Peanut Butter Blossoms and Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie dough is so versatile, and this recipe will make the best moldable peanut butter Reindeer for the holiday and Peanut Butter Blossoms ever!

Mom's peanut butter cookie recipe is easy plus the cookies are soft and buttery tasting.

But wait there's more, the recipe for all you baking addicts is from scratch but we included a recipe to use with prepacked cookie mixes! So no excuses here.

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

We do not ever recommend that desire to eat raw cookie dough, I know it's tempting but can be a health hazard so no eating raw cookie dough.

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

The recipe was mom's go-to 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.

Peanut Butter Blossoms Filled Variety Ideas

1. Make the dough
2. roll into balls
3. make an indentation in the center
4. bake and immediately add in the indentation while warming whatever you like
5. Suggestions: kisses, filled with jelly, crushed candy bars, Nutella

1. 
   
   

Shapes and Fun Peanut Butter Cookies

• shape the dough into a penguin body
• shape the dough into rounds of 3 for snowman attach with egg white wash before baking
• make cutout cookies with cookie cutters

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cookie Shapes

• 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

Shopping List 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
• See the printable recipe card below for measurements and the recipe for using prepackaged cookie dough mixes

Alternative Cookie Dough Idea(for peanut butter allergies)

• store-bought cookie dough mix works great see recipe card for directions
• sugar cookie dough works however you have to add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix to make it sturdy
• same with chocolate cookie dough add flour so they do not spread

Suggestions for Decorating Peanut Butter Cookies

• 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
• Chocolate coated candies
• Any small red cinnamon candies for the nose
• Make these into thumbprint cookies and fill the middles with jam or Hershey kisses instead of reindeer
• Fillings: Jam, Nutella. Candy bars crushed, Kisses, Peanut butter, Chocolate chips, Crushed peppermint candy, Crushed Toffee chips or candy bars, chocolate chips, flavored chips, caramels

Try Some of My Other Favorite Cookies Recipes

24 Kinds of cookies
Jam Bow Ties
Cowboy Cookies
Pistachio Ricotta Cookies
Almond Paste Cookies

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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 brings your family fond memories also.

peanut butter cookies, peanut butter blossom cookies, peanut butter reindeer cookies

cookies recipes

American

Yield: 30

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Peanut Butter Blossoms and Reindeer Cookies

Peanut Butter Dough is so versatile we made Reindeer for the holiday and assorted Blossoms!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

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 the boy reindeer 1 set for the 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.
• ALTERNATIVE Peanut Butter Cookie Mix Recipe:
• 1 package of any Brand Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (17.5 ounces)
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/3 cup flour and more for rolling
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk (just add until the dough comes together and not crumble and if sticky add a little more flour)

Instructions

1. Peanut Butter Homemade From Scratch Directions:
2. Preheat oven to 375-degree hot oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Cream the shortening, sugar, and peanut butter together.
4. Add the milk, egg, and vanilla.
5. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
6. Roll into balls.
7. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then pitch the nose to shape and keep the head rounded in a teardrop-shaped dough.
8. 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.
9. Add the antler pretzel stick or mini pretzels, mini chips, and red nose candy.
10. Again you can place the candy on cookies while still hot but just bake the ears.
11. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for around 8 to 12 minutes or until edges a lightly golden and just set not browned on top. Baking times vary to the thickness of how you made them.
12. Cutouts will take less time.
13. Note: for thumbprint cookies, roll the dough into a ball, and press your finger in the center to make a well. Baked to directions. Fill while still warm by pressing whatever you prefer in the centers.
14. Note: The center may puff up but will easily flatten when inserting the candy.
15. Fill in the center suggestions under the notes
16. Prepacked Instructions:
17. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
18. In a bowl lightly beat the egg with milk then add flour.
19. Note: I prefer to sift the prepackaged mix to remove lumps and free-flowing.
20. Add in the butter and make sure it is soft and easy to blend into the mix do not melt it.
21. Add the prepackaged peanut butter milk and blend evenly until the packaged mix is a nice round ball ( it won't be sticky if it adds more flour. If it's too dry add a teaspoon more milk)
22. Mold, cut out with cookie cutters, or make the blossoms roll into a ball then make an indentation in the center. Follow the same direction as the made-from-scratch version.
23. See notes for suggestions below.

Notes

Suggestions for Decorating Peanut Butter Cookies

• 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
• Chocolate coated candies
• Any small red cinnamon candies for the nose
• Make these into thumbprint cookies and fill the middles with jam or Hershey kisses instead of reindeer
• Fillings: Jam, Nutella. Candy bars crushed, Kisses, Peanut butter, Chocolate chips, Crushed peppermint candy, Crushed Toffee chips or candy bars, chocolate chips, flavored chips, caramels

Alternative Cookie Dough Idea(for peanut butter allergies)

• store-bought cookie dough mix works great see recipe card for directions
• sugar cookie dough works however you have to add 1/4 cup of flour to the mix to make it sturdy
• same with chocolate cookie dough add flour so they do not spread

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cookie Shapes

• 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 but take longer to bake
• don't overcook these bake until just set and golden on the edges

Nutrition Facts

Calories

222

Fat (grams)

11 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

28 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

27 g

Sugar (grams)

17 g

Protein (grams)

4 g

Sodium (milligrams)

266 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

14 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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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.