Transform a simple sugar cookie into a reindeer cookie with 3 easy steps! These festive Christmas Cookies make a fun and delicious treat.
This recipe for Reindeer Cookies starts with the very best Cut-Out Sugar Cookie recipe. Add some chocolate frosting and a few pieces of candy morsels and you have an adorable cookie perfect for Santa--just don't forget to give him a glass of Homemade Hot Chocolate as well.
One of my favorite traditions during the holidays is baking Christmas cookies with my family.
While I love baking cookies, when it comes to decorating, I want my cookies to be adorable, but I do not want to spend hours decorating.
These Reindeer Cookies are the perfect compromise. They are perfectly festive and cute, yet only require a few simple steps.
What you Need
- Sugar Cookie Dough: I use my recipe for Cut Out Sugar Cookies because they hold their shape perfectly and taste delicious. But you can certainly use store-bought dough if desired.
- Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter: Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut the sugar cookie dough. When turned upside-down, a gingerbread man turns into a reindeer easily.
- Chocolate Icing: Instead of simply dying sugar cookie icing brown, add cocoa powder to the frosting for a delicious chocolate twist.
- Melted Chocolate: Melted chocolate is the perfect option for piping the antlers on the reindeer. Use any type of chocolate chips or chunks for melting.
- For the Eyes: Use candy eyes or white chocolate chips for the reindeer eyes.
- For the Nose: Use M&Ms for the noses. Brown for regular Reindeer and red for Rudolph.
How to Make Reindeer Cookies
- Prepare Sugar Cookie Dough if making your own homemade dough.
- Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness and then use the gingerbread man cutter to cut the dough.
- Bake as directed and then let cool fully before decorating.
- Once the cookies are cooled, pipe the chocolate frosting into a circle on each of the heads.
- Add a candy morsel for the nose.
- For the antlers, place chocolate into a small heat-safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 30-second intervals until melted, stirring between intervals.
- Place melted chocolate into a sandwich bag and snip off a VERY tiny corner.
- Carefully pipe out the antlers (onto the gingerbread men's legs).
- Add 2 white chocolate chips for the eyes.
- If using white chocolate chips instead of candy eyes, dip a toothpick into the leftover melted chocolate and dollop on the morsels to create pupils for the eyes.
- Let your reindeer cookies set for 30-60 minutes and then carefully place in a single layer into an airtight container to store in the refrigerator.
Tips for Reindeer Cookies
- Storing: Because of the cream cheese frosting, it is best to store these cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Money-Saving Tip: Instead of using a piping bag, use a large Ziploc bag, and snip off a tiny corner. Not only do you not need fancy tools, but you can also simply toss the baggie into the trash when you are done, making clean up a breeze!
- For the Nose: In place of candy-coated chocolate morsels, use chocolate chips, skittles, or gumdrops.
More Christmas Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
- Homemade Tagalong Cookies
- Neiman Marcus Cookies
These Reindeer Cookies are a tradition at my house and I hope that they become a loved part of your holiday celebration as well. I would love for you to leave a comment and review below if you have given these cookies a try!
Reindeer Sugar Cookies
With 3 easy steps and a delicious chocolate frosting, you can transform ordinary sugar cookies into a Reindeer Cookies.
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Servings: 36
Calories: 51kcal
Ingredients
- ½ recipe Sugar Cookie Dough
For the Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
- 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
For the Decorations
- 72 white chocolate chips or candy eyes
- 36 red or brown chocolate candies
- 1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Sugar Cookies
- Prepare sugar cookie dough according to the recipe (or use your favorite store bought sugar cookie dough.) Roll out dough to ¼ inch thick and using a gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out the dough.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes until lightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack after 2 minutes of resting on cookie sheet, to cool completely.
- Once cookies have cooled completely decorate as Reindeer.
For the Frosting
- Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until completely smooth. Mix in the cocoa powder. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time to thin if necessary to create a smooth icing that can be spread easily on the cookies.
For Melted Chocolate (For Antlers and Eyes)
- Melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals in mircrowave, stirring between each interval, until smooth and completely melted. Place melted chocolate into piping bag or sandwich bag to use for antlers on reindeer.
To Assemble Reindeer
- Pipe out a circle on the gingerbread’s head with the chocolate icing (think of the gingerbread men’s arms and legs as the antlers of the reindeer.)
- Add a red or brown candy for the nose.
- Add 2 white chocolate chips for the eyes.
- Pipe on melted chocolate for the antlers. Use a toothpick to add a touch of melted chocolate for pupils for the eyes.
- Let cookies harden for 30 minutes before transfering to an airtight container and storing in refrigerator.
Notes
- Storing: Because of the cream cheese frosting, it is best to store these cookies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Money-Saving Tip: Instead of using a piping bag, use a large Ziploc bag, and snip off a tiny corner. Not only do you not need fancy tools, but you can also simply toss the baggie into the trash when you are done, making clean up a breeze!
- For the Nose: In place of candy-coated chocolate morsels, use chocolate chips, skittles, or gumdrops.
Nutrition
Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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This post was originally published in November 2016, but has been updated in December 2020 with new tips.
Holly
These are so cute! I have been looking for a good cutout cookie recipe. This might be it! I have pinned this recipe to the Online Christmas Cooke Exchange board.
Kristen Chidsey
These are it Holly. They hold their shape and taste just sweet enough. Enjoy.
Miz Helen
Your cookies are just adorable, I love Christmas Cookies. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you have a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Sue
How super cute! And looks super simple!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Sue!
Reginia Cordell
Sugar cookies are perfect for the holidays. Can you believe that I've never made homemade cookies? Well, the pre made chocolate chips ones but that's about it.
Kristen Chidsey
Regina, it is time to try your hand at homemade cookies. Hopefully my tips will help you out. But I will say my Triple chocolate Oatmeal cookies may be an easier place to start: https://amindfullmom.com/legendary-kitchen-sink-cookies/
Erica @ The Crumby Cupcake
What a creative and cute idea to reimagine a cookie shape! Love it!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Erica!!
Tiffany Khyla
How adorable! I love festive cookies!
Kristen Chidsey
I adore anything festive!! Thanks Tiffany!
myriam / rhubarb! rhubarb! rhubarb!
these are utterly adorable! I'm so adding these to my Christmas cookie repertoire.... Christmas is not Christmas without a reindeer or two.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks Myriam! I agree the Holidays are so much more fun when you celebrate them with a few festive creatures.
Julie V. (Somebody's Dinner)
Those are cute! I just made a bunch of gingerbread men the other day to take to some neighbors. I like this idea too and am glad that I don't have to find a reindeer cookie cutter.
Thanks for sharing at the Retro Re-Pin Party 🙂 I hope to see you there next week.
Kristen Chidsey
Lucky neighbors!! If you have any un-iced gingerbread men left you could turn those into reindeer as well 🙂 Although I bet you have them eaten already 😉
Leigh Powell Hines
Love this time of year. So festive and it's so much fun to eat cookies. Cute cookies.
Kristen Chidsey
Amen! That is what is on the agenda for our family night tonight!
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods
Oh my goodness! Guess what our Christmas Countdown Activity is for today: Sugar Cookies!
Thanks so much for the recipe and fun Rudolph idea. I can't wait to make them this afternoon with my children. Pinning!
I would love for you to share this post {and others} at my Show Me Saturday linky party. We go live each Saturday morning at 7:00am EST. Hope to see you there!
~ Ashley
Kristen Chidsey
So FUN!! I hope you and your children love them as much as my family does!! I will try to party with you all on Saturday!