I’m excited to share some Christmas cookies fun with my reindeer cookies recipe!
These start with a sugar cookies base, then are topped with a rich chocolate frosting, homemade antlers, and fun candy decorations to complete the cute little faces! Your kids will love these because they’re not only delicious and adorable, but they’re also fun to make!
If you’re looking for more fun holiday cookies, don’t miss my favorite Christmas sugar cookies or our reader’s favorite Christmas Crack!
Let’s get baking!
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What I Love About This Reindeer Cookies Recipe
Who can say no to a sugar cookie? The fun shapes, pretty toppings, and buttery yumminess bring smiles to every face!
- Crowd-pleasing
- SO easy to make!
- Kids love helping
Reindeer Cookies Recipe Notes
- Butter – It is possible to over-soften butter! Butter that’s too melted makes for a greasy reindeer cookies recipe. The best way to speed up the softening step is to cut your butter into smaller pieces.
- Perfect timing – Do not over bake these cookies! Nothing is worse than a disappointingly over-done cookie, too crunchy to be good. To make sure you get an equal bake, I suggest rotating the pan(s) 180 degrees about half-way through the baking process.
- Melting Chocolates – There are lots of different melting chocolates, but Wilton makes some really spectacular colors. Shake up the colors to get different seasonal animals!
- Decorations – To make the antlers, pipe a line of the melted black candy, then add a few smaller lines off the sides. Just be sure to make a few extra sets of antlers since mine have been known to break (or disappear, depending on who’s wandering around the kitchen).
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
When this reindeer cookies recipe is fully baked and decorated they’re great for up to 5-7 days. Not that any cookie like this has ever lasted that long in my house, but I have heard the tale of the legend of the three-week-old cookies!
Can You Freeze This Reindeer Cookies Recipe?
Yes! This reindeer cookies recipe does well in the freezer — as a dough or fully baked! The antlers can be a bit tricky though because they can easily snap off.
For the dough, make it, wrap it in cling wrap or in an airtight container, and store for up to 4-6 months. Thaw by letting it sit in the fridge overnight.
For fully baked cookies, store them in airtight containers and let them sit in the freezer for 6-8 months. If you store them with wax paper between each cookie, there’s no need to thaw them — just grab one out of the freezer and eat!
Make Ahead Tips
See above! This cookie dough freezes so well and can be ready and waiting for you to bake. You can also make the dough up to two days ahead of time and just store it in the fridge if you don’t want to freeze it.
Recipe Variations
- Add pumpkin: If you’d want to make a pumpkin-flavored reindeer, skip the cookie portion of the recipe and instead use my pumpkin sugar cookies recipe for the base. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe as instructed.
- Make cookie bars:Â You can press all the cookie dough into a baking sheet as I do for my sugar cookie bars, then cut them into rectangles and apply the frosting and decorations.
- Add cinnamon: Spice up your reindeer treats with a dash of cinnamon to make cookies similar to my cinnamon sugar cookies.
More Christmas Treats Recipes
Reindeer Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Decorations:
- 1 container prepared chocolate frosting
- 1 package large edible eyes
- 1 box M&M's red's picked out
- 1 package Wilton royal icing bow transfers
- 1 package Wilton black candy melts
Instructions
Make the Antlers:
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the black candy melt is a double boiler, then spoon into a disposable piping bag.
- Pipe out antlers, approximately 1 inch in length. You will need 28 antlers but make extra, in case of breakage.
- Allow to cool completely and firm.
Make the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or silicone baking mats.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside
- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
- Blend in dry ingredients, just until incorporate (don't overmix!)
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 1/4-1/2 thick rectangle. Using a 2 3/4-3 inch diameter circle cookie cutter, Cut 12 cookies, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden brown. Cool completely on the baking rack.
Decorate:
- Spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over each cookie.
- Place 2 large eyes and 1 red M&M to create the face.
- Carefully peel of antlers and position 2 on the top corners.
- For the Does, place a red bow above the eyes and between the antlers.
- For the Bucks, place a black bow below the nose.
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