Hermits come in cookie and bar form, hence the name of this recipe. In case you haven't had a hermit bar, it's a soft, chewy, cake-ish cookie packed with spices, raisins, and nuts. You'll recognize the flavor and texture if you've had my blondies or oatmeal raisin cookies, which also use almond butter.
I recommend using almond butter made with dry roasted almonds and no additives. I've had really good results with this almond butter, but any creamy brand will work. I haven't tested it with other nut or seed butters but they should work.
I initially tested the recipe as drop cookies (see the photo below), which takes about 10 minutes or so to bake, however the rectangular loaf takes about 15 minutes or so, depending on your oven and how narrow the loaf is. The batter is a bit sticky and thick so use a spatula or spoon to scoop and spread it across the parchment paper.
For the loaf I'd keep the width at about three inches if you want your bars on the smaller side. The batter expands a bit as it bakes, so leave room around it. You'll probably need two baking sheets, or cut the hermit bars in half once baked so they're easier to grab and eat with one hand.
I added raisins and chopped walnuts, but feel free to add your dried fruit and nuts of choice. For an extra treat you can add some icing to the bars once they are fully cooled (recipe below). I made this icing with maple syrup and egg white powder, or use your favorite liquid sweetener.
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