Adorable Gluten Free Reindeer Cookies

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Just because you can’t eat gluten doesn’t mean you can’t get creative in the kitchen! You can still make adorable decorated cookies for the holidays without worrying about getting sick if you have the right ingredients. These cute gluten free reindeer cookies are quick and easy to make. And since they’re made with safe ingredients, they’re the perfect gluten free Christmas cookies to share during the holiday season.

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On top of being delicious, these cute reindeer sugar cookies couldn’t be easier to make. That means your kids can have some fun decorating cookies without worrying about the mess that comes with piping and sprinkles.

But my favorite part about this fun recipe is that it’s completely gluten free! Keep reading to see what gluten free ingredients I used to create the decorations for these adorable gluten free cookies.

Gluten Free Reindeer Cookies

Once you see the short ingredient list for these simple cookies, they’re going to be your favorite way to decorate your gluten free Christmas desserts! That’s because all the ingredients are easy to find and easy to use!

To make your own reindeer cookies, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, including:

• Gluten free sugar cookies. To make the cookies for these reindeer treats, I used my gluten free cream cheese sugar cookie recipe. This no-roll, no chill recipe is a quick option for making round cookies. If you prefer to make cut-out gluten free sugar cookies, I also have a simple recipe you could use before you start decorating!
• Chocolate frosting. I used store bought chocolate frosting. The brand I typically use is Betty Crocker because it’s labeled gluten free. But most jarred icing is naturally gluten free. Just make sure to check the label before using it!
• Gluten free candy eyes. The hardest part about making this recipe is finding gluten free candy eyes. Wilton candy eyes are not gluten free because they are made in a facility that also processes wheat. If you have a Wal-Mart nearby, all the Great Value candy eyes are safe to eat. You can also find gluten free candy eyes on Amazon.
• Red M&Ms. For the nose, I used red M&Ms. You could also use red Sixlets, which are also gluten free.
• Gluten free pretzels. My favorite gluten free pretzels are Glutini mini pretzels. They’re the perfect size for your reindeer’s antlers.

How to Make Gluten Free Reindeer Sugar Cookies

This fun decorating technique is a quick and easy way to dress up your plain gluten free sugar cookies! And since it’s so easy, even the kids can get in on the fun!

But before you can start decorating your cookies, you need to bake the sugar cookies! Just decide which recipe you want to use to prepare your cookies, then follow the instructions on that recipe.

After baking, allow your cookies to cool completely. Then, you can spread a thin layer of chocolate icing over the top of each cookie. I like to use a flat spatula to spread icing on cookies to help create a smooth topping.

After all your cookies have been iced, it’s time to start decorating! First add your candy eyes to the center of of the cookie. Make sure to leave enough space above the eyes to add your pretzel antlers later.

Then, place one red candy at the bottom center of each cookie to make the reindeer’s nose.

After that, all that’s left to do is add the antlers. Lightly press two pretzels in place on top of each cookie. Make sure you push the bottom of the pretzel into the icing so it stays in place.

Gluten Free Reindeer Cookie Ideas

See how easy it is to create some adoroable Rudolph cookies for your kids this Christmas? You’re going to love how quick and easy these treats come together. And your kids are going to love the sweet and salty combination of ingredients and decorations on top!

And since these cookies are so simple to make, you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your own tastes. Try these simple substition ideas to create your own reindeer snacks.

• Break the pretzels for more realistic antlers. You can give your reindeer cookies a more realistic look by breaking the pretzels in half before adding them to the top of your cookies.
• Use premade dough. If you don’t need your reindeer cookies to be gluten free, you can whip these cookies up even faster by using premade sugar cookie dough. Just pop the dough in the oven, bake it, and allow the cookies to cool before decorating.
• Try this decorating idea on other treats. This simple decorating idea is perfect for cookies. But there are a variety of other ways you can use this method for decorating other holiday treats, like donuts, rice krispies treats, cupcakes, or cake pops.

More Easy Recipe Ideas:

Simple Gluten Free Andes Mint Cookies

One Bowl Ginger Cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Gluten Free Pinwheel Cookies

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