Raisin Spice Bars
Teresa’s Bake Shop – Christmas Cookie Extravaganza – 2014
Raisin Spice Bars are so, so delicious. I know not everyone loves raisins. But if you do enjoy raisins, this is a wonderful treat any time of year. It’s great to make during the holiday season because of the delicious spices added to the cookie. These lovely bars have cinnamon and nutmeg along with pecans and raisins. Then they’re iced with a luscious Lemon Buttercream Frosting on top. Yum with a capital Y!
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The old-world flavor of these bars remind you of all things Christmas. Things like scented cinnamon sticks, wassail, and old-fashioned cookie recipes from the past. If you enjoy spice cookies or Molasses Cookies you’ll love these treats.
I love Christmas cookie baking, but I’m also glad when it’s over. after baking 5,000 + cookies each year, I’m pretty worn out. Last week as I took stock of all the leftover Christmas baking goodies on hand. I noticed that I had two boxes of raisins that I needed to get rid of. I decided to use some of them in this tasty recipe. The original recipe called for dates, but I substituted the raisins instead and they turned out quite wonderfully.
I’m not sure where I found the original recipe. I clipped it out of a magazine in the very early 1980s. I’ve made the Spice Squares for our Christmas Cookie Extravaganza several times over the years. Probably because it’s so easy to make and I usually have everything on hand.
This recipe is also pretty economical as far as recipes go. Some of the cookie recipes these days can get quite expensive. Golden raisins, regular raisins, dates, dried apricots and craisins also work very well in this recipe.
Raisin Spice Bars are a tasty recipe for your holiday baking. Especially if you enjoy the spicy flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg. These cookies provide mouthfuls of enjoyment for those who consume them. Of course, it never hurts when they’re icing on top. 🙂
I initially posted this recipe in December 2014. My pictures were not what I hoped and the recipe turned out more cake-like than I wanted. I recently remade this recipe (March 2019) and revamped the recipe. I eliminated two of the eggs to make a more dense brownie-type texture. The flavor is still wonderful, but instead of turning out like cake, this luscious treat turned out like bars/blondies. (The way they were supposed to).
I served them to our Friday night care group along with Baked Chicken Bruschetta, Seasoned Mashed Potatoes and Balsamic Yellow Squash Bake. Everyone oohed and aahhhed over that meal. 🙂
Raisin Spice Bars are a delicious cookie filled with raisins and pecans.
Golden raisins, regular raisins, dates, dried apricots or craisins can be used in this recipe.
The Lemon Buttercream Frosting makes Raisin Spice Bars sensational!
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the cookie. I ended up using finely diced pecans instead of chopped pecans.
Place UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour in a bowl. Bleached flour toughens baked goods. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins and finely diced pecans.
Stir ingredients to combine and set aside.
Beat eggs in a separate mixing bowl. Add sugar, sour cream and vanilla.
Whisk ingredients again.
Combine liquid mixture with flour mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Grease a 9×13″ baking dish. Add batter to dish and smooth the top.
Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before adding the frosting.
I used these ingredients to make the icing.
Place softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add part of the powdered sugar.
Cream with an electric mixer. Then add lemon juice, grated lemon peel, vanilla, cream and remaining powdered sugar.
Mix with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth.
Smooth Lemon Buttercream Frosting over top of Raisin Spice Bars. Sprinkle with finely diced pecans. Arrange raisins over top if desired.
Cut into squares to serve.
Raisin Spice Bars are a wonderful holiday treat to serve your company.
The cinnamon and nutmeg flavors work so well in this recipe.
Here’s the recipe.
RAISIN SPICE BARS
(Recipe inspired from an old Spice Squares recipe)
Raisin Spice Bars
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
RAISIN SPICE BARS:
- 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely diced (measure after chopping)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. lemon peel grated
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. 2% milk or cream
- 1/2 cup additional raisins for decoration
- 1/4 cup pecans finely diced, to sprinkle on top of icing
Instructions
RAISIN SPICE BARS:
- Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, raisins and pecans in a mixing bowl and stir to combine and separate the raisins and the pecans.
- Set aside.
- Beat or whisk egg in a separate mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and sour cream and beat again.
- Combine flour mixture with egg mixture.
- Pour into a greased 9x13” baking dish.
- Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with Lemon Butter Icing.
- Cut into bars to serve.
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- Blend butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with electric mixer.
- Add lemon juice and peel, vanilla and cream.
- Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
- Ice cooled squares.
- Sprinkle lightly with finely diced pecans
- Decorate tops of bars with raisins, if desired.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 2 cups [url href=”http://www.goldmedalflour.com/” target=”_blank” title=”gold medal flour”]Gold Medal [/url]UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup [url href=”http://www.fishernuts.com/” target=”_blank” title=”fisher walnuts”]Fisher[/url] chopped walnuts
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, raisins and walnuts in a mixing bowl and stir to combine and separate the raisins and the walnuts.
- Set aside.
- Beat or whisk eggs in a separate mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and sour cream and beat again.
- Combine flour mixture with egg mixture.
- Pour into a greased 9×13” baking dish.
- Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with Lemon Butter Icing.
- Cut into bars to serve.
- 1/3 cup [url href=”http://www.landolakes.com/” target=”_blank” title=”land o lakes butter”]Land O’ Lakes[/url] softened unsalted butter
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp. grated lemon peel
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tbsp. milk or cream
- Blend butter and sugar; stir in lemon juice and peel, vanilla and cream.
- Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
- Ice cooled squares.
Raisin Spice Bars have those old-world flavors that everyone enjoys at Christmas time.
The Lemon Buttercream Frosting on top of the Raisin Spice Bars makes this dessert rich and decadent.
I think I’ll take a serving or two of icing! 🙂
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Raisin Spice Bars
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
RAISIN SPICE BARS:
- 2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour bleached flour toughens baked goods
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, finely diced (measure after chopping)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. lemon peel grated
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. 2% milk or cream
- 1/2 cup additional raisins for decoration
- 1/4 cup pecans finely diced, to sprinkle on top of icing
Instructions
RAISIN SPICE BARS:
- Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, raisins and pecans in a mixing bowl and stir to combine and separate the raisins and the pecans.
- Set aside.
- Beat or whisk egg in a separate mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and sour cream and beat again.
- Combine flour mixture with egg mixture.
- Pour into a greased 9×13” baking dish.
- Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Frost with Lemon Butter Icing.
- Cut into bars to serve.
LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- Blend butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl with electric mixer.
- Add lemon juice and peel, vanilla and cream.
- Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.
- Ice cooled squares.
- Sprinkle lightly with finely diced pecans
- Decorate tops of bars with raisins, if desired.
4 Comments
National Raisin and Spice Bar Day • National Day Ideas
March 28, 2023 at 8:42 am
[…] having some fun with different spices and ingredients to create unique and unusual variations. This spice bar recipe has a little bit of icing on it. Yes, I know, not as healthy but I won’t […]
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January 24, 2015 at 3:36 pm
[…] Raisin Spice Bars […]
Amanda
December 11, 2014 at 1:07 pm
Lemon buttercream sounds amazing on these bars!
Teresa
December 11, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Thanks, Amanda. It makes them really wonderful.