Warmly spiced Hermit Cookies are an old fashioned drop cookie that’s loaded with raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg. They’re a nostalgic sweet treat, best enjoyed with a cold glass of milk!
There’s something so nostalgic about getting out my grandma’s KitchenAid stand mixer from the 1970s (it’s butter yellow and still works beautifully) and whipping up a batch of cookies. I came across several recipes for these old fashioned Hermit Cookies in recipe books and newspaper clippings from the 1960s, so I decided to give them a try. I love finding a recipe that appears in multiple places, especially when it’s one you don’t see as often today.
This version, from a 1963 newspaper clipping, uses cream of tartar. It’s also an ingredient in classic cookies like these drop sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. The cream of tartar adds a very slight tanginess to the cookie which I love, but it also helps keep the cookies soft and chewy rather than crispy.
Hermits are the cookies to make when you want something a little different from the usual chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie. They have a long history in American home baking, and this version is definitely worth bringing back!
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Kate’s Tips for Baking Hermit Cookies
- Be sure to soften the butter before starting. If you’d like to get started baking quickly, follow my easy way to soften butter in the microwave.
- Want more mix-ins? Several classic recipes for hermits call for adding 1 cup of chopped nuts and 1 cup of chopped dates, along with the 1 cup of raisins already in the recipe (3 cups of mix-ins total). That sounds delicious!
- Use a cookie scoop to make this recipe easier to portion. I like a 2-tablespoon sized scoop. Even portions mean all the cookies cook exactly the same.
- I like to add a few extra raisins on top of each ball of cookie dough before they go into the oven. They look prettier that way.
- The cookies are done when they no longer look wet in the center. Let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking pan, and then let them cool fully on a wire rack. The cookies will look puffy when you remove them from the oven, and will deflate slightly as they cool.
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What You’ll Need for Old Fashioned Hermit Cookies
I love the warm spices in these cookies. The cinnamon and nutmeg nicely complement the sweetness from the brown sugar and the raisins. Use freshly ground nutmeg if you can. I buy whole nutmeg from the grocery store and use a fine grater to grate it.
The classic recipes for hermit cookies all called for ½ cup milk, but I found that the extra liquid made the cookies spread a little too much. So I halved the amount of milk, and it was just right.
Baking Tip: Make these into bar cookies if you don’t want to scoop and bake them in batches. Pat the dough into a 13×9-inch pan and bake at 375°F for 20-24 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exact origin of the name isn’t certain, but because these cookies keep well for a long time when stored in an airtight container, it makes them a good treat to tuck away and enjoy later, much like a hermit living in seclusion. That feels like a stretch to me, haha. Share what you think in the comments below the recipe!
When used in cookies, cream of tartar mixes with baking soda to create a nice lift to the cookies. It also stops sugar molecules from crystallizing, which can create a hard texture in cookies, so it keeps the cookies soft and chewier vs. crunchier. Finally, it adds a subtle tanginess to the cookies to keep the flavor interesting. My Grandma’s Do Re Mi Cookies use it too. I love the light tangy flavor that it adds, similar to how buttermilk enhances a basic pancake recipe.
The cookies will keep for several weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for several months. I like using glass storage containers or gallon-size freezer bags for freezing cookies. My grandma always used Tupperware for freezing cookies, which works great too.
More Classic Cookies for Nostalgic Baking
Whip up a batch of one of these favorites!
- Old Fashioned Pineapple Cookies
- Old Fashioned Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies-these are a must-try with a glass of milk
- Sour Cream Drop Cookies
- Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies-these are so soft!
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Hermit Cookies
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup raisins
- Optional: 1 cup chopped dates and/or 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened) and 1 cup brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture with ¼ cup milk to the butter/sugar mixture, stirring just until combined. Add 1 cup raisins and the dates and/or walnuts, if using.
- Drop by 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies no longer look wet in the center. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then place on a wire rack to continue cooling.
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