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Church window cookies are a classic no bake Christmas cookie made with mini marshmallows, chocolate, walnuts and shredded coconut!
The colored marshmallows look like stained glass window cookies!
These no bake stained glass window cookies are a family favorite! This is an easy to follow no bake Christmas recipe with only 5 ingredients, plus there’s a video tutorial!
Everyone has that cookie that they grew up making and eating during the holidays.
This one is my husband’s favorite from his childhood! It’s an old school, vintage Christmas cookie recipe! These cookies go by a few different names – cathedral window cookies, stained glass window cookies, window pane cookies.
I assumed that this was a pretty common Christmas cookie’ But I shared these with 3 different groups of friends in Illinois and no one had any idea what they were! Are these like a Minnesota thing? Haha.
Why You’ll Love Them
- easy to make with 5 ingredients
- only 10 minutes of hands on time
- perfect Christmas treat for the whole family to help make, especially kids!
- a vintage recipe that is fun to pass down from generation to generation
What are church windows?
This no bake cookie is a classic American Christmas dessert to make during the holidays!
It’s made by combining melted chocolate, mini marshmallows and walnuts. Use plastic wrap sprinkled with shredded coconut to roll the mixture into a log.
Place the log in the fridge for 1 hour to harden. Slice the no bake cookies with a sharp knife and you’ll see the beautiful stained glass effect from the mini colored marshmallows.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- diced walnuts
- sweetened shredded coconut
- mini colored marshmallows
How to make church window cookies
Melt chocolate. In a small pot on the stove over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently until smooth and melted. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 minutes before moving forward.
Prepare rolling station. While the chocolate is cooling, prepare your ‘rolling’ station. Lay 2 pieces of long plastic wrap on a flat surface. Sprinkle each piece with a generous amount of shredded coconut, but reserve some.
Marshmallows and walnuts. Dump the mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts into a large mixing bowl. Pour the cooled chocolate over the marshmallows and mix well to combine.
Shape into log. Place half of the marshmallow mixture in a log shape on one piece of plastic wrap (on top of the coconut) and place the other half of the mixture on the second piece of plastic wrap.
Coconut. Sprinkle more coconut on top of the marshmallow mixture.
Roll into log. Use the plastic wrap (or wax paper) to roll the mixture into a uniform log shape, wrapping it tightly. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap and secure with a small piece of tape. Repeat with the second log.
Refrigerate. Place the logs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Use a serrated knife to cut the logs into slices.
Coconut Substitute
If you are looking for a coconut substitute, here are a few ideas.
- Powdered sugar
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Powered sugar mixed with cocoa powder
- Crushed nuts
- Holiday sprinkles
Use any of these substitutes. Sprinkle them over the plastic wrap, or wax paper, then roll into a log.
Variations
Omit the nuts or use chopped pecans or almonds in place of the walnuts.
Omit the shredded coconut, and roll the log in powdered sugar or graham cracker crumbs.
Add 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter to the melted chocolate for a peanut butter chocolate version.
Add 1/2 tsp mint or peppermint extract for a minty flavor.
Use any flavor of marshmallows. You can even cut large marshmallows into smaller pieces like mini marshmallows.
Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk or dark chocolate chips.
Tips for Success
- Use low heat when melting the chocolate and butter and stir the mixture frequently
- Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before adding it to the marshmallows
- A single recipe will make 2 logs and and I recommend splitting it in half because it will be easier to roll
- Use plastic wrap or parchment paper to roll into a log
How to Store
Wrap the whole log in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. I would recommend not pre-slicing the cookies until you’re ready to serve them. If you want a longer storage option, see the section below.
How to freeze church window cookies
You can either freeze the log whole or cut into cookies and then freeze.
To freeze the log: wrap it well in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you want to thaw, place the log in the fridge overnight.
To freeze individual cookie slices: use a serrated knife to slice the cookies then wrap bundles of 3-4 cookies in plastic wrap and place inside a ziplock freezer bag for up to 1 month. To thaw, place the bag in the fridge overnight.
Are church windows gluten free?
Yes! As long as the chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts you are using are gluten free.
More Christmas Treats
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Church Window Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 cup
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, 2 cups
- 1 cup finely diced walnuts
- 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 bag mini multi colored marshmallows, 10 oz
Instructions
- In a small pot on the stove over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently until smooth and melted. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 minutes before moving forward.
- While the chocolate is cooling, prepare your ‘rolling’ station. Lay 2 pieces of long plastic wrap (or wax paper) on a flat surface. Sprinkle each piece with a generous amount of shredded coconut, but reserve some.
- Dump the mini marshmallows and chopped walnuts into a large mixing bowl. Pour the cooled chocolate over the marshmallows and mix well to combine.
- Place half of the marshmallow mixture in a log shape on one piece of plastic wrap (on top of the coconut) and place the other half of the mixture on the second piece of plastic wrap.
- Sprinkle more coconut on top of the marshmallow mixture. Use the plastic wrap to roll the mixture into a uniform log shape, wrapping it tightly. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap and secure the a small piece of tape. Repeat with the second log.
- Place the logs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Use a serrated knife to cut the logs into slices.
My Grandmother always made these too! Going to make them this year. She omitted the nuts and would roll 1 in coconut and the other in crushed graham crackers .
could you use ground or finely chopped nuts instead of coconut My grand daughter is allergic to it
Yes, that’s a good alternative!
My husband’s grandmother had this recipe; however, she called them cathedral windows. Also, didn’t use coconut or walnuts – instead rolled them in powdered sugar.
I made these for my kids till they married and had kids of their own. Then I made these for my grandkids. I lost the recipe a few years ago but made them this year with your recipe that looks exactly like mine. Thank you so much and God bless ♥️
These are one of our family’s favorite treats that we make over and over! Choc, marshmallows and coconut, how can you go wrong?! Delicious every time and so easy!
I have made something similar for years. No nuts, but maraschino cherries were a must! I lost my recipe but this is close so I’ll try these. Thanks!
My boys don’t like shredded coconut. Can I leave it out inthis recipe ? Or substitute with smth else ?
You can omit the coconut and wrap the log using parchment or wax paper. It might be a little messier, but the chocolate will set!
can i leave out the shredded coconut ? will it affect the outcome of the cookies ?
Yes you can omit the coconut. Others have suggested rolling in powdered sugar or crushed graham cracker crumbs. Or you can just omit the coconut and roll it into a log using parchment paper and wait for it to get hard in the fridge before slicing.
I made these per recipe and they tasted great.
My mother used to make these cookies too but 1 in our family didn’t like coconut nor Graham crackers so for this person, the log was rolled in crushed vanilla wafers. They tasted great too!
Could you make them into balls and roll into coconut ?
Oh I love that idea!