Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies
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These gingerbread reindeer cookies will add some cute holiday cheer to your next party. Sweet gingerbread reindeer with candy faces and chocolate antlers are a delicious and festive treat that’s sure to make you smile.
Move over gingerbread men! These adorable gingerbread reindeer cookies are going to become your new favorite treat this holiday season.
But don’t worry about buying new cookie cutters – the genius part about this recipe is that it uses the same gingerbread men cookie cutters that you probably already have in your kitchen. When turned upside down, the gingerbread men form the shape of a reindeer head, and you’ll use melted chocolate to create the antlers and affix the candy eyes and M&M noses.
With warm holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and a delicious crunchy texture, these unique Christmas cookies will get all your family, friends, and holiday party guests in a festive mood.
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s Perfect for the Holiday Season – These cute Christmas cookies are perfect for any holiday party, classroom event, or cookie exchange.
It’s Creative – Use your gingerbread men cookie cutters to make these adorable and festive treats, then just turn the cookies upside down to create the reindeer shape!
It’s Kid-Friendly – The little ones will enjoy helping you cut out the reindeer faces and add the candy eyes and noses.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Ground ginger
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter, softened
- Brown sugar, packed
- Unsulphured molasses
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Chocolate chips, melted
- Candy eyeballs
- Red (or brown) M&Ms
How to Make Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies
Step 1: Using a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add molasses, vanilla, and egg. Mix until well incorporated.
Step 3: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together.
Step 4: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed. Be sure that each addition is mostly incorporated before adding more.
Step 5: Once the gingerbread dough is mixed, generously flour a clean counter or large piece of parchment paper. Place your dough on the floured surface.
Step 6: Use floured hands or a piece of parchment paper to fold the dough together, then wrap it in parchment or plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic bag. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or for best results, overnight).
Step 7: Once the dough has chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Step 8: Generously flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll out your gingerbread dough until ¼ inch thick.
Step 9: Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut ginger men about ¼ inch thick. Avoid any thin or cracked edges, as the excess dough will be rerolled.
Step 10: Place your ginger men on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the leftover dough and reroll to make more ginger men, until all the dough is used up.
Step 11: Move the cookies to the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or just the edges are starting to crisp. Be careful not to overbake. Cool the cookies to room temperature on a wire rack.
Decorating Your Cookies
Step 12: Once the cookies have cooled, turn the gingerbread men upside down and use melted chocolate to attach the candy eyes and red M&M noses.
Step 13: Using a piping bag and more melted chocolate, pipe antlers on top of the reindeer heads. You could also use a squeeze bottle for this step.
Tips & Tricks
- When rolling out the gingerbread dough, the edges don’t need to be perfect. They may crack but that’s okay.
- For best results, chill your gingerbread men in the refrigerator prior to baking. They should chill for about 45 minutes.
- Be sure to allow the melted chocolate to set before putting the cookies into any containers.
How Do I Store Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies?
Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Be sure to allow reindeer faces and antlers to set and harden before stacking the cookies on top of each other.
You sure can – these reindeer gingerbread cookies freeze really well! Put them in an airtight container or a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Holiday Desserts
- Christmas Tree Meringues
- Chocolate Bear Paw Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Easy Christmas Lasagna Dessert
- Nutter Butter Reindeer Cookies
Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer
- whisk
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips melted
- 48 candy eyeballs
- 24 red M&M's
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.¾ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar
- Add molasses, vanilla extract, and egg. Mix until well incorporated.½ cup unsulphured molasses, 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract, 1 egg
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together.3 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed and making sure each addition is mostly incorporated before adding more.
- Once the gingerbread dough is mixed, generously flour a clean counter or a large piece of parchment paper and place your dough on the floured surface.
- Use floured hands or a piece of parchment paper to fold the dough together, then wrap it in parchment or plastic wrap and place in a resealable plastic bag. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or for best results, overnight).
- Once the dough has chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Generously flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll out your gingerbread dough until ¼ inch thick.
- Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut ginger men about ¼ inch thick. Avoid any thin or cracked edges, as the excess dough will be rerolled.
- Place your cookies on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the leftover dough and reroll to make more ginger men, until all the dough is used up.
- Move the cookies to the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or just the edges are starting to crisp. Be careful not to overbake. Cool the cookies to room temperature on a wire rack.
- Once the cookies have cooled, turn the gingerbread men upside down and use melted chocolate to attach the candy eyes and a red M&M nose to each one.½ cup chocolate chips, 48 candy eyeballs, 24 red M&M's
- Using a piping bag and more melted chocolate, pipe reindeer antlers on the top part of the cookie. You could also use a squeeze bottle for this step.
Notes
- When rolling out the gingerbread dough, the edges don’t need to be perfect. They may crack but that’s okay.
- For best results, chill your gingerbread men in the refrigerator prior to baking. They should chill for about 45 minutes.
Nutrition
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