Chocolate Reindeer Cookies
These adorable chocolate reindeer cookies are perfect for holiday baking. Made with a chocolate cake mix base, a smooth ganache topping, and candy decorations, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18 Cookies
Calories 309 kcal
- 1 (15.25 ounce) box chocolate cake mix
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 18 vanilla wafer cookies
- 36 candy eyes
- 18 red chocolate candies
- 36 chocolate-covered pretzel twists
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the chocolate cake mix, oil, and eggs until a thick dough forms.
Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and microwave for 45 seconds. Let the bowl rest for 1 minute, then whisk the chocolate and cream together until smooth and glossy. Set the ganache aside for 5-10 minutes to cool and thicken slightly.
Spread a heaped spoonful of ganache over each cooled cookie. Press a Vanilla Wafer Cookie near the bottom of each cookie to form the muzzle. Add two candy eyes above the muzzle and press whole chocolate-covered pretzel twists into the top edges of the cookie for antlers. Place a small amount of ganache on the back of the red chocolate candy and place it in the center of the wafer for the nose.
Allow the ganache and decorations to set before serving.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in a single layer or with parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent the cookies from sticking for 4-5 days.
- The undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. However, I do not recommend freezing the decorated cookies, as the vanilla wafers and pretzels may become stale, and the candy eyes will likely bleed once thawed.
Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 4gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 248mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 2gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 108IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand's nutritional values to verify accuracy.