These adorable Reindeer Cookies bring festive cheer to any holiday gathering in just 50 minutes. Perfect for baking with kids or impressing guests at Christmas parties, these sweet treats feature the ideal balance of flavors and textures.
With only 10 minutes of prep time and a short chill in the refrigerator, you’ll have Instagram-worthy cookies that pack 248 calories of pure joy. The recipe yields perfectly tender cookies with 34g of carbohydrates and 5g of protein, making them a satisfying addition to your holiday cookie platter.
Magical Reindeer Cookie Ingredients
- Butter Base: 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, room temperature for best results
- Peanut Mixture: 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter for rich flavor
- Sweeteners: 1/2 cup each of granulated and light brown sugar, packed for perfect sweetness
- Wet Ingredients: 2 large eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for binding
- Dry Base: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Decorative Elements: 36 mini pretzel twists (ears), 18 rolo candies (nose base), 18 red M&Ms (red nose), 36 candy eyes
- Assembly Aid: Small tube decorating frosting for securing decorations
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cream Base: Beat butter, shortening, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy (2 minutes)
- Wet Mixture: Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla extract
- Dry Addition: Combine flour, baking soda, salt, then gently mix into wet ingredients
- Chill Time: Refrigerate soft dough for 30 minutes minimum (up to 3 days)
- Prep & Bake: Heat oven to 375°F, line sheet with parchment, shape dough into ovals, bake 9-12 minutes
- Decoration Time: Add pretzels for ears, rolo for nose base, candy eyes, and secure red M&M with frosting
- Final Touch: Let cookies cool on sheet before moving to cooling rack
Storage Tips
These adorable reindeer cookies stay fresh and tasty for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Place a piece of wax paper between layers to keep the decorations intact.
If you make the dough ahead, it stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days – just let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before shaping your cookies.
Helpful Decorating Tips
Make decorating these cute reindeer cookies fun and easy! Set up a little assembly line with all your toppings ready to go. Add the decorations while the cookies are still warm so the Rolos melt slightly and stick better.
If you’re making these with kids, pre-sort the candies and pretzels into small bowls – this makes the process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. A dot of frosting works like glue to keep everything in place!
Simple Substitutions
No Rolos on hand? Regular chocolate kisses work great for the nose! Can’t find candy eyes? Mini chocolate chips or small dots of white frosting with tiny chocolate centers make perfect eyes.
If you need to skip the peanut butter, cookie butter or almond butter can take its place – just keep in mind the flavor will be different. For a nut-free version, try sunflower seed butter instead.
Make-Ahead Tips
Want to get a head start on your holiday baking? Shape the dough into balls and freeze them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, pop them in a freezer bag – they’ll keep for up to 3 months! When ready to bake, add just 1-2 minutes to the baking time. You can even prep the pretzel antlers and candies ahead of time, storing them in separate containers until needed.
Reindeer Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs large
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorations
- 36 mini pretzel twists
- 18 rolo candies
- 18 red m&m candies
- 36 candy eyes or mini chocolate chips
- 1 small tube decorating frosting
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine. Don’t over-mix. The dough will be very soft.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough into large balls and roll them into an oval shape. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes, until set and no longer glossy looking.
- Remove from oven. Press pretzels into the top of the cookie, for the ears. Press a rolo into the center, for the nose. Add two candy eyes, or chocolate chips for the eyes. Place a dot of frosting in the center of the rolo to secure a red m&m candy on top, for the nose.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet. then transfer to cooling rack.
