Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies
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.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 180kcal
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!
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.
- 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
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
