Wow your guests with these unique and easy stained glass Christmas cookies this season! They will never guess how easy this simple stained glass recipe is because it starts with pre-made cookie dough. Kids of all ages will want to help with the Christmas cookie baking!

Let’s make stained glass cookies recipe

Making stained glass cookies for Christmas is fun! The cookies look amazing as ornaments, wrapped up in cellophane as gifts, or arranged on the table to add a festive atmosphere.

Yes, we are making these as Christmas cookies, but you could make them for any special occasion!

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Stained Glass Cookies ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cookie recipe.

• Your favorite sugar cookie recipe (or store-bought sugar cookie dough)
• Life Savers or Jolly Ranchers candy
• Parchment paper
• Metal cookie cutters*
• Baking Sheet
• Flour
• Plastic bag
• Rolling pin

*Pro-Tip: When it is time to make your cookie shapes in the dough, metal cookie cutters work best! Plastic ones don’t give a really clean cut. If you don’t have cookie cutters handy, don’t worry! You can just draw the shape you want onto cereal box cardboard, cut the shape out and use it as a template placing it onto your rolled-out dough, then cut around it with a sharp knife.

Directions to make stained glass cookies recipe

Step 1

Roll out chilled buttery sugar cookie dough onto a floured surface and create the basic cookie shape. For our cookies, we went with a round sugar cookie.

Step 2

Carefully lift your unbaked cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut out a shape from the center of each cookie using a metal cookie cutter or a shape template.

Step 3

Place your Jolly Ranchers or Life Savers in a plastic bag, and crush them with the end of a rolling pin.

Step 4

Next, fill the center of each cookie with the crushed candy.

Step 5

Use a straw or something pointy to poke a hole in the top of each cookie if you want to hang them as Christmas ornaments.

Step 6

Bake the cookies according to your label or recipe directions until the candy has melted. For some candies, you need to wait until the melted candy just begins to bubble to get a really clear stained glass effect.

Notes:

• You can really use any hard candies in your sugar cookies. The candy centers may not be as sheer, but will taste so good regardless. They will still be glass window cookies.
• Make sure the cookies are cooled on wire racks and at room temperature before you eat. The center of the cookie can burn you!
• Use other smaller cookie cutters to make other shapes and different sizes. Can make these delicious cookies more unique. Just make sure there is enough room inside the cookie for a hard candy center.

Our Experience making Stained Glass Cookies

Usually, the cooking time works out that the cookie dough is not overbaked and the candy has melted. If this doesn’t turn out to be the case on your first batch, then consider baking your cookies a few minutes before adding in the candy.

That’s it! It really is easy to make your own Stained Glass Christmas Cookies!

More Easy Christmas Cookie recipes From Kids Activities Blog

• Christmas Star Cookies are so dainty and a total classic!
• The Yummy Christmas Trees aren’t all cookies, but sometimes it is fun to switch things up!
• These cookie dough truffles are a sweet gift if you don’t eat them all first.
• Don’t miss out on our massive list of Christmas cookies!
• No time to bake? Not a problem! Check out these cute printable cookies that are fun for pretend play.
• Try out this faux stained glass painting for kids!
• You have to try these delicious homemade Christmas candy recipes!

How did your stained glass cookies turn out?