Colonial Williamsburg ginger cookies are thick, soft, and full of warm spices, with lightly crackled tops and tender, cake-like centers. The recipe comes directly from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery.
You might also like my historic Nauvoo iced gingerbread cookie recipe or Disney Wilderness Lodge molasses cookie recipe!
One of my favorite things about living in Virginia is being so close to so many historical sites, especially Colonial Williamsburg. I love wandering through the quaint shops and admiring the beautiful architecture. And, of course, I'm a big fan of the ginger cakes (ginger cookies) sold at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery.
Although they're called ginger cakes, these treats are more like thick, soft gingerbread cookies than a traditional cake. I wanted to make a homemade ginger cookie that was reminiscent of the treats sold in Colonial Williamsburg, so I used the gingerbread cookie recipe from the Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery pamphlet as my guide.
These cookies are soft and puffy, with plenty of warm molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg flavor. They're delicious fresh from the oven, but I think they're even better the next day, when the flavors have more time to develop.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A taste of Williamsburg at home. This recipe comes from the Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery, so you can enjoy a little piece of colonial history in your own kitchen.
- Soft, cake-like cookies. These ginger cookies bake up puffy and tender, with a texture that's a little different from a typical gingerbread cookie.
- Warm spices and rich molasses. Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses give these cookies their classic flavor.
- No chilling required. The dough is easy to handle after a short rest, so there's no need to refrigerate it before rolling and cutting.
- Even better the next day. The flavors deepen overnight, and the cookies become wonderfully soft.
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Tips and Tricks
- Use melted butter. The original pamphlet recipe calls for margarine, but I use melted butter for a richer flavor.
- Give the dough five minutes to rest. The dough may seem sticky at first, but I found that letting it sit for 5-10 minutes allows the flour to absorb the melted butter making the dough a dream to roll out.
- Add flour for rolled cookies. The pamphlet recipe starts with four cups of flour and says to add up to an additional ½ cup of flour if needed. I found that 4½ cups was perfect.
- Roll the dough thick. Although the original recipe calls for rolling the dough to ¼ inch thick, I prefer rolling it to ½ inch. This makes puffier, cake-like cookies.
- Use a 2½-inch cutter. This size works well for making generous, bakery-style ginger cookies. With the dough rolled ½ inch thick, it makes about 20 cookies.
- Try scooping the dough for a different texture. For a chewier cookie, use the original four-cup flour amount and scoop the dough into portions with a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop instead of rolling it out. These cookies bake up like classic crackly molasses cookies.
- Don't judge them only by how they look fresh from the oven. The cookies become softer as they sit, and are even more flavorful and soft on the second day.
Ingredients
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the molasses and spices.
- Ground ginger: Gives these cookies their signature warm, spicy flavor.
- Ground nutmeg: Adds a cozy, slightly sweet spice note.
- Ground cinnamon: Rounds out the ginger and molasses.
- Baking soda: Helps the cookies rise and develop their soft texture.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the spices.
- Butter: Melted butter replaces the margarine used in the original pamphlet recipe.
- Evaporated milk: Adds moisture and contributes to the cake-like texture.
- Unsulfured molasses: Provides the deep, rich flavor and dark color associated with traditional ginger cookies.
- Vanilla extract: An optional addition that rounds out the flavor.
- Lemon extract: Also optional, adding a subtle citrus note (I did not include it).
- All-purpose flour: Forms the dough. Start with the original amount and add ½ cup more as needed.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Colonial Williamsburg Ginger Cookies
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the melted butter, evaporated milk, molasses, vanilla extract, and lemon extract until well combined.
Step 3: Add the flour. Mix in the flour one cup at a time until a soft dough forms.
Step 4: Let the dough rest. Allow the dough to sit for about five minutes. It may feel sticky at first, but it should become easier to work with as the melted butter cools slightly.
Step 5: Roll and cut the cookies. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to ½ inch thick. Cut into rounds using a 2½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Gather and reroll the scraps as needed.
