Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

Monday, December 7, 2020
I love making these great baking memories with my kids and now grandkids and these Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies are perfect for all ages!

Mom's peanut butter cookie recipe molds easily to create these adorable festive delicious cookies.

Christmas time makes the best memories that last a lifetime and the kids just love them.

The best part is eating them of course, the cookie is crunchy on the outside soft on the inside!

This dough smells wonderful and simple to just by rolling it into balls and pinching the bottoms for the chin of the reindeer.

We also use this same dough to make thumbprints filling the middle with jam or Hershey's kisses, you will find also in the recipe card.

The recipe was mom's go-to recipe and is more than 50 years old and I still have this one written on an index card in her handwriting.

As the years pass this is the cookie my grandson still enjoys making every year with me and he looks forward to making these with me.

The best traditions are born in the kitchen, aren't they?

The recipe card below is printable with mom's recipe for peanut butter cookies and the instructions just scroll to the bottom.


these are peanut butter cookies shaped into a reindeer with pretzel ears, mini chocolate chips for the eyes and red hot cinnamon candy for the nose. A festive Christmas cookie






how to make reindeer Christmas cookies with kids out of peanut butter cookie dough




Simply Fun and Festive Cookies



Honestly, there is nothing to making these delicious peanut butter cookies into cute little reindeers.


Antonio was so articulate on adding the mini chocolate chips for eyes, the cinnamon hots for the nose and then we found that there are mini pretzels out there to do the ears!


He kept getting so excited as he saw his creation come to life in the form of a reindeer and of course he snuck a few pieces of candy in the process.


I loved watching his excitement as they transformed into such a fun holiday cookie!



decorating peanut butter cookies to turn them into Peanut Butter Reindeer cookies



Tools Needed

  1. bowl
  2. spoon
  3. measuring cups
  4. measuring spoons
  5. plastic knife



this is a delicious peanut butter cookie that my grandson Antonio and I made for the Christmas holiday shaped into reindeer



Easy To Decorate



The dough molds perfectly and you can use your imagination to decorate however you like.


We bought the candies, pretzels, and mini chocolate chips all at the grocery store.


He really did a fantastic first-time job and only 4 years old!


Every year they come out a little different!


this was an updated photo of making reindeer cookies with my grandson and he is putting antlers on peanut butter cookies shaped into reindeers


All Shapes May Be Different



It's ok if all the reindeer aren't the same, they may all look just a little different.


Pretzels can be broken into any shapes so if you have squares, sticks or oval shapes, make it fun and creative.


Change the nose using a different red candy you prefer or you can even decorate with tinted frosting.



this is a delicious peanut butter cookie that my grandson Antonio and I made for the Christmas holiday shaped into reindeer



Tips

  • Always preheat the oven
  • keep the dough covered so it doesn't dry out while shaping
  • this dough works with cookie cutters
  • thicker cookies stay softer
  • don't overcook these bake until just set



this is dough for making peanut butter cookies shaped into teardrop getting ready to make cookies.  these are peanut butter cookies shaped into a reindeer with pretzel ears, mini chocolate chips for the eyes and red hot cinnamon candy for the nose. A festive Christmas cookie



Ingredients Used to Make Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies


  • shortening ( I like the butter flavored)
  • peanut butter
  • brown sugar
  • milk
  • vanilla
  • egg
  • flour
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • Decorations:
  • mini chocolate chips
  • red hots, red m&m's or chopped cherries
  • pretzel sticks or mini pretzels work best



this is a collage on how to make peanut butter reindeer cookies



Other Cookie Dough Idea(for peanut butter allergies)

  • store-bought cookie dough mix works great
  • sugar cookie dough works however you have to add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix to make them sturdy
  • same with chocolate cookie dough add flour so they do not spread
  • my Buttermilk Cookie Dough also molds easily


this is a delicious peanut butter cookie that my grandson Antonio and I made for the Christmas holiday shaped into reindeer



Suggestions

  • Chopped Maraschino Cherries
  • Colored piped frosting for eyes and nose
  • pretzel sticks instead of mini pretzels or you can break mini pretzels to look like antlers
  • M & M's red
  • Any small red candies for the nose
  • Make these into thumbprint cookies and filled the middles with jam or Hershey kisses instead of reindeer


these are peanut butter cookies thumbprints with jelly in the center and some with Hershey's Kisses



Try Some of My Other Favorite Cookies Recipes



24 Kinds of cookies


Jam Bow Ties


Cowboy Cookies


Pistachio Ricotta Cookies


Almond Paste Cookies





this is a delicious peanut butter cookie that my grandson Antonio and I made for the Christmas holiday shaped into reindeer



Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies Pin for later




holiday pin for later peanut butter reindeer cookies



Reindeer Cookies



If you want the perfect cookie to make memories with your children or grandchildren these Reindeer Cookies will do just that!


