Amish Church Windows is an Amish Cook classic, first making its appearance in the newspaper column back in the mid-1990s. It's easy, colorful, and sweet, three traits that are perfect in a last-minute Christmas confection.
The Amish typically celebrate holidays in very no-frills fashion. In most Amish homes you won’t find Christmas trees, giant plastic snowmen, or boughs of holly strung across the mantle. The Amish mostly reject these more secular trappings of the holiday. Generally, the only holiday decorations I’ve seen in Amish homes are, perhaps, some Christmas cards with snow scenes or reindeer taped to the wall or sitting on the mantle. Wrapped gifts are exchanged in some settlements where the tradition has caught on, but other communities don’t practice it. Amish communities vary great from place to place depending on local traditions and the individual bishop.
One way in which the Amish do express their celebration of the season is through food. Come November and December, Amish cooks fire up the kitchen to create all sorts of holiday confections. And while the Amish mostly avoid exchanging gifts bought at big box stores (or even little box stores!), a decorative tin filled with homemade cashew crunch or maple fudge are often given to friends as gifts.
Church Windows are also a colorful, candy favorite and they are easy to make. And there are so many ways you can dress it up. You can use colorful marshmallows or plain white, you can add some butterscotch chips or white chocolate if you want. You can add a splash of vanilla. Or you can still with the basic 5 ingredient recipe below.
This recipe only has 5 ingredients, so it's simple. Interestingly, the name "Amish Church Windows" is a little odd. Because generally the Amish don't worship in churches, so there aren't really church windows. They worship in homes, so I guess the house windows could be the "church windows."
Fold the marshmallows into melted butter and chocolate.
The coconut in this recipe is optional, I love coconut but feel free to skip if you don't like it.
🍬 Ingredients
- 1 stick of oleo
- 12 oz. chocolate chips
- 5 oz. colored miniature marshmallows
- 1 c. nut meats
- 1 c. coconut (optional)
📋 Instructions
- Melt oleo and chips until creamy.
- Fold in marshmallows.
- Spread nut meats (and coconut, if you choose) on wax paper.
- Cover with marshmallow-chocolate mixture.
- Roll up like a jelly roll. Refrigerate until solid. Slice and serve.
🍬 More Amish Candy Recipe
🖨️ Full Recipe
5-Ingredient Amish Church Windows
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 12 oz chocolate chips
- 5 oz colored miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup shredded coconut optional
Instructions
- Melt oleo and chips until creamy. erve.
- Fold in marshmallows.
- Spread nut meats (and coconut, if you choose) on wax paper.
- Cover with marshmallow-chocolate mixture.
- Roll up like a jelly roll and refrigerate until solid.
- Slice and serve.
Karen
My mom made these back in the 1950's-1960's. They were always very good.
Jolene
My aunt used to make these when I ws growing up & she called them cathedral cookies!
kentuckylady717
These are really pretty.....has anyone on here made them and do they roll up well ?
SueAnn
They do roll up well..if you have all the ingredients ready to go.....We make these with white chocolate.....before you roll...don't have the chocolate too hot...it could melt the waxed paper a bit..and don't over lap the waxed paper....makes it a teeny bit tricky to un-roll. East enough to make..kids can help with these....
Grannylove54
I made these many years ago as a part of a cookie/candy tray for my church's After Christmas Pageant celebration. They were very easy to do as long as you take your time and follow the directions. They were certainly a big hit. I lost the recipe (loaned it to someone and never saw it again) and that was before internet. Very happy to find it again.
Kevin
Glad you stopped by, Granny, and glad you were able to re-connect with the recipe.. I'll have to try it with pecans sometime!
Karen
I have a good friend who gives us a plate of them every year for Christmas but I had never seen them before they were cut. Thanks for sharing the great picture.
Estelle Wycherley
I live in NZ and could you please explain to me what 'nut meats' is? I presume the stick of 'oleo' refers to butter/margarine - could you please confirm. Many thanks.
Kevin
Estelle - Welcome from "Down Under!" Those are two sort of "old-timers" terms. I should change them. Oleo is just butter and "nut meats", just used chopped English walnut pieces. The term "nut meats" used to be used to described chopped nuts like that, but it isn't heard much any more. - Kevin, Editor
Grannylove54
I made mine with pecans and they turned out very well. More people seem to prefer pecans here in the South than the stronger flavor of walnuts.
Kristina
2 questions…#1 What is Oleo.? I've never heard of it. #2 What is nut meats? I tried to find out online & all I found was vegetarian meat substitute, which doesn't sound too good for a dessert!
Diane
Oleo is the same as margarine, but i use butter. And nut meats are chopped nuts, usually walnuts but can be any kind you prefer.