Take a step back in time with a classic holiday treat! Soft and chewy, thick, and warmly-spiced, these old-fashioned gingerbread cookies (or ginger cakes), have been a Colonial Williamsburg favorite for generations.
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If you’re looking for even more old-fashioned recipes from Colonial Williamsburg, be sure to try the King’s Arms Tavern peanut soup and the queen’s cake from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery, too!
These were so fun to make and delicious! Tasted just like the Williamsburg bakery cookies! Wish I could post a pic! Thank you!!
– Stacy
How to Make Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies | 1-Minute Video
As a life-long Virginian, I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Williamsburg, and it’s still one of my absolute favorite parts of our state. If you want a real treat, visit Colonial Williamsburg during the holidays — it’s a truly magical place!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- The taste and texture of the Raleigh Tavern gingerbread cakes are truly unique. They’re warmly spiced with a strong molasses flavor, but they’re not overly sweet and the texture is a perfect cross between a cookie and a cake. They’re soft (not crispy like some gingerbread cookies), and they’re thick, chewy, and “cakey.”
- While there is plenty of molasses flavor in this cookie recipe, the spices are mild. These are not “spicy” cookies. Instead, they contain just very subtle notes of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can increase the ginger to 1 tablespoon, add ½ teaspoon of cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of allspice — the cookies just won’t taste quite like the authentic Williamsburg gingerbread.
- With a few tweaks, you can use this recipe to cut out soft gingerbread man cookies.
How to Make this Traditional Gingerbread Recipe
I did some research online and ultimately adapted the Raleigh Tavern Bakery’s original recipe, so you know these authentic cookies are the “real deal.” The end result instantly sends me back to my childhood!
- Whisk together sugar, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- Add softened butter, evaporated milk, and molasses. Start on low speed with an electric mixer, and then gradually increase to medium speed or medium-high speed until the dry ingredients are creamed together with the butter.
- Gradually mix in the flour until a stiff dough forms.
- Roll out the dough on a well floured surface with a floured rolling pin (there’s no need to chill the dough first!). Don’t be shy with the flour. Keep your work surface very well floured to prevent the dough from sticking to the board when rolling and cutting. It’s also helpful to flour the cookie cutter before each use. Roll the dough thicker than other typical cut-out cookies. I like about ½-inch thick dough, which yields thick, soft, chewy cookies (rather than thin, crispy cookies).
- Cut into shapes and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. I use a round biscuit cutter that measures 2 ½ inches in diameter to make large cookies — just like you find at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery. Re-roll the dough scraps as many times as necessary in order to use all of the dough.
- Bake in a 375°F preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake the cookies or they will become hard and crisp. To maintain the soft, chewy, cake-like texture, remove them from the oven while they’re still soft. Cool on a wire rack, then package to store or enjoy immediately! They’re delicious with a mug of homemade hot chocolate!
Storage Tips
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
To bake the cookies in advance, allow them to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature.
These cookies turned out fantastic! They will be a new holiday tradition for our family. They are super easy and fast to make and truly do taste like old fashioned gingerbread that you remember from childhood.
– Pat
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Watch How to Make It
Williamsburg Old Fashioned Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup molasses (I use Grandma's brand)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (plus additional 1 -1 ½ cups of flour, as needed, to form a workable dough)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- Add softened butter, evaporated milk, and molasses. With an electric mixer, start on the lowest speed so that the liquid doesn’t splash out of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed until the butter and sugar are creamed together and completely smooth.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add 4 cups of flour (one cup at a time), mixing until the flour is incorporated.
- The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to your fingers, so if it’s still too wet and sticky, add additional flour (½ cup at a time), just until a fairly stiff dough comes together.
- When the dough is smooth, roll it out to ½-inch thickness on a very well-floured surface.
