Get ready to make the most adorable and delicious holiday treat! These Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies are the perfect festive activity for the whole family. Combining soft, chewy peanut butter cookies with fun, edible decorations, this recipe creates charming reindeer faces that will be the star of any Christmas cookie platter. They’re surprisingly easy to assemble and are guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face.
We’re skipping the fussy steps and using a no-chill dough, which means you can get to the fun part—decorating—that much faster. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or looking for a simple recipe to make with the kids, these delightful cookies are a must-try this holiday season.
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
Incredibly Easy: The cookie dough is straightforward and, best of all, requires no chilling!
Super Fun to Decorate: This is the perfect holiday baking project to get the kids involved. Everyone loves creating their own unique reindeer.
Festive and Adorable: These cookies are almost too cute to eat and look fantastic on a dessert table or packaged as a holiday gift.
Classic Flavor Combo: The timeless taste of peanut butter, chocolate, and salty pretzels is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. For another fantastic sweet and salty treat, you have to try these easy Rolo pretzel turtles.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses simple pantry staples, making it easy to whip up a batch whenever the holiday mood strikes. Here’s what you’ll need:
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our soft cookies.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These leavening agents give the cookies the perfect rise and texture.
Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for easy creaming.
Creamy Peanut Butter: The star of the show! Use a standard commercial brand like Jif or Skippy for the best results.
Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar: A combination of both creates a soft, chewy cookie with a hint of molasses flavor.
Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a touch of warmth and enhances the other flavors.
Mini Pretzels: For the classic reindeer antlers.
Candy Eyeballs: To give your reindeer some personality!
Red Candy Noses: Red M&M’s Minis or other small red candies work perfectly for Rudolph’s nose.
Chocolate Chips: Melted chocolate acts as the “glue” to hold everything in place.
How to Make Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies Step-by-Step
Follow these simple steps to create your adorable reindeer treats. It’s a fun process from start to finish!
Step 1: Prep Your Station
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents the cookies from sticking and makes for easy cleanup. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set this aside for later.
Step 2: Mix the Dough
In a large bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix!
Step 3: Bake the Cookies
Roll the dough into 1.5-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. Gently press down on each ball with the back of a fork to create a classic crisscross pattern. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Holiday magic in every bite!
Step 4: Decorate Your Reindeer
Once the cookies are completely cool, it’s time to bring your reindeer to life! Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Break your mini pretzels in half to create “antlers.” Dab a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of two pretzel halves and press them onto the top of a cookie. Use more melted chocolate to “glue” on the candy eyeballs and a red candy nose. Let them sit for about 30 minutes for the chocolate to set.
The perfect soft and chewy base for our reindeer friends.
Tips for the Best Reindeer Cookies
Cool Cookies Completely: Don’t try to decorate warm cookies! The chocolate will melt and the decorations will slide right off. Patience is key.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For a smooth, well-combined dough, make sure your butter and egg are at room temperature.
Don’t Overbake: For that perfectly soft and chewy texture, pull the cookies from the oven when the edges are just starting to turn golden. They will continue to bake slightly on the hot pan.
Get Creative: Feel free to use different candies for the nose—red hots, sprinkles, or even a dab of red frosting would work!
Storing Your Holiday Cookies
You can store your finished Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers to protect the decorations. You can also make the cookie dough ahead of time and store it, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions about Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies
If you can’t find candy eyeballs, you can use mini chocolate chips, dots of white and black icing, or even small pieces of licorice to create the eyes for your reindeer.
Mini pretzels can be delicate. To minimize breakage, try to gently break them in half by hand or use a small serrated knife to carefully saw them apart. It’s always a good idea to have extra pretzels on hand just in case.
Yes! You can bake the cookies and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days before decorating. You can also freeze the undecorated cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw them completely before you add the decorations.
For best results, use a standard commercial creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters that have oil separation can alter the texture of the cookies, making them more crumbly.
More Holiday Treats You’ll Love
If you loved making these festive reindeer, you’ll enjoy our other Christmas recipes. For another easy and festive bar cookie, check out these delicious M&M Christmas Cookie Bars. They are always a huge hit at holiday parties!
Your Festive Masterpiece Awaits
These Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies are more than just a dessert; they’re a fun holiday experience waiting to happen. They bring so much joy to the kitchen and even more to those who get to eat them. We hope you love making them as much as we do. If you create these adorable treats, be sure to share a photo of your creations on Pinterest. We can’t wait to see them!
The cutest addition to your holiday cookie swap!
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies Recipe
FL Recipes
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies (Easy & Fun Holiday Recipe!)
Create the most adorable and delicious holiday treat with this easy recipe for Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies! Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies decorated to look like festive reindeer are perfect for family fun and holiday parties. No dough chilling required!
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, and both sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined.
Roll dough into 1.5-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Use a fork to gently press a crisscross pattern onto each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Use the melted chocolate as 'glue' to attach pretzel halves for antlers, candy eyeballs, and a red candy for the nose to each cooled cookie. Let the chocolate set for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcalProtein: 3gFat: 9gFiber: 1g
Notes
Cool Cookies Completely: Ensure cookies are fully cooled before decorating to prevent the chocolate from melting and decorations from sliding off. Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Keyword Christmas Cookies,peanut butter cookies,reindeer cookies
Hi, I’m Emily Carter, and welcome to FL Recipes! I share simple, healthy recipes that make cooking easy, fun, and delicious for everyone. more about me »
