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Make a delicious raisin walnut loaf and turn it into sweet crisps for a tasty treat. Trust me, these copycat Corner Bakery's sweet crisps are hard to put down!
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What makes this recipe special
When I used to dine at the Corner Bakery Cafe, I always made sure to purchase a bag of their sweet raisin crisps before I left. Crispy with a slight chewiness, Corner Bakery's sweet crisps were sweet but not overly so, with large sugar crystals coating both sides. Turns out, it's not that hard to make yourself!
Make a loaf of raisin walnut bread and take a couple of extra steps to turn it into the most delicious crisps. It's as easy as that! This snack easily ranks among my top 3 sweet breads, along with peanut butter cinnamon bread and classic zucchini bread. Give this treat a try, and I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did!
Ingredients
- Bread flour: With a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, bread flour is the preferred flour for this recipe. The higher protein content results in a lighter, airier texture with a moist, tender crumb.
- Active dry yeast: Although the recipe calls for active dry yeast, you can use instant yeast instead. Skip the first step and instead combine all of the ingredients, kneading the dough until smooth and elastic.
- Raisins: The dried fruit adds a sweet element to the bread.
- Walnuts: The buttery nuts add texture and another layer of flavor to the bread.
- Demerara sugar: This raw cane sugar with large, golden brown crystals has a unique taste similar to brown sugar. Since it has large coarse crystals, it doesn't melt when baked and adds a pleasant crunch and texture to the sweet crisps.
Substitutions and variations
- Dried fruit: Experiment with other dried fruit such as dried cranberries, dried cherries, or even dried blueberries.
- Nuts: You can substitute the walnuts with pecans or almonds, or omit them completely.
Recipe
Corner Bakery's Sweet Crisps
Ingredients
Raisin walnut bread
- 1 ½ cups warm water (100-110 degrees F) (375 ml)
- 3 tablespoons honey (60 grams)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (7 grams)
- 4 cups bread flour (592 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (24 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (120 grams)
- ¾ cup seedless raisins (120 grams)
Sweet raisin crisps
- 1 loaf raisin walnut bread
- ¾ cup butter, melted (170 grams)
- 1 cup demerara sugar or any other type of coarse sugar (250 grams)
Instructions
- Combine warm water with honey and yeast, stirring to dissolve. Let sit for 10 minutes or until yeast has been activated and mixture is foamy.
- Combine yeast mixture with flour, olive oil, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until dough starts to come together. Add chopped walnuts and raisins and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Lightly oil a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil and transfer dough to the bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let proof in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
- Punch down dough and shape into a large round loaf. Transfer to a baking sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let proof until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- With a sharp knife, make ⅛-inch deep slashes across top of the bread. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce the oven to 375 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Lower oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice bread into thin slices, about ¼ inch thick. Brush top side with butter and sprinkle generous amount of sugar, about 1 teaspoon depending on how long the slice is. Bake on a sheet pan for 8 minutes or until crisp.
- Remove from the oven and flip over bread slices. Brush with butter and sprinkle more sugar. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove and cool.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make the bread
Before you can make the raisin crisps, you have to make the bread. Start by activating the yeast in warm water and honey. Add the flour, raisins, and walnuts, and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
The stand mixer comes in handy when kneading the dough since all you have to do is turn on the machine. The dough may feel a bit sticky, but resist adding more flour.
The dough will come together beautifully; you just have to believe!
Proof the dough in a warm area until it has doubled in size. Punch down the dough, shape it into a loaf, loosely cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise a second time.
Score the bread before baking to prevent the bread from rising unevenly in the oven. Use a sharp knife and be confident with the slashes.
Don't worry if the dough snags a little; you will barely be able to notice once baked.
Keep an eye on your bread during the first 15 minutes when it is at 425 degrees F. If you have a strong oven, I recommend covering the bread with foil if it gets too dark.
Step 2: Bake sweet crisps
The bread alone was delicious; I saved a couple of slices to enjoy them as is. Spread a little butter and jam with a nice cup of tea, and you have yourself one delightful breakfast.
But we're not here just to make bread. We must take it further and make those Corner Bakery's sweet crisps.
Brush one side with melted butter and sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar or coarse sugar.
Again, depending on your oven, the time may differ, so keep an eye on those crisps. During the first 8 minutes, the crisps may not turn golden; that's completely fine.