Again, you can substitute another kind of cookie dough if there is a concern for peanut butter allergies try one of my suggestions above.


We have so much fun making these together and I hope it bring your family fond memories also.





Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 27
Author:
prep time: 35 Mcook time: 12 Mtotal time: 47 M
These are an adorable hand-molded Reindeer cookie made with peanut butter cookie dough that is perfect to make beautiful memories with your children, grandchildren or young at heart!

ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup shortening ( I like the butter flavored)
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • Decorations:
  • Note: You can add the pretzels before or after cooking, I have done this both ways and find the pretzels stay better cooked and the eyes and nose better to add after cooking.
  • mini chocolate chips for the eyes
  • mini pretzels ears use two for boy reindeers 1 set for girl reindeer's
  • red hot cinnamon candies for the nose
  • optional a mixture of powdered sugar and water to make a thick paste to glue on the nose, ears, and eyes. This will keep the pretzels that are doubled from falling off also.

instructions:

How to cook Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 375-degree hot oven
  2. Cream the shortening, sugar and peanut butter together. Add the milk, egg, vanilla.
  3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until evenly combined.
  4. Roll into balls.
  5. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then pitch the nose to shape and keep the head rounded in a teardrop-shaped dough. 
  6. Note: For the Reindeer nose, roll into balls then pinch the bottom to a point, it takes a few tries to get the shape right.
  7. Add the antler pretzels stick or mini pretzels, mini chips, and red nose candy.
  8. Again you can place the candy on cookies while still hot but just bake the ears.
  9. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for around 8 minutes.
  10. Note: for Thumbprints cookies, roll the dough into a ball, press you finger in the center to make a well. Fill with jam of choice or a Hershey kiss.
Calories
79
Fat (grams)
11
Sat. Fat (grams)
5
Carbs (grams)
21
Net carbs
15
Sugar (grams)
22
peanut butter cookies, peanut butter reindeer cookies, Holiday reindeer cookies, peanut butter cookie dough
cookies, Christmas cookies, Reindeer cookies, holiday, food art
American
Created using The Recipes Generator






Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies Pin for later





these are peanut butter cookies shaped into a reindeer with pretzel ears, mini chocolate chips for the eyes and red hot cinnamon candy for the nose. A festive Christmas cookie




Try Some Christmas Candy We Love



Peanut Brittle

Baked Caramel Corn

Irish Potato Candy

No-Bake Rum Balls

Easy Fudge Recipe

Salted Caramel Bites







Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2020.


11 comments

  1. Awww these are SO festive and cute! Love seeing your son decorate them, I always loved helping my mom decorate Christmas cookies as a kid!

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  2. How cute are these! I bet kids would have so much fun making them.

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  3. This is such a cute idea (as is your helper!)

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  4. I love seeing kids in the kitchen! Such a cute cookie Santa is sure to love!

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  5. Yes, I love cookies and these are very Christmasey, love your little cooking buddy. The photos of the steps are good too, cheers!

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  6. Oh my such cute reindeer cookies and you have a very adorable helper to decorate. These are perfect family activity and great cookies to make for the holidays.

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  7. Dear Claudia, your cookies are adorable for Christmas and your grandson is just the sweetest. XO

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  8. What a creative idea for the Christmas daintie tray or to give away as gifts. Super cute and fun to make with little kids. My daughter made these for Santa when she was 4 and loved them.

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  9. Such cute cookies, but I think your helper is even cuter!!!

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  10. These Christmas cookies couldn't look any more perfect! I have to put these on my Christmas cookies list. My daughters will enjoy making them!

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  11. So cute , the cookies and your helper. Thanks for sharing.

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