Reindeer Nutter Butter Holiday Cookie Treats

All the other reindeer loved Rudolph, and your party guests will adore these cheerful treats. The only thing better than a Nutter Butter is one dipped in chocolate — these reindeer-shaped cookies will make you more popular than the red-nosed hero of Christmas!

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I have a soft spot for peanut butter. I might even have a jar hidden in the car with disposable spoons. Peanut butter finds its way into sweet and savory dishes, and I’m powerless to resist.

Peanut butter cookies — those crisp-edged bites with a sweet, nutty flavor and the classic crisscross on top — are a particular weakness. Store-bought Nutter Butters are an easy temptation, and they make the perfect base for a quick, festive treat.

These reindeer Nutter Butter treats are simple to make and endlessly charming. You dip the cookies in melted milk chocolate, attach pretzel antlers, add edible eyes and a red candy nose, and you’ve got an instant holiday favorite.

Nutter Butter cookies debuted in the 1960s and quickly became popular — more than a billion are estimated to sell each year. The crisscross pattern many of us try to copy at home was designed by the same person behind the Oreo pattern, which is a fun little bit of cookie trivia.

For coating and decorating, melting wafers or dipping chocolate are ideal. They melt smoothly and set quickly at room temperature, making them perfect for attaching small decorations like pretzels and candy. I like Ghirardelli’s melting wafers for their rich flavor and creamy texture, but there are many good brands available at grocery and craft stores.

Use a double boiler or an indirect heat method on the stovetop rather than microwaving — keeping the chocolate at a steady temperature helps it stay glossy and manageable while you dip. If you don’t have a double boiler, set a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water; just be careful handling the hot bowl and have oven mitts ready.

Besides flavor, the melted chocolate acts as a glue: it secures the pretzel antlers and holds the candy eyes and nose in place. You can swap small colored chips for the eyes or use any similar-sized red candy for the nose. Place the nose centered or lower on the cookie like a snout. If you have royal icing, tint a bit black to pipe small mouths for extra personality.

These are a perfect holiday activity with kids — fast, easy, and delightfully festive. Kids can decorate dipped cookies at a party table with small bowls of decorations and a little help applying melted chocolate as “glue.” Use popsicle sticks or brushes to let them participate safely, and expect it to take a little longer to get everyone to leave — but that’s part of the fun!

Recipe Notes:

Portable Treats – Insert a popsicle stick into the bottom of each Nutter Butter before dipping for cookie pops. Once dry, wrap in clear plastic and tie with a holiday ribbon for quick gifts to teachers and friends.

Reindeer Nutter Butter Treats

Be the hero of your holiday table with these peanut butter cookies dipped in chocolate and decorated as adorable reindeer.

Ingredients

1 package Nutter Butter cookies
1 bag milk chocolate melting wafers (or dipping chocolate)
1 bag small edible eyes (or small contrasting chips)
Red candies for noses (M&M’s, red hots, or similar)
1 bag mini pretzels (for antlers)

Instructions

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Melt the chocolate wafers in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water.
Break pretzels in half to create antlers. Arrange pretzel pairs on the lined cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Using a fork, dip each Nutter Butter into the melted chocolate, flipping to coat both sides. Lift and gently tap to remove excess chocolate.
Place the dipped cookie on top of a pretzel pair so the pretzels form antlers. Add two edible eyes and a red candy for the nose while the chocolate is still wet.
Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow the treats to set and harden for about an hour before serving or packaging.

Tips and Variations

Substitute small chocolate chips or candy eyes if edible eyes aren’t available.
For sturdier noses, press the candy slightly into the warm chocolate until it adheres.
Make cookie pops by inserting sticks before dipping and wrap them individually for gifting.

Nutrition (per cookie)

These Reindeer Nutter Butter treats are quick to prepare, kid-friendly, and a festive addition to any cookie tray. Whether you make them for a party, a classroom event, or as homemade gifts, they’re sure to bring smiles and a little holiday magic.