These Vintage No-Bake Snowflake Cookies are one of the more unusual recipes I've found for this project.
The original recipe came from an old newspaper clipping and combines cream cheese, chocolate, oats, miniature marshmallows, pecans, and coconut. Everything gets mixed into a thick chocolate dough, shaped into logs, rolled in coconut, chilled, and sliced into little rounds.
When I first saw them, they reminded me a lot of old-fashioned church window cookies because the marshmallows create a different pattern inside every slice. This version is a little different, though. The oats and cream cheese make the chocolate mixture much thicker, and the coconut around the outside gives them their “snowflake” look.
About My Vintage Recipe Project
This recipe is part of the vintage recipe project I've been working on to preserve old family recipes and classic American baking.
A lot of the project comes from recipes passed down through my family, including recipes from my great-grandmother. I'm also collecting recipes like this one from old cookbooks, newspaper clippings, and other vintage sources that fit into the same style of mid-century home baking.
I make the recipes, photograph them, and try to keep the original ingredients and techniques intact rather than turning them into modern versions.
This Snowflake Cookie recipe was especially fun because it was difficult to find anything quite like it today.
You can see the growing collection in my Vintage Recipes archive.
What Are Snowflake Cookies?
The newspaper clipping describes these as No-Bake Snowflake Cookies.
They are made by mixing miniature marshmallows and pecans into a chocolate, cream cheese, and oatmeal dough. The mixture is shaped into logs and completely coated in coconut before chilling.
Once you slice through the log, every cookie has a slightly different pattern of white marshmallows inside the chocolate.
The original article actually points this out, comparing them to real snowflakes because no two slices look exactly alike.
That is also why they reminded me of church window cookies.
Traditional church window-style cookies are known for the colorful or white marshmallow pieces visible inside a chocolate log. This vintage Snowflake Cookie uses that same basic visual idea, but adds oats, cream cheese, pecans, and a snowy coconut coating.
Why You'll Love These Vintage Snowflake Cookies
No baking required: Everything sets in the refrigerator.
Old-fashioned holiday look: Chocolate, white marshmallows, and coconut make these look great on a Christmas cookie tray.
Lots of texture: You get chewy marshmallows, oats, crunchy pecans, coconut, and creamy chocolate in every slice.
Make-ahead friendly: The logs actually need several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
A genuinely unusual vintage recipe: This is not one of the Christmas cookies I see everywhere today.
Ingredients
- 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup flaked or shredded coconut
Ingredient Notes
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese forms the base of the chocolate dough.
The original recipe only uses a 3-ounce package, which is much smaller than the 8-ounce blocks most of us buy today.
If you are using a modern block, weigh or measure out 3 ounces rather than using the whole thing.
Unsweetened Chocolate
The recipe uses 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled.
Let the chocolate cool before beating it into the cream cheese mixture. You do not want very hot melted chocolate going directly into the cream cheese.
Oats
This is one of the things that makes these different from most church window cookies.
The original recipe says you can use either quick oats or old-fashioned oats, uncooked.
The oats give the chocolate mixture more body and make the cookies much heartier than a typical marshmallow chocolate log.
Miniature Marshmallows
The marshmallows create the white “snowflake” pattern inside each slice.
Do not melt them.
They get stirred into the chocolate mixture whole so you can see the individual pieces after slicing.
Pecans
Chopped pecans add crunch throughout the cookie.
They also make the texture much more interesting because almost every ingredient here feels different: creamy chocolate, chewy marshmallow, oats, nuts, and coconut.
Coconut
The coconut goes on the outside of the logs rather than inside the dough.
That coating creates the white ring around every cookie and is really what finishes the snowflake look.
How to Make Vintage No-Bake Snowflake Cookies
1. Make the Cream Cheese Base
Add the cream cheese, milk, and vanilla to a mixing bowl.
Beat until creamy and completely smooth.
2. Add the Confectioners' Sugar
Gradually add the sifted confectioners' sugar.
Keep beating until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
Adding it gradually makes it much easier to incorporate without sending powdered sugar everywhere.
3. Add the Chocolate
Beat in the melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate.
The mixture should become evenly chocolate-colored.
4. Add the Oats
Stir in 1 cup of uncooked oats.
The mixture will become noticeably thicker once the oats are added.