- Use a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter (or other cookie cutter) to cut the dough into round shapes. Continue to add as much flour as necessary to the dough, the rolling pin, and the cookie cutters to prevent the dough from sticking. Place shapes onto prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown but still soft. Make sure that you don't bake them for too long or they will become hard and crispy. To maintain the soft, chewy, cake-like texture, pull them out of the often while they're still soft and let them firm up slightly while they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- The classic Williamsburg gingerbread cakes are large, round cookies without any icing or other decorations. That said, the thick, chewy cookies do make a great base for traditional Christmas frostings and decorations! If you (or your kids) prefer soft gingerbread cookies with icing, then I suggest preparing a batch of royal icing and getting creative!
- Recipe adapted from MakingHistoryNow.com
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It was updated in November, 2024.
This is a phenomenal recipe. It does as it says. No wasted ingredients. No disappointing results. Whomever created this recipe knew what they were doing. These cookies will be a hit. MAKE THEM!
Thank you so much, Melanie! We’re happy to hear they were a hit.
I was a professional baker and these cookies are amazing thanks for sharing
Thank you, Bob! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them!
If I make half a recipe, can I still use one egg without messing up the recipe? I’m making a cookbook for my 6 year old grandson (at his request) and a full recipe is too much for him to deal with, but I don’t want him to have to divide an egg. They usually have large eggs on hand. Thanks
BTW…the recipe is great!
That’s such a cute idea! We haven’t tested it but think it should be fine with a whole egg.
There are too many pop up ads in this recipe. I’ve spent over an hour just trying to get to the comments section, so I might as well leave a comment. I’ll try and send the recipe to my printer and then scan it and add it to my Safari Reading list, where all my online recipes are saved. Looking forward to trying the recipe.
I noticed you replied to someone earlier that evaporated milk is sweetened condensed milk. They are not the same (at least on the West coast). Which should I use?
Hi, Karen! You’re right — they are definitely NOT the same. If I said that in a comment, it was definitely an accident. This recipe calls for evaporated milk (don’t sub with sweetened condensed milk).
Happy Thanksgiving! Great cookies. I was raised in Hampton, VA and we would go to Williamsburg each Christmas to see the beautiful decorations (we often went to Williamsburg during the year). It is a very special place. Mother would make these each Christmas and we devoured them. This 73 year old thanks you for the beautiful memory this morning. ❤️
Hello to a fellow Virginian! I’m so glad that these cookies bring back similar fond memories for you. Happy Thanksgiving, Jane!
Delicious! Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Roll small batches of dough out between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Use 1/2 inch rolling guides to get uniform cookie heights. To prevent sticking: Dip your cutter in flour before cutting the rounds. Use a flour covered spatula to lift the rounds from the paper onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Can I use a larger cutter to make the cookies bigger?
Thank you, Karen! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Yes, you can use a 2 ½-inch round biscuit cutter (or other cookie cutter) to cut the dough into round shapes. Just make sure to keep the cookies 1/2 inch thick, and adjust the baking time as needed. Hope this helps!
hello ,,, thank you for the recipe , I just got done baking them …. i used a bear cut out , that I found at the Viking house in Concord New Hampshire , thanks brenda
We hope you enjoy, Brenda!
These are amazing! Super simple and go together quick.
Thank you, Russell!
Always love to visit Williamsburg and the Raleigh Tavern bakery to get some freshly baked ginger cakes. These look and taste just like the ones I’ve had so many times over the years! So good, easy to make, and so many good memories!
We’re so happy to hear this, Mark! Thank you for trying them out and taking the time to leave a review.
Can you use this recipe as a drop cookie instead of rolling it out?
Hi, Mary! I think that would probably work, but I’ve never tried. The dough doesn’t spread much in the oven, so you’d want to roll it into balls and then press it down into a flatter circle with a glass or something similar. Let me know if you give it a try!
There is no mention of egg in the list of ingredients or in the steps- I only noticed it in someone’s comments ♀️
Hi Janelle! This recipe is intentionally egg-free to create a denser, chewy texture. We hope you try it out!