You will love making these easy reindeer cookies! They are a fun treat for little hands to help with AND they are chewy and perfectly sweet.
These cute reindeer cookies are an easy recipe that is perfect for your next cookie swap, Christmas party or as a fun treat to make for Santa on Christmas Eve. The kids will love the little reindeer face with green and red m&m candies and chocolate pretzel antlers!
We are typically fans of decorated sugar cookies or these festive gluten free fruitcake cookies (our gluten-free gingerbread men are SO good too) during the holidays. But since we had so much fun making our easy gluten free peanut butter blossoms and reindeer pancakes, I wanted to make my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe into pretzel reindeer cookies.
Nothing says Christmas time like making the cutest cookies you've seen all year! I just love cookies in all varieties but peanut butter are one of the tastiest classics. Just like in these gluten-free nutter butter cookies.
And who doesn't love chocolate and peanut butter right? They are a classic combination that marry so well together! The little chocolate candies and chocolate pretzel antlers give that flavor combo that you love.
If you need even more of it though, you can easily do a dollop of chocolate frosting underneath each candy eye and the candy nose of this fun treat! Or you can drizzle white icing over the chocolate antlers for a pretty and double chocolaty effect.
Reindeer cookies are so much fun to make and look absolutely darling on a holiday dessert table. They also look great on a milk and cookies platter with our Christmas crack (or cranberry Christmas crack), ginger molasses cookies, Grinch cookies and gluten-free snowball cookies.
What you need
- butter
- peanut butter
- brown sugar
- sugar
- eggs
- gluten-free all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- small pretzel twists (plain or chocolate covered)
- red and green or brown m&m candies OR skittles
We chose to make our reindeer cookies homemade but you can certainly use a cookie mix to make your peanut butter reindeer cookies if you'd rather.
You can also use chocolate chips to make chocolate chip eyes in place of the m&m or skittles candy eyes. You can even use mini m&m candies and mini pretzels if you are making smaller cookies.
How to make reindeer cookies
Making these cookies is definitely a blast! It's a fun way to get kids in the kitchen this holiday season as they make their own little reindeer head and sneak candies as they do...
- Pre heat oven to 350°
- In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, sugars and eggs together
- In a seperate large bowl, combine gluten-free flour and all other dry ingredients
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time mixing in between
- Once dough is mixed well, use a small cookie scoop and form dough to make 1-inch balls
- Roll in sugar then place on greased or silicone mat lined baking sheet or cookie sheets
- Flatten with the bottom of a cup and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool cookies slightly on a wire rack then press in fudge pretzel "antlers" on top of the cookies as well as add two candy eyes and one red nose to make reindeer cookies
Can you make them dairy free?
Yes, this cookie recipe can easily be made dairy-free and we did here in these pictures! We used No Whey chocolate covered pretzels to make the reindeer antlers and skittles for the eyes and nose.
If you can't find dairy-free chocolate covered pretzels, you can make them yourself by using regular pretzels and dipping them in melted dairy-free chocolate.
You would just need to use dairy-free butter as well. Earth Balance sticks are great for cookies.
How to store leftover reindeer cookies
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days if the whole family hasn't eaten them before then. Make sure to cool them entirely before putting them in a container.
Can you freeze them?
Absolutely! I love to freeze them and pull just one or two out when I want them. They only take 15 minutes or so to thaw at room temperature. Then you can enjoy the cutest Christmas cookies in minutes.
Mocktails to serve with these cookies
- Candy Cane Christmas Mocktails
- Cranberry Mocktail
- Non-Alcoholic White Russian
- Gingerbread Martini Mocktail
- Non-Alcoholic Prosecco Drink with Cranberries and Pomegranate
Parties to serve them at
- Christmas in July ideas and party
- Hygge cozy Christmas party
- Gingerbread decorating party
- White Christmas dinner party
- Flannel and flapjacks holiday party
- and here are some more Christmas party ideas and themes
More cookie recipes...
Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Cookies from Gluten Free Baking
Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies from I am Celiac
Lemon Currant Butter Cookies from The Pretty Bee
Gluten-Free Chocolate Dipped Snickerdoodles from The Healthy Home Cook
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The CUTEST Reindeer Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ C butter
- ½ C creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ C brown sugar
- ⅓ C sugar, plus more for rolling
- Dash of Real Salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ C gluten-free flour King Arthur works best for us
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 bag gluten-free fudge covered pretzels
- green and red candies
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350°In a stand mixer or mixing bowl, cream peanut butter, butter, sugars and eggs together
- In a seperate large bowl, combine gluten-free flour and all other dry ingredients
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time mixing in between
- Once dough is mixed well, use a small cookie scoop and form dough to make 1-inch balls
- Roll in sugar then place on greased or silicone mat lined baking sheet or cookie sheets
- Flatten with the bottom of a cup and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool cookies slightly on a wire rack then press in fudge pretzel “antlers” on top of the cookies as well as add two candy eyes and one red nose
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published December 16, 2015 but has since been updated with a more helpful set of instructions, slightly different flour measurements and new photos.
Here is the original photo...
Sky says
These are so cute and so easy to make! My kids loved helping me make them and it is now one of our family traditions.
Teralee Williams says
SO good! And festive!
Elizabeth says
These are adorable! My daughter and I just made them. They were a bit bland, though. Maybe it was the organic peanut butter with honey that we used? For the second half of the batch, we rolled them in sugar, and sprinkled more sugar on top after flattening them. Much better!
Chandice says
Hmmm, I wonder if it was the brand of peanut butter you used. I am so glad to hear that they were better rolled in sugar. What a great idea! I will have to add that...
Kim says
Hi, can you tell me what size cookie scoop you used or what size ball you rolled the dough into? Then at that size about how many does a batch make?
Thanks!
Chandice says
Hi Kim, we used a small tablespoon sized cookie scoop. I am not exactly sure how many it makes but I will update these and add it when I do.
kim dwyer says
OOOOlala! 🙂
Amy Lynn says
The reindeer cookies are such a GREAT idea!! Love it!
Shayna says
OMG I never got a mixer and could really use one!! I would bake so much more. Plus I love peanut butter cookies!
Chandice says
These ones are tasty and easy 🙂
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats says
These are just too cute! I love them!
Chandice says
Hey thanks Kelly!
Dr. Jennifer Weinberg MD MPH | Simple Pure Whole Wellness says
These are adorable! What a clever holiday treat 🙂
Chandice says
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Raia says
My kids are going to love these!
Chandice says
Thanks Raia! It's always fun to have something the kiddos find fun. 🙂
Julie says
Too cute! What a great idea!
Chandice says
Thanks so much Julie! 🙂
Angelina-JoJoandEloise says
OH!!! Aren't these just the cutest cookies!! My kiddos would not only LOVE making them but they will certainly LOVE eating them 🙂
Chandice says
Thanks! I loved your cute cookies too...so fun seeing what everyone created. 🙂
Brianna @Flippin' Delicious says
These are SOOOO cute!
Chandice says
Thanks Brianna, you were totally my inspiration when it came time to create the Pinterest collage!