Christmas Reindeer Cookies

Made with Milano cookies, chocolate, and pretzels, these Christmas Reindeer cookies are a festive treat for the holidays!

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The holiday season is a whirlwind of fun, excitement, and (let’s be honest) STRESS! It can feel like there is an endless to-do list with parties to attend, presents to buy, and other festivities to plan. Because of that, it’s nice to have elements that are festive but also quick and easy.

AND THAT is where these delightfully simple reindeer cookies come in! Made with only 5 ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, these cookies are the perfect Christmas treat for when you need a fun craft or dessert that is kid-friendly, easy on the budget, and easy to throw together.

Plus, they are freaking ADORABLE! So, let’s dive in as I guide you through making these cute reindeer cookies with an ingredient list, instructions, tips, and more!

Ideas for Enjoying this Christmas Recipe

Here’s the thing. You can always find a reason to enjoy a treat, especially when it comes to the Christmas season. However, here are some ideas for incorporating these reindeer cookies into your festivities:

• Bring these to a cookie exchange party
• Make them for a holiday class party
• Do this recipe as an after school activity with kids
• Share a couple with your neighbors as a holiday treat
• Set a plate out for Santa Clause to enjoy when he comes on Christmas Eve
• Enjoy them while watching your favorite Christmas movie (Rudolph perhaps?!)
• Use them to learn the Song “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” – name each cookie!

Ingredients for Reindeer Cookies

The best recipes are the ones that have a short ingredients list, taste delicious, and are easy to make. Thankfully, this recipe checks all three of those boxes! All you need are the following 5 ingredients:

• Milano Cookies – These serve as the base for our holiday treats. Milano cookies have a crisp cookie shell filled with indulgent chocolate in the middle. The brand has a variety of cookies, but I like using the mint ones for this recipes, because it just adds a little extra holiday cheer.
• Melting Chocolate – Melting chocolate acts as the glue in the recipe, holding all of the facial features to the cookie. Really any meltable chocolate will do (chocolate chips, blocks of baking chocolate, etc.) Just be sure not to overheat the chocolate as this can ruin its texture and flavor.
• M&M Candies – M&Ms make the cutest little noses for our reindeers. The smooth chocolate on the inside and colorful outer shell are the perfect addition to these cookies. For this recipe, I recommend only using the green, red, and brown, since these fit with the Christmas colors.
• Pretzels – Pretzels are the key to creating antlers for the reindeer cookies. Because of this, it is best to use the pretzel twists. They add a nice color, shape, and salty flavor to the cookies. Just keep a couple extra on hand, since they break easily.
• Candy Googly Eyes – While you could use plastic eyes for this recipe, it is ideal to use small, edible googly eyes for creating the reindeers faces. They are basically just sugar, so there isn’t much flavor to them. They are more for the look than flavor!

Decorating Instructions and Tips

Don’t have much time? No stress! These cookies are ready in less than half an hour. There’s no baking involved, which makes them that much easier to assemble.

For making these Christmas reindeer cookies, here’s what you need to know:

Instructions

1. Barely Melt Chocolate – Begin by slightly melting the chocolate. If it get’s too liquidy, the facial features won’t stick. Instead, you want it thick enough to act as glue on the cookies (frosting like texture). To make this happen, microwave chocolate in 15-30 second increments, stirring each time. If it becomes too liquidy, allow time to cool and thicken.
2. Place the nose – Add a bit of chocolate to the side of your M&M with the white M, that way it won’t show on the cookies. Press it onto the cookie just above the little v indent in the cookie.
3. Give them eyes – Add a set of googly eyes to each cookie by sticking them to the cookie with the chocolate. Try not to add too much, otherwise it will ooze out on the sides when placed on the cookie.
4. Add Antlers – Next, break each pretzel in half turning it into a set of antlers. Try adding pressure to the center. This generally gives the cleanest breaks. Attach these to the cookie with chocolate.
5. Setting Time – Allow 3-5 minutes for the chocolate to harden and solidify.
6. Serve and enjoy! – They taste great on their own, but you can take it up a notch by eating them with a glass of milk or even hot chocolate!

Tips:

• Make sure you put the M&M facing backwards, so that you don’t see the logo on the cookie.
• Easiest way to get the right consistency for the chocolate is to melt it and then let it cool down, so that it it thick, but still malleable.
• If you don’t want the chocolate to show at all, try using white chocolate or butterscotch, since those are closer to the color of the cookies.

Christmas Activities and Games

• Christmas Tree Craft (Torn Paper Art)
• Christmas Mystery Bag Game
• Free Christmas Bingo Printable
• Kid-friendly Christmas Party Games
• 5 Gift Exchange Games

Delicious Christmas Recipes

One of the best parts of the holiday season is all the good food! Here are some delicious treats and appetizers that you could bring to any holiday party or gathering. They are a hit every time!

• Holiday Cinnamon Almonds
• Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms 
• Easy Oreo Balls 
• Bacon Cream Cheese Bread Dip 
• 3 Ingredient Peppermint Fudge

Don’t Leave Just Yet

Here at Events to Celebrate, my whole goal is to help real people plan for their kids’ birthday parties, life events, and holidays! Life is crazy. I GET IT. You don’t have endless time OR money to spend on parties, but you still want to help your guests have a great time. I’m here to help give you tips, tricks, and ideas for celebrating life on a budget.

As a mom, you want to do it all. You want to make your family happy and create special memories. My brand is all about creating special moments with those you love. The kind of moments that you will look back on years later and wish you could relive! So, if that’s something you’re interested in, stick around! I have an email list you can sign up for, so you don’t miss my future party ideas!