The Most Adorable Christmas Reindeer Cookies: A Festive Baking Tradition

As the holiday season draws near, there’s nothing quite like the comforting aroma of freshly baked cookies filling your home. This year, add a touch of whimsy and joy to your festive celebrations with these incredibly charming Reindeer Cookies! They are not just cookies; they are little edible works of art that bring smiles to faces of all ages. Simple to make yet irresistibly cute, these cookies are destined to become a beloved Christmas tradition in your household.

Imagine the delight on your children’s faces, or even Santa’s, when they discover a plate full of these adorable peanut butter reindeer. Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, festive parties, or simply a cozy evening snack by the fireplace, these cookies combine a deliciously moist peanut butter base with playful decorations. We’re talking crunchy pretzel antlers, bright M&M noses, and sparkling chocolate chip eyes—each element coming together to create a characterful holiday treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat!

Why These Reindeer Cookies Are a Must-Make This Christmas

This year, our Reindeer Cookies were an absolute sensation at the annual work Christmas cookie exchange, and for good reason! Their charm is undeniable, but what truly makes them special is how surprisingly easy they are to create. Don’t let their intricate appearance fool you—the process is straightforward and incredibly rewarding, making it a fantastic activity for families with little elves eager to help in the kitchen. At their heart, these are moist, tender peanut butter cookies, expertly shaped into a “reindeer head.” The magic then happens with the decorations: crunchy chocolate-covered pretzels transform into magnificent antlers, vibrant M&M’s form Rudolph’s iconic red (or brown!) nose, and classic chocolate chips bring the eyes to life. It’s a culinary project that sparks creativity and delivers delicious results, enchanting both children and adults alike with its festive spirit and delightful taste.

Beyond their charming looks and irresistible flavor, these Reindeer Cookies offer a wonderful opportunity for holiday bonding. Gathering around the kitchen island, rolling dough, pinching shapes, and carefully placing each decorative element creates lasting memories. It’s a sensory experience—the smell of warm peanut butter, the feel of soft dough, and the vibrant colors of the candies—all contribute to the festive atmosphere. Plus, they are incredibly versatile, allowing for personal touches and creative flair. Whether you stick to the classic design or experiment with different candy colors, these cookies are a canvas for your holiday imagination. Their crowd-pleasing appeal ensures they won’t last long, making them the perfect centerpiece for any Christmas dessert spread.

Frequently Asked Questions About Crafting Reindeer Cookies

Gather Your Ingredients: What You’ll Need to Create Reindeer Magic

To embark on your Reindeer Cookie adventure, you’ll need a combination of pantry staples and fun festive decorations. This recipe calls for classic baking ingredients that come together to form a rich, flavorful peanut butter cookie base, perfectly complemented by sweet and salty adornments. Make sure to have everything measured and ready before you begin, as the decorating process moves quickly once the cookies are out of the oven!

Essential Ingredients:

• Shortening (like Crisco), to give your cookies that perfect tender crumb.
• Light brown sugar, packed, for moisture and a deep, sweet flavor.
• Creamy peanut butter, the star of our cookie base, providing that distinctive taste and texture.
• Milk, to help bind the ingredients and add a touch of richness.
• Vanilla extract, for an aromatic boost that enhances all the sweet notes.
• Large egg, acting as a binder and contributing to the cookie’s structure.
• All-purpose flour, the foundation of our cookie dough.
• Baking soda, for that perfect lift and tender chewiness.
• Salt, to balance the sweetness and bring out the flavors.
• Chocolate covered pretzel twists, crucial for those adorable reindeer antlers (or plain mini pretzels if preferred).
• M&M’s chocolate candies, for the iconic red nose (or other colors for variety).
• Chocolate chips, specifically the pointy side up, to create expressive reindeer eyes.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Craft Your Reindeer Cookies with Ease

Get ready to transform simple ingredients into delightful Reindeer Cookies! This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process, from mixing the dough to adding those adorable finishing touches. Pay close attention to the timing during decoration, as warm cookies are key to making those antlers and faces stick perfectly.

