How To Make Reindeer Cookies Using A Gingerbread Man Cookie Cutter

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There are certainly some benefits to having a large collection of Christmas cookie cutters. However, you’ll be surprised at how versatile certain holiday cookie cutters can be.

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Taking a glance at these adorable reindeer cookies, you might think they took hours to make. But imagine our surprise when we learned that it takes just a few seconds to transform a common cookie cutter into one of Santa’s eight tiny reindeer.

In addition to this, it’s even easier to make these Christmas cookies with the help of a pre-made dough like Nestlé Toll House’s new holiday cookie dough, or Betty Crocker’s Gingerbread Cookie Mix.

So, what is the secret to making Christmas magic happen? Read on for some tips.

How To Make Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies

Begin by using ready-made gingerbread dough or mix. Once your gingerbread dough is ready for rolling, grab a few pieces of parchment paper. Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the cookie dough out to a thickness of 1/4″. Keep in mind that the dough will roll out easier if it’s chilled; parchment paper will also keep your work area clean and flour-free.

Once the dough discs are rolled out, this is where the magic happens. Simply use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out the shapes. Flipped upside down, the legs become the antlers, the arms become the ears, and the head becomes the face! Rather than using an ordinary cookie cutter that you typically find in most stores, we like the Wilton Gingerbread Boy Comfort Grip Cookie Cutter because it’s thicker and heavier, plus it has a soft, comfortable rubber grip allowing for more control.

Gingerbread cookies are super simple to transform into reindeer once they are baked and cooled. It’s now just a matter of adding some royal icing and putting the finishing touches on these cookies.

Decorating Gingerbread Reindeer Cookies

Decorating gingerbread reindeer cookie with icing on wooden table with lights. Christmas holiday tradition and advent. — (Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock.com)

Royal icing generally consists of powdered sugar, water, and meringue powder, but meringue powder is not a staple in most kitchens. However, powdered sugar and corn syrup can also be used to make royal icing, an ingredient more likely to be found in your kitchen during the holiday season.

Easy Royal Icing With Powdered Sugar Recipe

Ingredients

1 and ½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons warm water
½ tablespoon light corn syrup
⅛ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Combine warm water, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stir until the corn syrup is completely dissolved.
Add powdered sugar to a medium bowl. Combine sugar water with powdered sugar, then stir well. If icing is too thick, add more water. If the icing is too watery, add more powdered sugar. Decorate cookies with icing immediately.

Use a disposable piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to apply the icing. Make simple antlers and outline the reindeer’s face using the frosting. Alternatively, you can use mini pretzels to create dazzling antlers.

Apply chocolate chips to the eyes and red or brown M&Ms to the nose. If you prefer, you can add gel to the royal icing, such as Americolor, to change the color of the reindeer. For more festive touches, decorate your reindeer with Wilton silver or gold edible pearls that resemble jingle bells.