Around Winston-Salem, Moravian traditions show up on holiday tables every year, and chicken pie is one of the famous ones. Just outside the city, though, a family kitchen built its name on a different Moravian classic: cookies rolled so thin that people have shipped them to loved ones for more than 20 years.
The dough is still rolled and cut by hand, and you can watch it happen through a big window in the shop. Keep reading to learn where this bakery hides, which flavor sells out first, and why a hand-carved cane might go home with your cookies.
A Country Road Address With a Sweet Secret
Here is the honest twist behind the headline. The kitchen at the center of this story is famous for Moravian cookies, not chicken pie.
Mrs Hanes’ Moravian Cookies sits at 4643 Friedberg Church Rd, Clemmons, NC 27012, in the United States. Clemmons is a small town next door to Winston-Salem in Forsyth County, North Carolina, so it counts as part of the same Moravian heartland.
The building is a working bakery with a retail shop out front. Cookies are made on site, packed on site, and sold right there or shipped out to customers far beyond the state line.
People who grew up in the Winston-Salem area often connect these cookies with family holidays. Some have moved across the country and still order tins every year to keep that tradition alive.
The location feels a little off the beaten path, which is part of the charm. It is not a downtown storefront with a flashy sign, and that suits a business that has always put its energy into the cookies themselves.
So if you came for chicken pie, stick around anyway. The local tradition this kitchen protects is just as much a part of the region’s story, and the next section explains why a family name matters so much here.
The Family Story Baked Into Every Batch
Family businesses tend to carry their history in small ways. At this bakery, the history is one of the main attractions.
The Hanes name is right on the label, and the family’s story is a big part of the guided tours. Adults on those tours often say the family history was a highlight, even when the kids in their group were more focused on samples.
Loyalty runs deep here. Some customers have ordered sugar cookies as holiday gifts for friends and business contacts for more than two decades.
Ordering has been made simple for those repeat gift-givers. The bakery keeps a preprinted list from the year before, so sending tins to the same people again takes very little effort.
The shop is often described as the country’s last made-by-hand Moravian cookie bakery. That claim explains why so many people care about how the cookies are made, not just how they come out.
Longtime fans also pay close attention to thickness. A few have pointed out batches that came out thicker than usual, which shows just how high the bar is for a cookie known for being thin.
That kind of passion only grows when you can see the work up close. Luckily, the bakery lets you do exactly that.
The Big Window Where the Magic Happens
Most bakeries keep the real work behind a closed door. This one puts it on display.
A large window inside the shop looks right into the production area. Staff roll the dough out paper thin, cut each cookie by hand, and place it on a baking sheet one piece at a time.
Watching the process is one of the things people bring up most often after a stop here. Even first-time guests with no plans to linger end up standing at the glass longer than expected.
The pace is steady and careful. Because every cookie is cut by hand, you can see why these are treated as something special rather than a quick grocery store snack.
Kids especially enjoy the view. It turns a shopping trip into a mini lesson on how food gets made, without needing any screens or worksheets.
The bakers are friendly too, and the whole shop has a welcoming feel. It is easy to relax and take your time before picking out a bag or two.
Once you see how thin that dough gets, the flavor list starts to look a lot more tempting. Choosing just one is the hard part.
Six Flavors and One Very Hard Choice
Decision fatigue is real at a cookie counter. The lineup here keeps things focused, yet picking a favorite still sparks friendly family debates.
The core flavors are sugar, lemon, black walnut, chocolate, ginger, and butterscotch. All of them are handmade and packaged at the bakery.
Sugar is a longtime gift favorite and gets mentioned more than any other flavor. Ginger comes up often too, and plenty of fans say it makes them think of Christmas.
Butterscotch has a loyal following of its own. Chocolate tends to show up in the same shopping bag, since many people refuse to choose between the two.
Black walnut is the one to watch during the holidays. It has a habit of selling out, so an early arrival is a smart move that time of year.
Lemon is a popular pick for seasonal shapes. Around Easter, lemon cookies have been sold in bunny shapes, a playful touch for spring baskets.
Opinions on each flavor vary, and that is part of the fun. Some find the lemon subtle, while others count it among their top picks.
The good news is that you do not have to guess. Samples are part of the experience here, especially on a tour.
Tours That Come With Tasting Privileges
Field trips rarely end with a snack this memorable. Guided tours of the bakery have become a favorite outing for families and school groups.