Step 6: Arrange on baking sheets. Place the cutouts on baking sheets, leaving space between the cookies for spreading.
Step 7: Bake. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
How to Store Ginger Cookies
At room temperature: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. They become softer and more flavorful by the second day.
To freeze: Place the completely cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, separating layers with parchment paper if needed. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe comes from the Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bake Shop pamphlet. I've made a few adjustments for my home kitchen, including using butter instead of margarine and rolling the dough thicker than the original directions.
The ginger cakes sold at Colonial Williamsburg's Raleigh Tavern Bakery are based on an 18th-century gingerbread recipe by Hannah Glasse, adapted for modern baking. Unlike typical ginger cookies, which are often flatter, these ginger cakes have a distinctive domed top and rise higher, giving them a thick, puffy shape and soft, cake-like texture.
There are two recipes shared in the Raleigh Tavern recipe pamphlet; one for the traditional ginger-bread cakes and another for gingerbread cookies. I used the latter, but will share the original gingerbread cakes recipe below.
"TO MAKE TRADITIONAL GINGER-BREAD CAKES TAKE three pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, one pound of butter rubbed in very fine, two ounces of ginger beat fine, a large nutmeg grated; then take a pound of treacle, a quarter of a pint of cream, make them warm together, and make up the bread stiff, roll it out, and make it up into thin cakes, cut them out with a tea-cup, or small glass, or roll them round like nuts, and bake them on tin plates in a oven.
Hannah Gaffe, The Are of Cookery."
Over time, the recipe was adapted for modern baking, creating the softer, airier ginger cakes visitors know today. The gingerbread cookie recipe I'm sharing also comes from the Recipes from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery pamphlet. My homemade version has a rich molasses flavor and warm spices, including ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Although they aren't quite as domed as the bakery's ginger cakes, they're just as soft and puffy. Unlike traditional gingerbread cookies, which are often thin and crisp, these have a thick, tender, cake-like texture.
The dough may seem sticky at first, but I found that letting it sit for 5-10 minutes allows the flour to absorb the melted butter making the dough a dream to roll out.
No. In my testing, the dough was easy to roll and cut after resting for about five minutes. There's no need to chill it before baking.
The original recipe starts with four cups of flour. For rolled cookies, I had the best results with 4½ cups, adding a little more if needed to make the dough manageable. You can use up to ¾ cup extra flour for the rolled version, as needed.
Yes! For a simpler option, use the original four-cup flour amount and portion the dough with a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop. The scooped cookies spread more and have a different texture from the thicker rolled cookies.
The original pamphlet directions call for rolling the dough ¼ inch thick, but I prefer rolling it ½ inch thick. The thicker cookies bake up puffier and have the soft, cake-like texture I was looking for.
I use a 2½-inch biscuit cutter. When the dough is rolled ½ inch thick, this size yields about 20 cookies.
Bake the cookies at 375°F for 12 minutes. This temperature and baking time work for both the rolled and scooped version.
The amount of flour and the way the dough is portioned affect the final texture. In my testing, cookies made with four cups of flour and scooped into portions spread more and developed more cracks. Adding extra flour and rolling the dough thicker helped the cookies hold their shape.
The rolled cookies may have a little flour on their undersides from the work surface, which can affect how they brown. The scooped cookies have more direct contact with the baking sheet and may brown differently.
I think so! The cookies become softer, and the molasses and spices have more time to develop. If you're making them for a gathering, baking them a day ahead is a great option.
Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. Their soft texture and developed flavor make them especially enjoyable the following day.
Yes. Let the cookies cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
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Colonial Williamsburg Ginger Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cut butter melted
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup molasses
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ¾ teaspoon lemon extract optional
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus ½ cup more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the melted butter, evaporated milk, molasses, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Stir until combined.
- Add the flour one cup at a time, mixing until a soft dough forms. (Use 4 ½ cups of flour for rolled cookies and 4 cups for scooped cookies)
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough to ½ inch thick.
- Cut into rounds with a 2½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Gather and reroll the scraps as needed.
- Place the cookies on baking sheets, leaving space between them.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
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