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National Raisin and Spice Bar Day

Food · April 5

A day for raisin and spice bars, the soft, cake-like squares flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and studded with plump raisins.

National Raisin and Spice Bar Day falls on Monday, April 5, 2027. That is 160 days away.

Raisin and spice bars are soft, cake-like squares baked in a single pan and cut into pieces. The batter usually carries cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and the raisins are often simmered in water first so they turn plump and tender. Many versions finish with a thin glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar.

The flavor sits somewhere between gingerbread and a muffin. They are not flashy. They are the kind of thing that appears on a plate at a church supper or in a lunchbox wrapped in wax paper, and somehow nobody remembers who brought them. Because the batter is spread in a sheet pan, one batch feeds a crowd without much fuss.

Marking the day usually means baking a pan or finding one at a local bakery. Home bakers like to tinker: a handful of chopped walnuts, a little orange zest, a cream cheese frosting instead of a simple glaze. Some recipes use the raisin cooking water in the batter, which keeps the bars moist and carries extra flavor.

They also keep well. Covered on the counter, spice bars tend to taste better on the second day, after the spices have had time to settle into the crumb.

Ways to celebrate

• Bake a pan of raisin and spice bars from a family recipe.
• Try adding chopped walnuts or orange zest to the batter.
• Share a few squares with a neighbor or coworker.
• Look for spice bars at a local bakery or farmers market.
• Ask an older relative how they made spice bars.

Dates

All national days on April 5

Also on April 5

• National Deep Dish Pizza Day
• National Caramel Day
• First Contact Day
• National Dandelion Day
• Go for Broke Day
• Gold Star Spouses Day
• Read a Road Map Day

Categories: Food days