Description
Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies are a delightful and festive treat, perfect for the holiday season. These chewy peanut butter cookies are decorated to resemble reindeer faces, complete with pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and red M&M noses. They’re not only delicious but also fun to make, especially with kids.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Cookies:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Decoration:
- Mini pretzel twists (for antlers)
- Red M&M’s (for noses)
- Mini chocolate chips or candy eyes (for eyes)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough:
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract; mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Shape the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Gently flatten each ball with your palm to about 1/2-inch thickness.
- Add Antlers:
- Break mini pretzel twists into halves to create antlers.
- Press two pretzel halves into the top of each cookie to form the reindeer’s antlers.
- Bake:
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Decorate:
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, press a red M&M into the lower center of each cookie for the nose.
- Add two mini chocolate chips or candy eyes above the nose for the eyes.
- Cool and Serve:
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is at room temperature for easier mixing.
- Using creamy peanut butter provides a smoother texture, but chunky peanut butter can be used if you prefer a bit of crunch.
- If you don’t have candy eyes, mini chocolate chips work well as substitutes.
- For a festive touch, you can use red and green M&M’s for the noses.