Molasses-Raisin Bars
Spices and raisins make this molasses bar recipe especially nice during the holiday season.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 25 2025|
Molasses Raisin Bars
Photo Credit: Clare Barboza/styling by Gretchen RudeHere’s a spiced, raisin-studded molasses bar recipe that’s more cakelike than barlike with a wonderful aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove.
This Molasses-Raisin Bars recipe from Amy Traverso first appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Yankee.
Yield:
12 bars
For the bars
Ingredients
Baking spray, for the pan
10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) salted butter, softened
1¼ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup molasses
1 large egg
1¾ cups (245 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup golden or other raisins (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F and set a rack to the middle position. Spray a 9-by-9-inch square pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, using a stand or handheld mixer, beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, molasses, and egg until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until evenly combined, scraping the sides of the bowl halfway through. Fold in the raisins, if using.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Bake until cooked in the center and fragrant, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
For the drizzle
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Meanwhile, make the drizzle: Whisk the powdered sugar with the milk in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the brownies in a pretty pattern. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes, then cut the bars into 12 pieces and serve.
This tastes good. However, it took way longer to bake than 25 minutes. Next time I may try a larger pan.