Homeschool groups in particular book visits here. Kids stay engaged, and the guides are known for being knowledgeable with a little humor mixed in.
A tour has been priced at around $5 and runs about an hour. Plenty of free samples are part of the deal, which explains why children often call the tasting their favorite part.
The tours cover how the cookies are made and share the Hanes family story. That mix of hands-on viewing and local history makes it a solid educational stop.
Tours need to be scheduled ahead of time. If you are planning a group trip, contact the bakery first to confirm current prices and available dates.
Not up for a full tour? The shop window still gives a good look at the process, and samples are often available at the counter too.
Either way, you will leave with a better idea of which flavor belongs in your bag. You may also leave with something you never expected from a cookie shop, which brings us to the next story.
A Hand-Carved Cane With a Story
Some souvenirs come off a shelf. Others come straight from the hands of the family behind the business.
Mr. Hanes has been spotted at the shop greeting people with a big smile. He also carves wooden canes and has given them to guests.
Each cane carries personal details. He numbers every one, labels the type of wood, adds his nickname and age, and carves a cross into it.
People who have received one say they plan to keep it for years. It is a small gesture, yet it says a lot about the personal touch that runs through this family operation.
Nobody should show up expecting a cane, of course. Meeting Mr. Hanes depends on timing and luck, and the canes are a kindness rather than a guaranteed perk.
Still, stories like this help explain why the bakery feels different from a typical retail stop. The people here are part of the reason customers return year after year.
After a moment like that, it is hard to leave with only one small bag. Knowing how the shop packages its cookies can help you shop smarter.
Tins, Bags, and the Bargain of Broken Cookies
Shopping in person comes with a few perks. The biggest one is packaging choice.
At the shop, cookies come either in canisters or in plastic bags. The bags cost less, which is handy if you are buying for your own pantry.
The canisters have a job to do. They are used for shipping because they protect the thin cookies from damage on the way.
That protection seems to work well. Some longtime gift-senders say they can hardly recall a single broken cookie arriving in all their years of ordering.
Speaking of broken pieces, the shop sells bags of broken ginger cookies too. A 14 oz bag of broken ginger is a smart pick for anyone who cares more about flavor than perfect circles.
Regular flavors also come in smaller 7 oz bags. Holiday shapes, like lemon bunnies for Easter, show up in the same size.
Price-wise, some call these cookies a little expensive but worth it as a once-a-year treat. Buying bags in person is one easy way to stretch the budget.
Can’t make the drive? Orders are placed online or by phone and shipped worldwide, with fast UPS delivery even close to Christmas.
Hours, Holidays, and Smart Timing
Timing can make or break a cookie run. A little planning keeps you from arriving at a locked door.
The shop is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. On Saturday, hours are shorter, from 9 AM to 2 PM.
Sunday is a day off, so skip it when planning a weekend trip. Saturday mornings are the best bet for anyone who works a weekday schedule.
Holidays can change things too. The bakery has closed around Independence Day, including both July 3 and July 4 in at least one year.
The busy season arrives with the winter holidays. That is when flavors like black walnut can sell out, so an early visit is wise if you have a specific favorite in mind.
Tours should be booked in advance rather than planned on the spot. Calling ahead or checking the bakery website at hanescookies.com is the easiest way to confirm details.
Getting there means heading to Clemmons, just outside Winston-Salem. A car is the simplest option, since the bakery sits along a quieter road.
With the logistics sorted, only one question remains. Is this detour worth adding to your North Carolina plans?
The Sweetest Detour Near Winston-Salem
Chicken pie may have brought you to this page, but cookies are the real story in Clemmons. And what a story it is.
Mrs Hanes’ Moravian Cookies offers something rare in modern food shopping. You can watch staff roll and cut each cookie by hand, then buy a bag a few steps away.
The shop suits a wide range of people. Families get an easy learning trip, homeschool groups get a well-run tour, and holiday shoppers get a gift that has kept people coming back for decades.
Not every batch is perfect, and a few longtime fans have noticed thickness or flavor changes from time to time. Even so, most people leave happy and many return every single year.
The personal touches seal the deal. Friendly staff, a helpful phone team at crunch time, and even a hand-carved cane now and then make the place feel more like a neighbor than a store.
Plan for a weekday or Saturday morning, go early in the holiday season, and grab a bag of broken ginger if you spot one. Your holiday table, Moravian chicken pie or not, will be better for it.
Enjoyed this story?
Add Fast Food Club as a preferred source to see more of our reporting on Google.