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Reindeer Peanut Butter Cookies

Reindeer peanut butter cookies are soft-centered, lightly golden cookies decorated with pretzel antlers, chocolate chip eyes, and red candy noses. Bake them on parchment-lined sheets and decorate while warm so the faces stay in place.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cookies
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.5 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp salt
For decorating
  • 48 mini pretzel twists
  • 48 mini chocolate chips
  • 24 red candy-coated chocolate candies such as M&M's

Equipment

  • 2 18x13-inch baking sheets

Method
 

Make the dough
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Line two 18x13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Beat the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
  5. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  6. Mix the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture just until no dry flour remains.
Bake and decorate
  1. Scoop the dough into 24 tablespoon-size portions and roll them into balls.
  2. Arrange 12 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  3. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through, until the edges are set and lightly golden.
  4. While the cookies are warm, gently press two pretzels into the top of each cookie for antlers, two mini chocolate chips in for eyes, and one red candy in for the nose.
  5. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
  6. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

For defined faces, press the decorations into the cookies while they are warm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze for up to 2 months. Sunflower seed butter can replace peanut butter for a peanut-free variation.