5. Fold in the Marshmallows and Pecans
Add the miniature marshmallows and chopped pecans.
Stir until everything is distributed fairly evenly throughout the chocolate dough.
You do not need every slice to look identical. Part of the charm of these cookies is that every cross-section ends up a little different.
(PHOTO HERE — chocolate mixture with marshmallows and pecans folded in)
6. Shape Into Logs
Divide the mixture in half.
Shape each half into a 7-inch log.
The dough is supposed to be thick enough to hold that shape.
7. Roll in Coconut
Spread the coconut over a piece of waxed paper or a plate.
Roll each chocolate log in the coconut until the outside is completely covered.
Press gently if needed to help the coconut stick.
8. Chill
Wrap the logs in waxed paper.
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Do not rush this step.
The cookies are much easier to slice once the chocolate and cream cheese mixture is completely cold and firm.
9. Slice and Serve
Unwrap the chilled logs and slice them approximately ¼-inch thick.
Serve the cookies cold, just as the original recipe instructs.
Why These Remind Me of Church Window Cookies
This is probably the comparison most people will make when they see the inside.
Church window cookies are usually chocolate-marshmallow refrigerator cookies made in a log and sliced so the marshmallow pieces create a pattern inside.
These Snowflake Cookies use the same basic idea, but the ingredient list is noticeably different.
The oats give the cookie more structure. Cream cheese makes the chocolate base rich and slightly tangy. Pecans add crunch, and the entire outside is rolled in coconut.
So I would describe them as church window-style cookies, but I would keep Snowflake Cookies as the actual name because that is what the vintage clipping calls them.
What Do Snowflake Cookies Taste Like?
They are richer than I expected from looking at the old newspaper photo.
The chocolate and cream cheese create a soft, sweet base, while the miniature marshmallows stay chewy.
Then you get texture from both the oats and chopped pecans.
The coconut is noticeable too, especially around the edges of each slice.
These are served cold, so the finished texture is firm enough to pick up but still softer and chewier than a baked cookie.
Expert Tips
Let the Chocolate Cool
Melt the unsweetened chocolate first and give it time to cool before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
Sift the Confectioners' Sugar
The original recipe specifically calls for sifted sugar.
That helps prevent hard little lumps in the cream cheese base.
Use Mini Marshmallows
Large marshmallows would make the logs much harder to shape and slice.
The miniature size creates the little white patterns throughout each cookie.
Chill Overnight When Possible
Several hours works, but overnight makes these especially easy to slice.
Use a Sharp Knife
A sharp knife helps cut cleanly through the cold marshmallows and pecans without crushing the log.
If the log begins to soften while you are slicing it, put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
Storage
Keep the Snowflake Cookies refrigerated because the recipe contains cream cheese and milk.
Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serve cold.
You can also leave the logs whole and slice cookies as you need them. That is actually a convenient way to keep the cut edges from drying out.
Try These Vintage Recipes Next
If you like the coconut and old-fashioned holiday feel of these cookies, try Chewy Vintage Cherry Coconut Cookie Bars Swiss Treats next.
You may also like Grandmas Gumdrop Cookies, which has another very mid-century mix of chewy candy and cookie dough.
For another unusual holiday recipe, try Vintage Hedgehog Cookies or browse everything in my Vintage Recipes archive.
Final Thoughts
This is exactly the kind of recipe I hoped I would find when I started digging through old recipe collections.
It is recognizable enough to remind me of church window cookies, but it has its own name, its own ingredient list, and this great snowy coconut coating that makes sense once you see the finished slices.
I also love that the original clipping made such a point of every cookie being different.
You make two simple chocolate logs, but once they are sliced, every little arrangement of marshmallows and pecans looks slightly different.
Vintage No-Bake Snowflake Cookies (Church Window Coookies)
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
- 1 cup oats quick or old-fashioned, uncooked
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup flaked or shredded coconut
Method
- Beat the cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until well blended.
- Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate.
- Stir in the oats.
- Add the miniature marshmallows and chopped pecans and stir until evenly combined.
- Divide the mixture in half and shape into two 7-inch logs.
- Roll each log in coconut until evenly coated.
- Wrap the logs in wax paper and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Slice approximately ¼-inch thick and serve cold.
