Print

Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies

Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies - featured image
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

These festive Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies are a delightful holiday treat, featuring perfectly spiced gingerbread decorated with melted chocolate and candy accents.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 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

  1. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar together in a stand mixer or large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, and egg to the creamed mixture.
  3. Mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  4. Whisk the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed.
  6. Ensure each addition is mostly incorporated before adding more dry ingredients.
  7. Once the gingerbread dough is mixed, generously flour a clean counter or a large piece of parchment paper.
  8. Place the dough on the floured surface.
  9. Use floured hands or a piece of parchment paper to fold the dough together.
  10. Wrap the dough in parchment or plastic wrap.
  11. Place the wrapped dough in a resealable plastic bag.
  12. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (or overnight for best results).
  13. Once the dough has chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  14. Set the lined baking sheet aside.
  15. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
  16. Generously flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin.
  17. Roll out your gingerbread dough until it is ¼ inch thick.
  18. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men shapes, ensuring they are about ¼ inch thick.
  19. Avoid any thin or cracked edges when cutting.
  20. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
  21. Gather the leftover dough and reroll it to make more gingerbread men.
  22. Continue cutting cookies until all the dough is used up.
  23. Move the cookies to the preheated oven.
  24. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to crisp.
  25. Be careful not to overbake the cookies.
  26. Cool the baked cookies to room temperature on a wire rack.
  27. Once the cookies have cooled, turn the gingerbread men upside down.
  28. Use melted chocolate to attach two candy eyeballs to each cookie.
  29. Use melted chocolate to attach one red M&M's as a nose to each cookie.
  30. Using a piping bag or squeeze bottle with more melted chocolate, pipe reindeer antlers on the top part of each cookie.

Notes

Ensure butter is softened, not melted, for the best cookie texture.
Chill the dough for at least 6 hours; overnight is even better for flavor and ease of handling.
Do not overbake the cookies; remove them when edges are just set to keep them tender.
Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating to prevent chocolate from melting or sliding.

Find it online: https://homecookstudio.com/gingerbread-reindeer-cookies/