If the bread feels like it has been toasted and is slightly hard to the touch, they are ready to be flipped over. The side of the bread that touches the baking sheet will turn golden, so it will have its turn to brown.
I honestly think these crisps taste exactly like the ones from Corner Bakery, and I am not the only one who shares that opinion. The texture of the crisps is exactly like the ones from the restaurant, crispy but still soft in the center. Even with the different sugar, it is hardly noticeable.
Now if only someone could take these away from me so I could stop eating them!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: Make and bake the bread up to 2 days in advance.
- Store: The crisps can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, or kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
I believe homemade bread tastes the best, but if you can find a good quality raisin walnut bread, go for it! You can also experiment and try other loaves to turn into crisps.
I do not recommend freezing the crisps because they will lose their crispy texture. Instead, freeze the loaf and make the crisps fresh.
More sweet snack recipes
Looking for more sweet snacks? Try these:
Unknown says
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have been trying to duplicate the Corner Bakery's crisps ever since visiting the restaurant in Chicago. I have come close...but have not been entirely successful. I cannot wait to try your method.
Anonymous says
Thank you SO much! I used to live in DC and always had these readily available but since i moved to Wisconsin i have been missing these terribly!
Anonymous says
When my friend went Chicago, she brought back a bag of these and a mission for me: duplicate them. Now, with your recipe, my mission just became a little easier! I hope they turn out!
Anonymous says
HOw do you think this recipe would work using the Mark Bittman "no knead" recipe for bread? It seems like it would be adaptable...
Christine Ma says
I also think it would work!
Nancy says
I do no knead cranberry walnut bread and, I think, just as good. Would just like to make smaller and narrower!
Anonymous says
I make these crisps using the 3 cups whole wheat and 1+ cups of ap. I usually make two smaller rustic loaves (long and skinny) because I find it easier to slice the bread very thin without it breaking. I bake at 375 for 30+ minutes until internal temperature is 190 degrees.
I brush the slices with melted butter and sprinkle coarse sugar crystals I order from King Arthur before I toast them in the oven.
They turn out wonderful!
Anonymous says
I am so excited; I was in DC and found these, by chance I googled them; can't wait to make my own. I bought 3 bags of the delightful treats.
Anonymous says
I am so glad I found this! Just what I was looking for today.
Anonymous says
OMG, YOU WERE SO RIGHT!!!! THIS IS AMAIZING, LOVE THEM!!!!
Jocelyn says
Delicious! Boy was that a lot of work, but yummy!
I baked the bread at 375 for 35 minutes. I don't have an internal thermometer and "hollow tap" makes no sense to me. Came out great, pretty golden brown color, not super crusty.
I subbed vegetable oil for canola (didn't have any) and used whole wheat flour. I also used half golden raisins and half regular for the color. You can also use a food processor to cut up the pecans.
Christine Ma says
Its a lot of work but its so worth it!
Kathy says
Hi, I made the oatmeal and it was delicious. Now I am looking forward to making the crisps. Question- can I freeze the crisps or if not, can I freeze the bread slices, then thaw, add butter and sugar, and toast in the oven?
Thanks for the recipes!
Cherry on My Sundae says
I'm so glad you liked the oatmeal! I would freeze the bread and make the crisps once thawed. The crisps won't stay crispy if you freeze them. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Cecelia says
I so want to make these. Can the dough be made using a bread machine.
cma0425 says
Absolutely!
oaj2005 says
While heating oven, put a rimed cookie sheet on a lower rack. When you put bread in the over, toss a handfull of ice cubes on the tray. This generates steam for the beginning of the bake and lets the bread rise higher by not letting the top crust dry out so fast
cma0425 says
I heard of this technique - I will definitely try this next time. Thanks for the tip!
A. Berry says
3,395 calories?? really??
cma0425 says
That's the calories for the entire loaf of bread
Sache says
This is a little off topic and I hope you will forgive: I found your recipe while "googling" bread crisps because of two quick-bread fails I had recently. One was banana bread that called for both baking soda and baking powder and I forgot to add the soda; then, after that, in a different recipe using oranges & dates (from my mom's 1940's cookbook), I used Crisco (the formula has changed since my mom's day) instead of butter----both of these "fails" produced a dry and crumbly bread. I froze the loaves and sliced each very thin and then dried the slices in the oven at about 225 degrees, for a long time. The slices held together, sweetened with the drying and crisped up, producing a wonderful crisp that was great for dipping in coffee or tea. Mine was by accident---yours on purpose, but what a great way to salvage my mistakes. It also led me to your wonderful recipe!
cma0425 says
Wow what a great way to salvage a mistake! Thanks for sharing, I'm going to keep that in mind and try it the next time I make a mistake on a bread!
Rebecca says
How many calories in each slice
cma0425 says
Hi Rebecca, there are approximately 169 calories in each slice.
vic says
How will it taste, if I leave the walnuts out?
Cherry on My Sundae says
It would still be great!
TOMMIE COLMERAUER says
CAN I ORDER THE RAISIN PECAN SWEET CRISPS. MY DAUGHTER BROUGHT ME SOME FROM A TRIP TO CHICAGO AND I LOVE THEM. IF I CANNOT ORDER THEM FROM YOU CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THEM.
THANK YOU.
TOMMIE COLMERAUER
Cherry on My Sundae says
You can buy them from Corner Bakery!
Amy says
I used a pre-sliced raisin walnut bread from my local supermarket. Toasted for 9 minutes on each side. SO DELICIOUS! Takes exactly like the Corner Bakery crisps. I'm in love.
Cherry on My Sundae says
So glad you liked it! Definitely going to go that shortcut route when I'm not in the mood to bake a whole loaf next time
betty says
do you know why mine turned soft after about an hour? they were crisp at first but then i dont know what happened to make them lose their crispness.
Cherry on My Sundae says
Hm, that is so strange! Did you, by any chance, cover them while they were still warm? The only thing I can think of is that steam made them soft. My other suggestion is to try baking them at a lower temperature for longer ie 300 degrees F for 15 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
betty says
thank you for responding. i will try the lower temp. Im so excited about these.
betty says
I tried the lower temp and perfection!! thank you so much. these are delicious. I cant stop eating them!
Cherry on My Sundae says
So glad to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Jesse-Gabriel says
Es wäre so toll wenn du das Rezept noch mal aktualisierst und auch in Gramm Angaben einstellen würdest, das wäre großartig!
Viele Grüße sendet,
Jesse-Gabriel aus Berlin
Cherry on My Sundae says
Yes I am working on it!
Yvonne says
Fantastic recipe! Turned out perfect! Thank you!
Cherry on My Sundae says
I'm so glad!
Rashelle says
I love this Crisp! I just pick up the Walnut/Cranberry or Fig/Cherry fresh bread at Costco - wait a couple days and follow your directions for toasting and it turns out great every time. Now that the holidays are over I will try your bread recipe. Looking forward to it.
Christine Ma says
That's a great idea to use the bread from Costco! I think I'll give that a try next time 🙂
Marie Nixon says
Hello, I'm wondering if there is a minor mistake in the ingredient list for the Raisin Pecan Bread? The ingredients list walnuts, not pecans! Is that intentional? I do see the pecans as an ingredient for the crisps. Thank you.
Cherry on My Sundae says
Sorry about that! It's actually supposed to be walnuts. I corrected the recipe to read the correct ingredient now.
Sugar on My Crisps says
I couldn't stop eating these! They should be called "Crack Crisps"! A must make if you haven't tried this recipe yet. Delicious!
Cherry on My Sundae says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Ann says
Hi, can this be baked in a Dutch oven like an artisan bread? Thank you!
Cherry on My Sundae says
I actually never tried using a Dutch oven but I think you can. I would keep the oven temperature at 425 the entire time and bake the bread covered for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 25 minutes or until browned. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Janet says
Love the Sweet Raisin Pecan Crisps from Corner Bakery, can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m curious..why not use pecans instead of walnuts in your recipe since the original has pecans? Is it simply a matter of preference?
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Janet
Cherry on My Sundae says
You know for some reason I just assumed that the original one had walnuts (whoops!). I bet pecans would be amazing in this recipe too though!
Janet says
I will have to try both and follow up with my analysis.
Thanks again!
Cathy says
This came out WONDERFUL thanks so much for the recipe!!!!
Cherry on My Sundae says
I'm so glad!
Sharon peters says
Can you make this in a bread machine and if you can could you give me the instructions as to how I could do this in a bread machine? Thank you
Cherry on My Sundae says
You probably could make the bread in a bread machine but I don't own one so I'm unable to tell you the directions. Sorry about that!
Mary says
These tasted exactly like the ones from Corner Bakery - I can't stop eating them! Thank you for the recipe!
Christine Ma says
They really are so addicting! Thank you for giving my recipe a try!