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Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies

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These adorable Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies are soft, chewy, and spiced to perfection, making them a fun and festive treat for the holidays.

Ingredients

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  • 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 bowl using a handheld electric mixer 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. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
  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 paper 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. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  15. Generously flour your work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin.
  16. Roll out the gingerbread dough until it is ¼ inch thick.
  17. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out gingerbread men shapes that are about ¼ inch thick.
  18. Avoid any thin or cracked edges as you cut.
  19. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
  20. Gather the leftover dough and reroll it to cut out more gingerbread men.
  21. Continue until all the dough is used up.
  22. Move the cookies to the preheated oven.
  23. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to crisp.
  24. Be careful not to overbake.
  25. Cool the cookies completely to room temperature on a wire rack.
  26. Once the cookies have cooled, turn the gingerbread men upside down.
  27. Use melted chocolate to attach two candy eyeballs to each cookie.
  28. Use melted chocolate to attach one red M&M as a nose to each cookie.
  29. Using a piping bag or a squeeze bottle filled with more melted chocolate, pipe reindeer antlers on the top part of each cookie.

Notes

Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the best dough consistency.
Chilling the dough for at least 6 hours is crucial for preventing spread and enhancing flavor.
Don’t overbake the cookies; they should be slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven.
For piping antlers, a small Ziploc bag with a tiny corner snipped off works great if you don’t have a piping bag.

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