If you want a festive showstopper that’s simple to make and utterly adorable, these reindeer cookies are a perfect choice. They’re delicate, melt-in-the-mouth biscuits that come together quickly and make charming gifts or a lovely addition to any holiday baking spread.
How do you decorate reindeer cookies?
There are lots of ways to decorate Christmas cookies, but the simplest approach often looks the most charming. For these reindeer cookies I sandwich two shortbread-style biscuits together with smooth jam so it forms the red nose, then pipe eyes and antlers using melted chocolate. The result is cute, quick and very effective.
When should you start baking Christmas cookies?
These reindeer cookies taste best fresh from the oven, so I recommend baking them within a day or two of serving. They are easy to make on the day you need them and are ideal for last-minute gifts or parties.
How long do cookies stay fresh?
Stored at room temperature in an airtight container, these cookies will keep well for about 4–5 days. A metal tin helps preserve their texture, but for best flavour and crispness enjoy them within a few days of baking.
How do you make reindeer cookies?
The method is straightforward and suitable for bakers of all levels. Here’s a quick overview; keep reading for the full step-by-step instructions and helpful tips.
- Cream together room-temperature butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and a pinch of salt until pale and fluffy.
- Fold in plain flour to form a soft dough, then knead gently.
- Roll the dough between sheets of baking paper to about 6mm thickness.
- Use a 6cm cutter for circles and a small 1cm cutter (or piping nozzle/apple corer) to cut nose holes in half of them.
- Chill the shaped dough for 30 minutes, then bake at 180ºC (356ºF) for 11–13 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool completely, sandwich with softened jam, and pipe eyes and antlers with melted milk chocolate.
- Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature before storing.
Scroll down for ingredient amounts, equipment, and a photo-guided recipe.
Reindeer cookie ingredients and substitutions
Here’s a quick guide to the ingredients and sensible substitutions where appropriate.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. Add salt separately for consistent results.
- Icing sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar—this blends smoothly into the dough.
- Egg: Use the egg yolk only; save the white for meringues or another use.
- Vanilla: Use a good-quality extract for the best flavour.
- Salt: Ordinary table salt is fine; we just want a touch to balance sweetness.
- Flour: Plain/all-purpose flour is required—don’t substitute with self-raising or specialty flours.
- Jam: Smooth strawberry jam works well because its colour makes a lovely red nose and it pipes neatly.
- Milk chocolate: Any eating chocolate will do; choose what you enjoy.
Reindeer cookie recipe tips
These tips will help you avoid common pitfalls and achieve consistent results:
- Make sure the butter is properly softened—this makes creaming much easier.
- Don’t skip the chilling stage; it helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
- If the nose holes shrink slightly while baking, reopen them while the biscuits are still warm using a chopstick.
- Use only a modest amount of jam so it doesn’t squish out the sides when you sandwich the cookies.
- Practice piping the chocolate antlers on a plate before decorating the cookies if you’re unsure.
- Store cookies in a metal tin at room temperature for the best texture.
Other recipes you might like…
- Easy chocolate florentines
- Cranberry white chocolate tiffin
- Terry’s chocolate orange tiffin
Easy Reindeer Cookies – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(Printer friendly recipe card available at the end of this post.)
This recipe uses both UK metric and US cup measurements.
Ingredients
Makes about 10–12 cookies.
- 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) smooth strawberry jam
- 75g (2.6 oz) milk chocolate
Essential Equipment
- Electric stand mixer or large bowl with an electric hand whisk
- Rolling pin
- 6cm round cookie cutter
- 1cm circle cutter (or round piping nozzle / apple corer)
- Baking tray
- 2 small bowls
- 2 disposable piping bags
Cookie instructions
Preheat your oven to 180ºC (Fan 170ºC / 356ºF). In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt on medium speed until pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl down once or twice. Add the flour and fold in until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out, knead briefly, then press between two sheets of baking paper.
Roll the dough to about 6mm thick and use the 6cm cutter to cut out circles. For half of them, use the small cutter to make a nose hole slightly off-centre. Place the biscuits on a lined baking tray, chill for 30 minutes, then bake for 11–13 minutes until the edges are just golden. Allow them to firm on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Filling and decorating
Spooned jam should be beaten briefly to loosen it, then transferred into a piping bag. Pipe neat circles of jam onto the whole biscuits (the ones without nose holes), taking care not to pipe too close to the edge. Gently place the biscuits with nose holes on top so a small rounded nose of jam peeks through.
Melt the milk chocolate in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between intervals until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag, snip a small hole, and pipe two chocolate dots for eyes above the jam nose. Then pipe the antlers—start with two main lines and add small downward-pointing arrows as branches to create the antler shape. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature.
How to store reindeer cookies
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 4–5 days for the best flavour and texture.
Have you made this recipe?
If you try these reindeer cookies I’d love to see your results. Share photos, feedback or questions on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, or email me directly at [email protected].
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