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Three reindeer cookies on a surface with star sprinkles
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Rudolph Reindeer Cookies (Iced Gingerbread Cookies)

Learn how to make gingerbread cookies into cute Reindeer Cookies for the holidays! Kids will love helping decorate these cookies!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword christmas cookies, cute christmas cookies, reindeer cookies, rudolph cookies, unique christmas cookies
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 184kcal

Equipment

  • Disposable piping bags or regular piping bags with #2 tip and couplers
  • Gingerbread man cookie cutter
  • Wet paper towels

Ingredients

  • 12 Gingerbread Cookies cut into gingerbread men, baked and cooled
  • ¼ cup brown royal icing
  • ½ cup white royal icing
  • ¼ cup black royal icing
  • ¼ cup red royal icing
  • 3 Tablespoons pink royal icing

Instructions

  • Bake gingerbread cookies according to directions using boxed cookie mix or homemade gingerbread dough. Allow them to cool before decorating. While the cookies are cooling, you can set up your piping bags with royal icing to have everything ready for decorating.
    five royal icing bags, scissors, and gingerbread cookies
  • Once cooled, begin by turning the gingerbread cookie upside-down so the gingerbread man's head is turned towards you. Start by piping a fluffy and thick white circle near one of the arms to create the first eye. Set aside and let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes before icing the other eye.
    Gingerbread cookies with one iced eye
  • Once the first eye is dry, pipe the second eye the same way. Making sure not to touch the eyes, you can also pipe on the large red nose with a drop of white for a shine (optional). Allow it to dry for another 15 to 20 minutes. Piping them separately this way will ensure you have two defined eyes on your reindeer cookies.
    frosting reindeer eye on cookie
  • On the arms, fill in brown sections for the ears. Let them dry for 15 to 20 minutes before piping in the pink centers. In the meantime, draw on the antlers from the tops of the eyes to the tops of the cookie. Add black dots to the centers of the eyes.
    Decorated reindeer cookies
  • Let the cookies dry completely before serving; for best results, 6-8 hours. This can be done at room temperature. Enjoy!
    Decorated reindeer cookies up close

Notes

  • If you're making a lot of cookies and decorating with kids, you can make royal icing transfers by piping the icing decorations first onto parchment paper and letting them dry. Dry them the day before, then transfer onto the cookies by using dots of icing to "glue" them in place.
  • Royal icing takes time to dry. If it's humid or raining when you make the cookies, you will need to give them extra time to dry - up to 12 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg