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Cute Christmas Reindeer Cookies

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If you’re looking to impress this year, these super cute reindeer cookies are exactly what you need! Adorable, melt in the mouth delicious and easy to make. Just like my easy Christmas rocky road, these would be a lovely Christmas gift or treat!

A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

How do you decorate reindeer cookies?

There are many ways to decorate Christmas cookies, as I’m sure you’ve seen already!

Some use red and green Smarties or sweets like these M&M Christmas cookie bars, others use fancy piping techniques. You can even bake colour right into the dough, like these vibrant Christmas pinwheel cookies!

With these reindeer cookies I keep it simple. Simply sandwich them and allow the jam to be the nose. Then pipe on the eyes and antlers with melted chocolate.

Someone holding a reindeer cookie up against a grey/off white backdrop

When should you start baking Christmas cookies?

These particular Christmas cookies taste best straight after baking and won’t last a long time so I recommend baking these when needed.

A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

How long do cookies stay fresh?

These reindeer cookies stay fresh for about 4-5 days when stored at room temperature in an airtight container. My preference is a metal container as they keep their texture better.

A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

How do you make reindeer cookies?

It really is easy peasy!

  1. Cream together butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.
  2. Fold in the flour and mix to form a dough.
  3. Knead gently then roll out between two sheets of baking paper.
  4. Cut out circles then cut smaller circles (for noses) out the middle of half of them.
  5. Chill for 30 mins, then bake for 11-13 mins until golden on the edges.
  6. Cool completely before sandwiching together with jam.
  7. Pipe on eyes and antlers with melted chocolate.
  8. Set at room temperature then store in a metal tin.

Keep scrolling for a more in depth recipe and the ingredients you need.

Someone holding a reindeer cookie up against a grey/off white backdrop

Reindeer cookie ingredients and substitutions

Here’s everything you need to know about the ingredients needed to make reindeer cookies…

  • Butter – Always use unsalted and add salt separately. Using room temperature butter is also key!
  • Icing Sugar – Also known as confectioners sugar, this dissolves into the dough more easily.
  • Egg – Yolk only! Save that egg white to make some meringue.
  • Vanilla – Use the best you can afford, it makes a huge difference to the overall flavour!
  • Salt – Regular table salt is fine here. We want flavour not texture so save your fancy salts.
  • Flour – Plain/all purpose flour is needed, don’t substitute it for other types.
  • Jam – Using strawberry jam with no ‘bits’ in is best. It gives a nice red colour that’s easy to pipe.
  • Milk Chocolate – You can use any you like, from cheap supermarket own brands to Lindt. It doesn’t really matter too much here.
A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

Reindeer cookie recipe tips

Would you believe it? Even I make mistakes. (All the time actually!) But I do that so you don’t have to! Here’s some tips to help you get it right first time.

And if you still feel unsure after reading them, brush up on the basics with baking for beginners first.

  • Make sure you let the butter come to room temperature before using. It’ll make your life a lot easier!
  • Don’t skip the chilling stage before baking, it helps the cookies hold their shape.
  • Nose holes closed up a little during baking? While they’re still hot, carefully push them with a chopstick to open them up again.
  • Don’t overload the biscuits with too much jam. Less is more. You don’t want it to ooze out the sides!
  • When piping the chocolate eyes/antlers take your time and practice on a plate first.
  • Store your cookies in a metal tin at room temperature to keep their texture for longer.
A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop in the background.

Other recipes you might like…

Someone holding a reindeer cookie up against a grey/off white backdrop

Easy Reindeer Cookies – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here is what you will need to make 10-12.

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

  • 140g (1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 60g (1/2 Cup) Icing/Confectioners Sugar
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 210g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Plain/All Purpose Flour
  • 200g (1/2 Cup + 2 tbsp) Strawberry Jam
  • 75g (2.6 oz) Milk Chocolate

Essential Equipment

  • Electric Stand Mixer or Large Bowl with Electric Hand Whisk
  • Rolling Pin
  • 6cm Round Cookie Cutter
  • 1cm Circle Cutter *
  • Baking Tray
  • 2 x Small Bowls
  • 2 x Disposable Piping Bags

*you don’t need to buy one – you could use a round piping nozzle or even an apple corer!

Cookie instructions

First up, place the butter (140g | 1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup), icing sugar (60g | 1/2 Cup), egg yolk (x 1), vanilla (1 tsp) and a pinch of salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. If you don’t have one, you can also use a large bowl with an electric hand whisk.

Butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt in an electric stand mixer ready for creaming

Beat on a medium speed (scraping the bowl down once or twice) until it becomes light and fluffy.

Butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt creamed together in an electric stand mixer

Next, add in the flour (210g | 1 + 2/3 Cup) and gently fold through until it forms a soft dough.

cookie dough in an electric stand mixer

Tip the dough out and knead gently to bring it all together, then place it between two sheets of baking paper.

Cookie dough pressed between two sheets of baking paper ready for rolling

Now, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 6mm thick.

Cookie dough rolled out between two sheets of baking paper ready for cutting

Using a 6cm circular cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as you can.

Cookie dough rolled out and cut on a sheet of baking paper with a small circular cookie cutter

Using a circular piping nozzle or apple corer – cut out small circles (for the noses) about two thirds of the way down. Do this for half of the cookies.

Cookie dough cut into a circle with a small hole cut out from the middle using the end of a round piping nozzle

Continue doing this until you have run out of dough then place them all on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180ºC/Fan 170ºC/356ºF.

