Grandma’s Grasmere Gingerbread
- Sarah L Samuels
- Jul 9, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: May 7, 2025
Grasmere gingerbread is iconic in the Lake District in the north of England and there are usually queues down the street from the little shop in Grasmere.
It is a cross between a gingerbread and a shortbread. It is like nothing you will have tasted before!
This recipe is another from my Grandma’s cook book and is similar but not an exact replica to the famous gingerbread. The only change I made to her recipe was to add a lot more ground ginger!!!
It has a firm texture with a crumbly topping with a delicious ginger taste. It is perfect with a cup of coffee and the best bit you make it all in one bowl so very easy with store cupboard ingredients!
Start by pre-heating the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) Gas mark 4, then line and grease a swiss roll tin 33cm x 23cm with baking parchment.
Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl.
Mix so they are all combined.
Add the butter to the dry ingredients.
Then rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. It will stay as breadcrumbs and not form a dough.
Keep 100g of the mixture to one side and put the rest in the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Make sure it is fully compacted and level.
Sprinkle the 100g of reserved mixture over the top (do not press down).
Bake for 25 minutes.
Leave to cool completely in the tin then remove from the tin and cut into slices.
Grandma’s Grasmere Gingerbread
Sarah’s servings: 24
Sarah’s skill: Easy
Baking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
455g Plain flour
225g Soft dark brown sugar
4 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
225g Cubed unsalted butter
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) Gas mark 4,.
Line and grease a swiss roll tin 33cm x 23cm with baking parchment.
Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix so they are all combined.
Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs. It will stay as breadcrumbs and not form a dough.
Keep 100g of the mixture to one side and put the rest in the lined tin and press down with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Sprinkle the 100g of reserved mixture over the top (do not press down).
Bake for 25 minutes.
Leave to cool completely in the tin.
Cut into slices.
Sarah’s extra slice…….
This keeps well in an airtight container for a week.
You can freeze for up to 3 months.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for the recipe, I love original Grasmere Gingerbread but have been unable to find a good recipe that makes an authentic bake.
Do you use softened butter or straight from the fridge please?
Also I like the idea of adding ginger as a variation so will try that at some point once I can master the basic recipe.
Are there any brands or grades of flour you would recommend as I think this has a large bearing on the finished product in simple bakes.
Thanks Brett (BB19)
Hi Sarah, I'm so glad I found your site! I've been searching for a Grasmere gingerbread recipe and I look forward to trying yours. One question, do you think this would freeze ok?
This recipe is lovely, I live in Cumbria and there are so many varieties of it but this takes the biscuit (no pun intended). I followed it to the letter but added 25 g of finely chopped crystallised ginger. It adds a little chew to proceedings