easy Ingredient Swap: Not a fan of dates? Swap in chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch and texture without altering the overall character of the cookies.
Storage Instructions
These Classic Hermit Cookies are just as delicious days later, so you can enjoy them long after the baking is done!
Room Temperature: Once fully cooled, store your cookies in an airtight container (a Rubbermaid-style container works best) for 4–5 days to keep them fresh and soft!
Freezer: Hermit cookies also freeze wonderfully. Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment or wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months, following USDA food safety guidelines, and thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Love old-fashioned baking? These Cookie Recipes deserve a spot on your must-bake list:
- My Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe delivers buttery, golden edges and an irresistible classic crunch!
- Double Mint Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies are rich, chocolatey cookies with a cool minty surprise tucked inside every bite.
- How To Make Perfect Whipped Shortbread shows you how to bake melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are just like the ones my Grandma made!
And just like that, you’ve got a batch of Classic Hermit Cookies fresh from the oven! Spiced, packed with fruit, and full of old-fashioned charm, these cookies are proof that some recipes should stand the test of time.
Bake a batch, pour a cup of tea or coffee, and enjoy every cozy bite. If you make them, I’d love to hear how they turned out in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Hermit Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cold black coffee, or sour milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Fruit Add-Ins
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup dates, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. You will have to bake in batches.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer, cream together the butter and the sugar. Beat in the egg completely, then add the coffee or sour milk and the vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then on low-speed beat until the ingredients are combined completely.
- Stir in the raisins and dates by hand until mixed throughout the batter.
- Drop by tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet. If you want them flatter, slightly press them down.
- Bake in the oven until lightly browned and the edges are set. Remove and cool on the baking sheets completely.
Notes
- Coffee gives these a darker flavor and is my favorite way to make them instead of the sour milk
- These are best baked until the edges are browned and the middle just set. Overbaking them will make them hard.
- Storing them in a closed container between sheets of parchment makes sure they retain their soft texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina P. says
I made these for the first time because these are my fathers favorite. However, they crumbled and fell apart, they were not sweet or very good. I am the family baker and make at leat 8 different types of cookies as well as fruitcake. Ive never had cookies turn out this bad. So disappointed, because i really wanted to surprise my Dad.😕
Pat says
Very tasty!
Suly says
This is a really good recipe – I tried it with both the coffee and buttermilk versions, equally excellent results though i personally prefer the coffee. Delicious soft cookie even better the next day. Highly recommend
Darlene says
Do you just chop the dates or cook them as you do for matrimonial cake ..thank you
Laurie Eagle says
Don’t hermit cookies have molasses in them?
Lois Popp says
I omitted the dates.
We made these when young and this recipe is identical. So good
Garry J. Applelgate says
My Mother made these for me all through my childhood. I can remember standing in the kitchen watching her make them and she added a “cup of cold black coffee” when she made them. Does anyone else know of this change in the recipe?
Janet Wetmore says
My grandmother made them all the time for us. Her cookie jar always had them and we loved them. It was always straight to the cookie jar when we went to Grandmas! She used about 1 cup to 1-1/2 cups of STRONG black cold coffee.
Eileen Bedwell says
What changes would you have to make to add a cup of coffee to this recipe? Asking for a friend!
Erin says
what is sour milk?
Ken says
You can make it with vinegar and milk. A small amount of vinegar 1 1/2 tsp to 1/2 cup milk. You just mix it and let it sit.
Eugenia McNeely says
Buttermilk
Jackie says
These turned out great for my first time making hermit cookies. In my oven it took 14 minutes to bake on a good quality cookie sheet. I did add walnuts and used cranberries instead of dates and a sprinkle of allspice.
Angel says
These were yummy. I didn’t have dates on hand so just used double the raisins. However, I really wish you had given a suggestion for the number of minutes to bake. I know ovens vary, but it was obnoxious to have to keep such an insanely close eye on the timing since I was unsure what would be a minimum “safe” baking time.
Elaine McKeown says
Can’t this recipe be doubled?
Eugenia McNeely says
I doubled it 😄
Earlyne Wiebe says
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I just made the Hermit Cookies. Oh my! I’m trying not to eat them all at once. So delicious. Instead of sour milk I used sour cream. FYI to anyone. I love your recipes! Mmmgood ??
Karlynn Johnston says
So glad that you loved them!!
Sylvia Galli says
I baked them between 18-20 minutes.
Mark says
Hi there, Australia commenting…..what is sour milk? Buttermilk?
Mr. Kitchen Magpie says
You can sour milk by adding in a tsp of vinegar. Buttermilk is quite thick compared to just a plain soured milk.
Eugenia McNeely says
I doubled it 😄
and Baked it on a cookie sheet !!
Eileen says
Hi there, you might want to change the instructions where you say to add the sour egg and vanilla. I think you mean sour milk. Love your blog!
Karlynn Johnston says
Fixed, thank you!
Kim says
Karlynn;
Hi,your hermit cookies look so good and tasty but the raisons raise my blood sugar and i was wondering if i can just leave them out of your recipe or if i can add mini chocolate chips in this cookie recipe.Can this hermit cookie recipe be frozen after i make the cookies?
Kim
Karlynn Johnston says
They are great frozen and you can sub in mini chocolate chips, they won’t be as chewy but the spices would be delicious with chocolate!
Kathleen Falls says
Very tasty hermit recipe…I will be making them again!😊
Cheryl A VanDuyn says
can you change the recipe to make it keto?