1. Preparation is Key: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare your baking sheets by spraying them generously with nonstick cooking spray. This ensures your reindeer lift off easily after baking.
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a spacious mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the shortening, packed light brown sugar, creamy peanut butter, milk, and vanilla extract.

3. Cream Until Smooth: Beat these ingredients together at medium speed until the mixture is beautifully smooth and thoroughly blended. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
4. Add the Egg: Incorporate the large egg into your creamy mixture. Mix well until it’s fully combined, adding richness and structure to your dough.

5. Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour with the baking soda and salt. Use a fork to stir these dry ingredients thoroughly, ensuring an even distribution of leavening agents.

6. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Add only a small amount at a time, mixing gently after each addition to prevent flour from scattering everywhere. Mix until just combined; be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.

7. Shape the Dough Balls: Form the dough into uniform 1-inch balls. A small cookie scoop is incredibly helpful here for consistency. After scooping, gently roll each ball between your hands to ensure it’s perfectly smooth and round before placing them about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.

8. Form the Reindeer Face: To give your cookies that distinctive reindeer head shape, gently pinch the bottom half of each cookie dough ball.

9. Flatten Slightly: Then, gently “smush” or flatten the pinched dough balls a bit with the palm of your hand. This creates a slightly oval shape that’s ideal for your reindeer faces.

10. Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for approximately 8 minutes. Keep a close eye on them; you want them lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the center.
11. Prepare for Decoration (Act Fast!): While the cookies are baking, quickly get all your decorative embellishments organized and within arm’s reach. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, you’ll need to work fairly quickly while they are still warm and pliable.

12. Decorate the Faces: As soon as the cookies are out of the oven and still warm, start adding the noses. Place a red (for Rudolph!) or brown M&M towards the bottom, pinched end of the cookie. Next, add the eyes by gently pressing two chocolate chips just above the nose, making sure the pointy side of each chip faces upwards for that classic cartoon eye look. (Brown M&Ms can also work for eyes if you prefer.)
13. Add the Antlers: Finally, carefully add the chocolate-covered pretzel antlers. This step can be a bit tricky because the pretzels are heavier than the other decorations. It’s crucial not to place them too close to the edge of the cookie; they need to be solidly on the cookie, near the eyes. Gently apply a bit of pressure for a few seconds to ensure they embed themselves and stay firmly in place as the cookie cools.

The most important part after decorating is patience! These delightful cookies need time to cool completely and set up before you attempt to move them. As they cool, the chocolate on the pretzels and chips will harden, firmly adhering them to the cookie. Once fully cooled, they will be sturdy enough to handle, arrange on platters, and store for your festive enjoyment.

Pro Tips for Perfect Reindeer Cookies Every Time

• Don’t Overmix the Dough: Once you add the flour, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tougher cookies. A light hand keeps them tender.
• Uniform Sizing: Using a cookie scoop helps ensure all your cookies are the same size, which means they’ll bake evenly and look consistent for your reindeer herd.
• Work Quickly While Decorating: The key to successful decoration is adding the candies and pretzels while the cookies are still warm from the oven. This allows them to soften slightly and create a natural adhesion. Have all your decorations ready and laid out before the cookies finish baking.
• Secure the Antlers: Pretzel antlers can be a bit heavy. When pressing them into the warm cookie, hold them in place for a few seconds to give them a head start on setting. If using plain pretzels, a tiny dab of melted chocolate (or royal icing) can help them stick more securely once the cookies have cooled slightly.
• Cool Completely: Resist the urge to move the decorated cookies too soon. Allowing them to cool completely on the baking sheet will ensure the decorations are fully set and won’t fall off.
• Stand Mixer Best Practices: If using a stand mixer, always remember to pause and scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl. This ensures all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated for a consistent dough.

