Reindeer Cookies

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 nose. 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 the cookies 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 Cookie Recipes

• 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!

This post was originally published in November 2016 but has been updated in December 2020 with new tips.