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These easy Reindeer Cookies with pretzel antlers are fun, festive, and delicious, made with a homemade peanut butter cookie. You can make them ahead of time and they're freezer friendly.
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes? Try my Ginger Molasses Cookies, Gingerbread Cookies, Peppermint Sandwich Cookies, or Soft Sugar Cookies!
Why I love these cookies:
- Festive – These peanut butter cookies for Christmas are fun to eat and are so fun for the kids to help with too.
- Make Ahead – The cookie dough can be made ahead up to 3 days in advance. The cookies also freeze great, ready to place on Santa's plate on Christmas Eve!
- Crowd Favorite – These reindeer pretzel cookies taste delicious and are great to take to a cookie exchange, holiday party, or on plates to friends.
How to make Reindeer Cookies:
Make Cookie Dough: Cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into large balls and roll them into an oval shape. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes until set and no longer glossy looking. Remove from oven.
Add Reindeer Face: Press pretzels into the top of the cookie, for the ears. Press a rolo candy into the center, for the nose. Add two candy eyes, or chocolate chips for the eyes.
Enjoy: Place a dot of frosting in the center of the rolo to secure an m&m candy on top, for the nose. Allow to cool on baking sheet then transfer to cooling rack.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in advance. Store baked cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
To Freeze: Baked and cooled cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Popular Christmas Cookies and Treats:
- Christmas Cornflake Wreaths
- Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Rocky Road Fudge
- Homemade Caramels
- Dipped Pretzel Rods
- Peppermint Brownies
Reindeer Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, (57 g)
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening*, (50 g)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, (130 g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, (100 g)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, , packed (110 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, (2.5 ml)
- 2 eggs, , large
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, (219 g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, (5 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 36 mini pretzel twists
- 18 rolo candies
- 18 red m&m candies
- 36 candy eyes, , or mini chocolate chips
- 1 small tube decorating frosting
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine. Don't over-mix. The dough will be very soft. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough into large balls and roll them into an oval shape. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, until set and no longer glossy looking.
- Remove from oven. Press pretzels into the top of the cookie, for the ears. Press a rolo into the center, for the nose. Add two candy eyes, or chocolate chips for the eyes. Place a dot of frosting in the center of the rolo to secure a red m&m candy on top, for the nose. Allow to cool on baking sheet. then transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe December 2021. Updated November 2023.
Wow! I made these and they are PHENOMENAL!! Cute as can be and delicious peanut butter yumminess. I used Reese’s peanut butter dipped mini pretzels because I couldn’t find any plain ones. Amazing!! This one’s a keeper.
These cookies are quite tasty according to my students. They spread too much and cooked too quickly. I’m guessing a temperature problem with my oven. They were cute anyway. I icing to keep pretzels on. Will make them at lower temperature again so I can eat one.
Delicious and so cute!
They look amazing and taste even better!!!
They were very cute and good! Kind of ruined the first batch because of the pretzels, but figured out to put them on when there is five or so minutes left.
Adorable reindeer cookies! I loved making these, they were fun and easy to make and decorate. Peanut butter cookie was delicious and extra yummy with the candy and pretzels added to it. Thanks I’ll make this again for my yearly Christmas cookie traditions!
I made these cookies but couldn’t get the pretzels to attach. The cookies broke when I tried to press them down. Any suggestions would be appreciated. They were cute otherwise!
Hi Natalie, you need to press the pretzels in immediately when the cookies come out of the oven.
These were cute, delicious and easy to make what else could you ask for in a cookie recipe. We made these for a cookie exchange and everyone thought they were great!
I made these adorable reindeer cookies today. They were delicious and my grandson thought they were amazing!
Made these today, so much fun to make and tasted really good too, will make more near Christmas for family ! 🙂
We made these for Christmas and they turned out just as cute as your photos (which doesn’t always happen when I find things on Pinterest!). The cookies were really good, too. Thanks!