Cookies cut out and laid on a lined baking sheet ready to be chilled

Baking instructions

Space the cookies out evenly on a lined baking tray. They shouldn’t spread too much during baking but still, allow a little room between each one. It’s ok to bake in batches.

Shaped and chilled cookies on a lined baking sheet ready for baking

Bake the cookies for 11-13 mins until they’re just turning golden on the edges.

Baked cookies on a lined baking sheet

Allow the cookies to firm up on the tray for a few minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Baked cookies on a black wire cooling rack

Filling instructions

Once the cookies have cooled, weight the strawberry jam (200g | 1/2 Cup + 2 tbsp) into a small bowl and beat with a spoon to soften it.

A small bowl of jam that's been mixed to smooth it with a metal teaspoon

Pour the jam into a piping bag and pipe circles of jam onto each biscuit without a ‘nose’ hole. Be careful not to add too much or go too close to the edge as they will spread once you press the other cookie on top.

Jam being piped onto cookies using a blue disposable piping bag

Then carefully press the cookies with ‘nose’ holes onto top of each jam topped cookie. Don’t squash too hard, just enough that a little jam nose pops through the hole.

Reindeer cookies being sandwiched with jam

The jam should set up again quite quickly but, if you’re careful, it’s ok to move on to piping the chocolate.

Cookies sandwiched with jam on a wire rack ready for piping chocolate on top

Decorating instructions

Melt your chocolate (75g | 2.6 oz) in a small bowl in the microwave in 10 second intervals. Stir well after each time. Once it’s two thirds melted, keep stirring until it’s completely melted, then pour into a piping bag. Snip the end and begin by piping on the eyes.

A reindeer cookie with the chocolate eyes piped on

Next, pipe the two main lines for the antlers…

A reindeer cookie with the chocolate eyes and part of the antlers piped on

Kind of looks a bit angry doesn’t it haha?! Next, pipe on the details of the antlers. I found it easiest to pipe a downward pointing arrow for each part.

A reindeer cookie with the chocolate eyes and antlers piped on

Repeat until all the cookies have their facial features then leave to set completely at room temperature on a wire rack.

Reindeer cookies setting on a black wire cooling rack

How to store reindeer cookies

Once cooled, store in an airtight container (I prefer metal) at room temperature and consume within 4-5 days.

A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

Have you made this recipe?

Have you made this insanely indulgent no bake Baileys cheesecake? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

Someone holding a reindeer cookie up against a grey/off white backdrop

Loved this recipe? Pin it!

A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.
A plate of Reindeer cookies set on a second plate and a red linen napkin. Set on an off white backdrop with golden baubles, golden presents and more reindeer cookies in the background.

Easy Reindeer Cookies - Printable Recipe

Yield: 11
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes

CRAZY cute, these easy reindeer cookies are guaranteed to bring joy to everyone you love this Christmas!

Ingredients

  • 140g (1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 60g (1/2 Cup) Icing/Confectioners Sugar
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 210g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Plain/All Purpose Flour
  • 200g (1/2 Cup + 2 tbsp) Strawberry Jam
  • 75g (2.6 oz) Milk Chocolate

Essential Equipment

  • Electric Stand Mixer or Large Bowl with Electric Hand Whisk
  • Rolling Pin
  • 6cm Round Cookie Cutter
  • 1cm Circle Cutter *
  • Baking Tray
  • 2 x Small Bowls
  • 2 x Disposable Piping Bags

Instructions

  1. Place the butter, sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt into the stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
  1. Add the flour and fold through until it becomes a soft dough. Take out the bowl and knead together briefly.
  2. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to 6mm thick, then cut out circles using a cookie cutter.
  3. Cut a smaller circle (off centre) for the noses on half of them. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
  4. Place on a lined baking tray and chill for 30 mins. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Fan 170ºC/356ºF.
  5. Space the cookies out on a lined baking tray and bake for 11-13 mins until golden around the edges. (Bake in batches if you need to.)
  6. Allow to firm on the tray for a minute or two then transfer to a rack to completely cool.
  7. Mix the jam in a small bowl to soften it then pour into a piping bag.
  8. Snip the end and pipe jam circles onto each of the biscuits without nose holes. (Don't add too much and don't go too close to the edge.)
  9. Carefully push the cookies with the nose holes on top. You don't want it squishing out the sides but you do want a little rounded red nose to pop through the holes.
  10. Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 10 second blasts. When two thirds melted, stir until completely melted. Pour in a piping bag and snip the end then pipe eyes above each red nose.
  11. Then pipe the main lines for each antler.
  12. Finally, pipe the details on for each antler. (I found it easiest to pipe a 'downward pointing arrow each time.)
  13. Allow to set on a rack then store in a metal tin at room temperature and consume within 4-5 days.

Notes

* you don’t need to buy one – you could use a round piping nozzle or even an apple corer!

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 11 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 26mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.

About Emma Mason

Emma is a professional blogger. Utilising over 20 years of cooking experience, she’s passionate about making your life easier, one recipe at a time! Drawing on her 12+ year background in recipe research and development, photography, copy writing and marketing, Emma has turned kitchenmason.com into a successful career. Known as ‘the organisation queen’ among friends, she is passionate about creating easy to follow recipes that anyone can follow and enjoy. She lives in Nottingham (UK) with her husband, daughter and 2 naughty cats. In her spare time she can be found reading a good book, training at the dojo preparing for her black belt grading, or dreaming up the next crazy colour combo for her hair!

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