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Home » Desserts » Reindeer Cookies

Reindeer Cookies

Posted by: Kate / Cookie Recipes, Desserts / Posted: 11/25/20 / Last updated: 11/24/20

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Reindeer cookies are soft chocolate cookies with candy faces and pretzel antlers. This is the best and easiest Christmas cookie recipe – no mixer, no chilling necessary! 

Reindeer cookies on a gold wire baking rack

I love to make Christmas cookies, but it seems like time is especially short this time of year. And, as much as I love to make cute cookies, I’ve never been a huge decorator.

That’s where easy but cute cookies like these Reindeer Cookies come in. The cookies take less than 30 minutes to make, and they are incredibly easy to decorate.

So, this is a great recipe to make when you’re short on time, with the kids, or any other time that you want to make fun Christmas cookies but don’t want to spend all day making them.

How to make reindeer cookies

melted butter in a glass mixing bowlI recommend mixing the cookies by hand. This helps to avoid overmixing the dough.

Microwave the butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl for about 40 seconds. Butter should mostly melted.

Whisk the butter until it is completely melted.

butter and sugar in a glass mixing bowl

Add the sugars; mix until well-combined. Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.

Chocolate cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl

Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Please read the recipe note about properly measuring flour.

Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.

Stir in mini chocolate chips. Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Unbaked reindeer cookies on a baking sheet

Add two mini pretzel twists to the top of each cookie. Place two brown M&Ms and one red M&M on each cookie to make the face.

Baked reindeer cookies on a baking sheet

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.

Reindeer cookies on a silicone baking matTips

  • Butter: This recipe uses melted butter. I prefer to use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
  • Sugars: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated (white sugar). You can use either dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give you a slightly richer flavor.
  • Measuring Flour: If you aren’t weighing your ingredients, I can’t recommend that enough. If you are using measuring cups, be sure to sift or stir the flour before measuring. Flour packs easily and using too much flour in cookies will give you dry, crumbly dough and cookies that don’t spread.
  • Candies: I use M&Ms mini baking bits for both the eyes and the nose.
  • Making the faces: I try to place the candies as close together as possible because they will spread out with the cookies as the cookies bake. You can see a picture of this in the “how to make” section above.
  • Baking: One of the keys to make soft cookies is slightly underbaking the cookies. This means that the edges should look set but the middles should still look puffy and soft.

Storage

I store these cookies in a resealable container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Wire cooling rack filled with reindeer cookiesMore Christmas cookie recipes!

  • Cherry Cheesecake Cookies
  • Hot Chocolate Cookies
  • Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
  • Best Molasses Cookies
  • No Chill Sugar Cookies

If you’ve tried this reindeer cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

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Reindeer Cookies

Soft chocolate cookies with candy faces and pretzel antlers. Easy Christmas cookie recipe!
Author:I Heart Eating
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings:20 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: reindeer cookie recipe, reindeer cookies
Reindeer cookies on a gold wire baking rack
Print Rate Pin
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
  • 40 mini pretzel twists
  • 60 mini M&M baking bits

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • Microwave the butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl for about 40 seconds. Butter should mostly melted.
  • Whisk the butter until it is completely melted.
  • Add the sugars; mix until well-combined.
  • Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.
  • Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Please read the recipe note about properly measuring flour.
  • Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.
  • Stir in mini chocolate chips.
  • Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
  • Add two mini pretzel twists to the top of each cookie.
  • Place two brown M&Ms and one red M&M on each cookie to make the face.
  • Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.

Notes

  • Butter: This recipe uses melted butter. I prefer to use salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
  • Sugars: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated (white sugar). You can use either dark or light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give you a slightly richer flavor.
  • Measuring Flour: If you aren’t weighing your ingredients, I can’t recommend that enough. If you are using measuring cups, be sure to sift or stir the flour before measuring. Flour packs easily and using too much flour in cookies will give you dry, crumbly dough and cookies that don’t spread.
  • Candies: I use M&Ms mini baking bits for both the eyes and the nose. 
  • Placing the antlers/making the faces: I try to place the candies as close together as possible because they will spread out with the cookies as the cookies bake. You can see  pictures of this in the "how to make" section above. 
  • Baking: One of the keys to make soft cookies is slightly underbaking the cookies. This means that the edges should look set but the middles should still look puffy and soft.
  • Nutrition values are estimates. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 197kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 31g (10%)Protein: 3g (6%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 4g (20%)Cholesterol: 21mg (7%)Sodium: 257mg (11%)Potassium: 78mg (2%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 14g (16%)Vitamin A: 160IU (3%)Calcium: 20mg (2%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @i_heart_eating on Instagram and hashtag it #ihearteating.

 

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  1. Phyllis says

    December 16, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    My grandkids loved making these cookies. They were easy enough for the four year old to do. They loved eating them also.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 17, 2020 at 9:00 am

      Yay!! That’s so great to hear! Thank you for commenting!

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    December 10, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    So, so easy! They taste as good as they look! Definitely keeping this recipe. It’s a new tradition at our house.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      December 10, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that!

      Reply

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I'm Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family's favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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