Creative Variations and Serving Suggestions

• Rudolph’s Nose Variety: While red M&M’s are classic for Rudolph, don’t hesitate to use brown M&M’s for other reindeer, or even green and red ones for a general festive look!
• Different Antlers: Beyond chocolate-covered pretzels, you can also use small pieces of broken regular pretzels, or even pipe antlers with melted chocolate or royal icing once the cookies are completely cool.
• Expressive Eyes: Instead of chocolate chips, use mini M&M’s for a softer eye, or tiny candy eyeballs for an even more whimsical touch.
• Cookie Dough Alternatives: Experiment with sugar cookie dough or even gingerbread dough for a different flavor profile, keeping in mind the dough needs to be sturdy enough for shaping.
• Gift Giving: These Reindeer Cookies make fantastic homemade gifts! Package them in clear cellophane bags tied with festive ribbons, or arrange them in a decorative tin for friends, neighbors, and teachers.
• Cookie Decorating Party: Bake the plain reindeer-shaped cookies ahead of time, then set up a “Reindeer Decorating Station” with various candies and icings. It’s a fun activity for kids and adults alike!

More Festive Recipes to Explore for Your Holiday Season

• Reindeer Pretzel Christmas Snacks
• Reindeer Chow
• Reindeer Cookie Bars
• Grinch Cookies
• Meringue Christmas Trees
• Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies
• Christmas Jell-O Poke Cake
• Christmas Crack (Cracker Toffee)
• Peppermint Bark
• Christmas Yule Log
• Butterscotch Haystacks
• Christmas Candy Bark
• 45 Ultimate Christmas Recipes

Rudolph Reindeer Cookies

These enchanting Reindeer Cookies are a festive delight, guaranteed to be a big hit with everyone. They are the ultimate holiday treat for Santa and all your little helpers, offering an easy and utterly delicious baking experience.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Author: Brandie Skibinski

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Ingredients

• ½ cup shortening (Crisco)
• 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• Chocolate covered pretzel twists (for the antlers)
• M&M chocolate candies (for the noses)
• Chocolate chips (for the eyes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour with baking soda and salt. Using a fork, stir well.
3. In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine shortening, brown sugar, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until smooth and well-blended.
4. Add in the egg and mix well until fully incorporated.
5. Slowly begin adding the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, a little at a time, mixing after each addition to ensure the flour doesn’t fly everywhere. Stir until just combined; avoid overmixing.
6. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Using a spring-loaded cookie scoop makes this step easiest.
7. To create the reindeer face, gently pinch the bottom half of each cookie dough ball. Then, gently flatten it down a bit with your hand to form the snout.
8. Bake cookies (one sheet at a time) for about 8 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
9. While the cookies are baking, get all your embellishments (M&Ms, chocolate chips, pretzels) organized and ready. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, you’ll need to work quickly while they are still warm.
10. Once cookies are finished baking, and while still warm, immediately start adding the noses using red M&M’s towards the bottom end of the cookie. Then, add the chocolate chip eyes fairly close above the nose, ensuring the pointy side of the chocolate chips faces upwards.
11. Now, carefully add the antlers. This part can be a bit tricky because the pretzel antlers are heavy. It’s important not to place them too far to the edge of the cookie. They need to be solidly on the cookie, near the eyes. Gently apply a bit of pressure for a few seconds to ensure they stay firmly in place.
12. Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them. This allows the chocolate decorations to set and adhere properly.

Video Tutorial

Recipe Notes

• If you are using a stand mixer, always remember to scrape down the sides of your bowl to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the dough.
• The cookies need time to cool completely before you move them. The chocolate will set up and then stick to the cookie. Only then will you be able to safely move and store them.
• You can use plain mini pretzel twists if chocolate-covered ones are unavailable. In this case, you might need to melt a little extra chocolate and use it as a ‘glue’ to adhere them better to the cookie, especially once they are slightly cooled.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information (Estimate Per Serving)

Calories: 167 kcal

Carbohydrates: 20g

Protein: 3g

Fat: 9g

Sodium: 156mg

Fiber: 1g

Sugar: 12g

Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided is an estimate. It is not provided by a certified dietician or nutritionist. Calorie counts and other nutritional values can vary significantly depending on the specific brands and quantities of ingredients used. If precise nutritional values are important for your dietary needs, we recommend calculating them using your preferred online nutritional calculator with the exact ingredients you use.

Did you make this delightful recipe?

Share your festive creations on Instagram! Tag @thecountrycook and use the hashtag #thecountrycook. We’d love to see your adorable Reindeer Cookies!

Originally Published: December 2012
Updated and Republished: December 2022