Chocolate Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies

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These Reindeer Cookies are a festive holiday twist on classic peanut butter blossom cookies with a chocolate peanut butter cookie base to form the face and a mini peanut buttercup with mini M&M's to form the snout. These cookies are so much fun to make with kids during Christmas time with simple ingredients. I use mini pretzel twists to form the antlers and I'd say these little cuties look just like Santa's reindeer! The cookie itself is a soft and slightly chewy cocoa peanut butter cookie that's rolled in cinnamon sugar. If you love these, also try my Marble Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies and Chocolate Mint Peanut Butter Blossoms.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Rich chocolate peanut butter cookies - these cookies are made with creamy peanut butter and cocoa powder for a nice rich chocolate peanut butter flavor is not overly sweet with underlying notes of natural vanilla and a hint of salt.
Cinnamon sugar coating - I love to roll these in cinnamon sugar for extra festive flavor and it also darkens the color of the baked cookie so you can have a variety of fur tones!
Soft and chewy texture - this recipe yields soft cookies that are slightly chewy with the sugar coating on the outside.
Peanut butter cup cookies - instead of the classic Hershey's chocolate kiss, I use a mini peanut butter cup so it looks more like a reindeer's snout (plus they are delicious!). It gets pressed right into the center of each cookie while they are still warm so that they stick and set right in.

INGREDIENTS

Butter - in this recipe, you can use salted or unsalted butter, but if you choose unsalted then I recommend doubling the added salt to ½ teaspoon. I like to use salted butter because it adds another level of richness to complement the peanut butter.
Granulated sugar - this recipe uses a combination of simple white granulated sugar and brown sugar. White sugar helps create the crunchy edges and you will also need sugar for rolling the cookie dough.
Brown sugar - I highly recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe as it has twice as much molasses as light brown sugar and will make a big difference to the flavor.
Egg - one whole egg will set the cookie dough. It's the perfect amount of moisture to make these cookies chewy and not cakey.
Peanut butter - you will need smooth creamy peanut butter for this recipe. I recommend the regular no-stir kind. If you use natural peanut butter, the cookies will be more crumbly.

Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhancing the taste of the peanut butter and the chocolate. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Salt - don't leave out the salt! It really elevates the peanut flavor and balances the sweetness.
All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour makes the best cookies in my opinion.
Cocoa powder - cocoa is what will give these cookies a darker shade to look like a reindeer's coat of fur. You can use Natural or Dutch cocoa powder. Note that Dutch cocoa will give it a darker color.
Peanut butter cups - grab a pack of mini peanut butter cups of any kind and unwrap one for each cookie. Press a kiss right into the warm cookie after it comes out of the oven. It will melt slightly so it sticks and sets into the cookie.
Pretzels - mini pretzel twists are the best to form the antlers. Just break them in half and stick them into the warm cookie. I like to set them in with a bit of melted chocolate so that they don't move around.
M&M's - you can use regular or mini M&M's to make the nose. Choose a blend of brown and red so you include Rudolph!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Beat together butter and sugar. You can use an electric stand mixer, a hand mixer or do this by hand with a spatula. You want to beat the butter, sugars and honey until slightly pale and a bit fluffy, but not overly creamed. It will still look like a thick paste or damp sand and this will leave us with chewy cookies. Over-mixing at this point would make more crumbly cookies.
STEP 2). Beat in egg. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated and smooth.
STEP 3). Combine dry ingredients. Blend flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and whisk it to blend evenly. Then, add it to the butter mixture and mix it in until evenly combined.
STEP 4). Make the chocolate dough. Combine half of the dough with milk and cocoa powder and mix well. Place it back in the bowl with the base dough.
STEP 5). Refrigerate the cookie dough. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour.
STEP 6). Scoop and roll. Scoop up about 2 level tablespoons of cookie dough and roll i sugar.
STEP 7). Bake until golden on the edges and still soft in the middle. Do not over-bake as they will continue cooking on the hot baking tray.
STEP 8). Add the kiss. Press a Hershey's kiss into each cookie while they are still warm.

EXPERT TIPS

Use regular large size eggs. Large eggs weigh 57g. Using an extra large egg will add up to 2 teaspoons more liquid to the cookie dough which can throw off the moisture balance and make the cookies spread too much.
Refrigerate the cookie dough. Time in the fridge allows the flour to fully hydrate from the moisture of the egg and the water in the butter. If the flour is evenly hydrated, the cookies will be thicker and they will bake more evenly.
Let the cookies cool slightly, but not completely, before adding the antlers. The cookies are more willing to take the pretzels while still a bit warm so the surface is easier to puncture. But, if they are too warm, they won't hold.
Use a bit of chocolate to stick the antlers on. This will help them stay in place.

RECIPE FAQ

Do I need to chill the cookie dough?

Chilling this cookie dough is so important for getting nice thick and slightly chewy cookies. However, I have made these right away and they still work well - they are just slightly more crumbly.

Why are my reindeer cookies dry?

The most common reasons for dry cookies are: 1) adding too much flour and, 2) over-baking. Try weighing your flour so that you use the right amount.

Why are reindeer cookies crumbling?

Crumbly peanut butter cookies are often a result of too much flour in the dough and not enough moisture. Make sure you measure your flour accurately and do not over-mix the dough.

STORAGE AND FREEZING

How do I store reindeer cookies?

These cookies are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze reindeer cookies?

Unfortunately these cookies do not freeze well since they are fragile with the antlers. Instead I would recommend making them 1 day in advance and storing them in an airtight container before serving.

If you love cookies, check out these recipes!

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies The BEST Chewy Pumpkin Cookies Chewy Brown Butter Snickerdoodles Cookies Brown Butter M&M Cookies Recipe Lemon Blueberry Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks Coffee Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies Hazelnut Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies THE BEST Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Bakery Style!

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