Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

I bake these cute Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies every Christmas! They’re soft, chewy, and full of that classic peanut butter flavor I can never resist. My kids always had so much fun decorating these easy holiday cookies with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and bright M&M noses to look just like Rudolph, and I love how they always bring smiles and Christmas cheer to everyone we share them with.

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If you love these adorable peanut butter reindeer cookies, try my Reindeer Pretzels, or Christmas Fudge for more fun and festive treats!

Ingredients Notes

• Unsalted butter, softened – Salted butter works too; just reduce the added salt slightly.
• Light brown sugar – Adds moisture and a hint of caramel flavor.
• Granulated sugar – Used for sweetness and coating. You can use all brown sugar for a deeper, richer flavor.
• Large egg, at room temperature – If you’d like to make these without eggs, replace one egg with 1 tablespoon of applesauce or a flax egg.
• Creamy peanut butter – Smooth peanut butter gives the best texture. Natural peanut butter can work but may make the dough a bit softer.
• Pure vanilla extract – Enhances the flavor and sweetness of the cookies.
• All-purpose flour – Provides structure and helps the cookies hold their shape.
• Baking soda – Helps the cookies rise and stay soft.
• Salt – Balances the sweetness and brings out the peanut butter flavor.
• Hershey’s Kisses – The signature chocolate center! Try swapping with mini chocolate truffles or peanut butter cups for a fun twist.
• Small pretzel twists – Break them in half to make the cutest reindeer antlers.
• Red and brown M&M’s candies – Use a red M&M for Rudolph and brown for the rest of the reindeer.
• Small candy eyeballs – You can also use mini chocolate chips, raisins, or tiny dots of frosting if you don’t have candy eyes.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

1. Preheat and prep: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar together until creamy. Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract; mix on medium speed until smooth and well combined.
3. Add dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined-avoid overmixing.
   
4. Shape dough: Roll dough into 1-inch balls, coat with the remaining sugar, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
   
5. Bake: Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
6. Decorate: Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each warm cookie. Add pretzel pieces for antlers, an M&M for the nose, and candy eyes above.
   
7. Cool: Rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Reheat: Warm cookies in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften and refresh them.
• Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (without decorations) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate before serving.
• Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 2 days in advance and keep in the refrigerator tightly covered until ready to bake.

More Holiday Cookies You’ll Love

If you can’t get enough festive baking, here are a few more holiday cookie recipes that always bring cheer to my dessert trays:

• Christmas Sugar Cookies – Soft, buttery cut-out cookies perfect for decorating with colorful icing and sprinkles.
• Grinch Cake Mix Cookies – Bright green cookies with a chewy texture and red candy hearts inspired by the holiday classic.
• Snowball Cookies – Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies dusted in powdered sugar for a snowy finish.
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Fudgy chocolate cookies rolled in powdered sugar that crackle beautifully as they bake.

If you’ve tried this Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

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Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 24

These soft, chewy Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies are a fun and festive holiday favorite. Decorate them with pretzels, candy eyes, and M&M noses for a Rudolph-inspired Christmas treat that everyone will love.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar plus 1/2 cup for coating
• ▢ 1 large egg at room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 24 Hershey’s Kisses unwrapped

For decorating:

• ▢ 24 small pretzel twists broken in half
• ▢ Red and brown M&M's candies
• ▢ Small candy eyeball sprinkles

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
  ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar
• Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  ¾ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 large egg
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
  1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1-tablespoon-sized balls, then roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The cookies will appear soft and puffy.
• Immediately press a Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. While the cookies are still warm, press two pretzel halves into the top for antlers, press one red or brown M&M for the nose into the center of the Hershey's Kiss, and place two candy eyeballs above the nose.
  24 Hershey’s Kisses, 24 small pretzel twists, Red and brown M&M's candies, Small candy eyeball sprinkles
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Jenn’s Notes

Storage :

• Store: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Reheat: Warm cookies in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften.
• Freeze: Freeze baked cookies (without decorations) for up to 2 months; thaw and decorate before serving.
• Make ahead: Prepare the dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate tightly covered until ready to bake.

Tips:

• Let cookies cool slightly before decorating to prevent chocolate from melting too much.
• To help candies stick, slightly reheat cookies for a minute after adding the Hershey’s Kiss.
• Break pretzels gently to create even antlers.
• Mix red and brown M&M’s for a full batch of reindeer faces.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

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