This post may contain affiliate links which means I will get a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for details.
These Christmas reindeer cookies will delight kids and adults this holiday season! They’re simple to make, fun to decorate, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
We all love Santa, snowmen, wreaths, and trees for our Christmas desserts. But if you want to add an extra dose of cuteness and sweetness to your holiday spread, you can’t miss out on our reindeer cookies!
Covered in icing and M&M’s, these reindeer Christmas cookies are playful, tasty, and perfect for sharing and gifting.
You can even make these easy Christmas treats with your little helpers this festive season!
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox!
If these adorable reindeer treats got you in the holiday baking spirit, keep the fun going with white chocolate dipped cookies and gingerbread cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Reindeer Cookies Recipe
- Simple to make with basic ingredients, these Christmas reindeer cookies are some of the best Christmas cookies to make with kids.
- With icing and M&M’s on top, these reindeer Xmas cookies are rich and absolutely mouthwatering.
- These reindeer themed Christmas cookies are perfect for getting creative. Decorate them any way you want!
Ingredients
SUGAR COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
Unsalted butter – Make sure it’s soft enough for easy mixing.
Vanilla extract and salt – For depth of flavor.
Powdered sugar – We haven’t tried swapping in other sweeteners for these Christmas reindeer cookies.
All-purpose flour – Use the spoon and level method to get an accurate flour measurement. If you use too much flour, the reindeer cookies will end up dry and crumbly.
Baking powder – To help the dough rise.
Milk – Lends richness and moisture.
ICING INGREDIENTS:
Powdered sugar – Sweetens and thickens the icing.
Warm water – For the perfect icing consistency.
Meringue powder – Helps stabilize the icing.
Vanilla extract – To give our royal icing a richer and more nuanced flavor.
Brown liquid food color – For tinting some of the icing. We’ll use brown icing for the reindeer’s eyes and antlers.
Green M&M’s – For the reindeer’s nose. These decorated reindeer cookies make fun Christmas cookies for kids, so feel free to get creative with your decorations.
Ingredient Substitutions For Reindeer Cookies
Pretzel antlers
For a fun look, press pretzels into the top corners of your iced reindeer cookies to create antlers!
Chocolate frosting
Try chocolate frosting instead of white royal icing for festive cookies that are rich and cute. Chocolate frosted cookies also work great with red noses and candy eyes if you want to make Rudolph sugar cookies.
Red candies
Want to make some Rudolph cookies for your Christmas cookie platter? Use red M&M’s or gumdrops for the nose and maybe some mini chocolate chips for the eyes.
Tips For Making This Recipe
No Need to Buy a Cookie Cutter
If you don’t have a cookie cutter, just use a wine glass to cut out circles for these Christmas reindeer cookies!
Chill Your Dough
Always chill the dough for these sugar reindeer cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. This extra step also makes the cookies more flavorful and helps them bake evenly.
Get Creative
Have fun with your reindeer cookies! Use melted chocolate to draw the eyes and antlers, or make Rudolph cookies with strawberry gummy noses, white chocolate chip eyes, and teddy bear-shaped cookies flipped over to form the antlers.
Reindeer Christmas Cookies Recipe FAQs
What is the most popular Christmas cookie in the world?
The most popular Christmas cookie is the sugar cookie! Sugar cookies are perfect for cutouts and make a simple, delicious, and versatile canvas for holiday-themed cookies.
What could I use on these Christmas reindeer cookies instead of M&M’s?
You can use other colorful candies for these iced reindeer cookies. Try candy coated peanuts, Skittles, Red Hots, or Sixlets instead of M&M’s!
Can I use a different cookie dough for Xmas reindeer cookies?
Of course! If you don’t want to make Christmas sugar cookies, you can decorate peanut butter cookies instead. The color of the dough also suits the reindeer theme perfectly.
Can I freeze reindeer cookies?
Yes, you can freeze these decorated reindeer sugar cookies for 2 to 3 months in freezer-safe bags. However, I recommend freezing them before decorating.
Can this recipe for Christmas reindeer sugar cookies be made in advance?
Yes, you can make these Christmas themed cookies in advance because you can refrigerate the dough overnight. You can also store the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
More Christmas Food Desserts
- Christmas Pretzels Recipe
- Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Christmas Muffins
- Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board
- Santa Charcuterie Board
I found this recipe for Santa Sugar Cookies that I HAVE to try!
Yay! You have made it this far, and I am so glad! Hey – If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below.
Christmas Reindeer Cookies
Ingredients
FOR THE SUGAR COOKIES:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 5 tbsp milk
FOR THE ICING:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 1/2 tbsp meringue powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Brown liquid food color
- Green M&M’s
Instructions
FOR THE SUGAR COOKIES:
- Combine the butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder. Pour in the milk one tablespoon at a time and mix until a dough forms.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a large round cookie cutter to cut out the shapes.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes.
- Let the sugar cookies cool completely before decorating.
FOR THE ICING:
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and vanilla extract. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes while adding water gradually, one teaspoon at a time, until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the icing into two bowls. Keep a little more than half of it white, then add brown liquid food color to the remaining icing.
- Dip one side of each cookie into the white icing and let it dry.
- Pipe the antlers and eyes on each cookie using the brown decorating icing.
- Add a small dot of brown icing to mark the nose, then press a green M&M onto the spot to finish the reindeer face. Repeat with the remaining cookies, and you’re done.
Notes
- If you don’t have a cookie cutter, just use a wine glass to cut out circles for these Christmas reindeer cookies!
- Always chill the dough for these sugar reindeer cookies to prevent them from spreading too much. This extra step also makes the cookies more flavorful and helps them bake evenly.
- Have fun with your reindeer cookies! Use melted chocolate to draw the eyes and antlers, or make Rudolph cookies with strawberry gummy noses, white chocolate chip eyes, and teddy bear-shaped cookies flipped over to form the antlers.
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
