On Christmas Eve a kid wants a job, not a show. Something with a spoon, a bowl and a clear finish line before the pajamas go on. That is the whole case for reindeer food: half of it goes on the lawn for Rudolph, the other half goes on a plate for the kids who made it.
A few of these recipes use pretzels, flour or oats, so treat them as containing gluten, and the peanut butter one is easy to make nut-free with sunbutter instead.
Eggs and dairy show up in the baked treats too. Nobody here is pouring a drink with anything stronger than cocoa in it: every recipe on this list is non-alcoholic and built for kids.
Bagging the lawn mix doubles as one of the simple Christmas crafts for kids by age and type you can pull out earlier in December if the Eve itself feels too full already.
Once the plates are cleared and the mix is bagged, reindeer games for a Christmas party kids will love burn off exactly the energy a kitchen full of sugar just handed you.
If the grown-ups want a plate of their own while small hands do the decorating, Christmas Eve appetizers to graze on while the kids wait for Santa cover that side of the table. And once everyone has eaten, Christmas Eve activities with free printables for children who will not settle fill the gap between dessert and bedtime.
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Table of Contents
- Magic Reindeer Food (Oats and Colored Sugar Mix)
- Reindeer Mini Pizza Bagels
- Reindeer Snack Mix with Pretzels and Red Candies
- Pretzel Rod Reindeer
- Peanut Butter Celery Reindeer
- Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
- Brownie Reindeer with Pretzel Antlers
- Reindeer Cupcakes
- Reindeer Sugar Cookies
- Reindeer Donuts
- Reindeer Marshmallow Pops
- Reindeer Hot Chocolate
- Reindeer Pancakes
- Banana and Strawberry Reindeer Skewers
- Frequently Asked Questions
Magic Reindeer Food (Oats and Colored Sugar Mix)
She will ask, somewhere around the second bag, whether any of this needs glitter. It does not, and it should not: plain craft glitter is plastic, and. Colored sugar does the sparkle job just as well and will not hurt a single sparrow.
This is the only recipe here that is not for eating: it is a lawn mix, not a snack, and, so whatever gets left behind does no harm.
Spoon it into small bags with a ribbon, let the kids scatter a handful outside before bed, and let the rest of the bag wait in a drawer for next year’s porch step.
Magic Reindeer Food (Oats and Colored Sugar Mix)
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats
- 1/4 cup red sanding sugar
- 1/4 cup green sanding sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the red sanding sugar, green sanding sugar and white sparkling sugar on top of the oats.
- Stir with a big spoon for about 1 minute, until the color is streaked evenly through the oats rather than sitting in one corner.
- Spoon 1/3 cup portions into small cellophane or paper treat bags.
- Tie each bag closed with ribbon or twine, leaving a little air at the top so the mix still moves when shaken.
- Store the sealed bags in a cool, dry cupboard until Christmas Eve, up to 2 weeks ahead.
- On Christmas Eve night, have the kids scatter a small handful across the lawn or porch step before bed.
Good to Know
Reindeer Mini Pizza Bagels
Nobody eats a real dinner on Christmas Eve, and you should stop expecting them to. Mini pizza bagels buy you twenty minutes of actual food in their stomachs before the dessert parade starts, and the reindeer face on top means they will eat the dinner part without a negotiation.
Serve them straight on the baking sheet lined with parchment, or move them to a platter while the cheese is still loose enough to hold the pepper antlers in place. If a child does not like olives, a dot of ketchup works just as well for the eyes.
Reindeer Mini Pizza Bagels
Ingredients
- 4 mini bagels split in half
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 green bell pepper cut into thin strips
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 2 cherry tomatoes halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the bagel halves cut side up on the sheet.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce over each half.
- Top each with a generous pinch of shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for 1 minute so the cheese is set but still soft.
- Press two pepper strips into the top of each bagel for antlers, while the cheese is warm enough to hold them.
- Add two olive slices for eyes and half a cherry tomato for the nose on each bagel.
Good to Know
Reindeer Snack Mix with Pretzels and Red Candies
This is the one to hand a child who refuses to sit still for decorating. Everything gets dumped into one bowl and tossed, no piping bag, no patience required, and it still looks like it took effort once the white chocolate sets.
Scoop it into paper cones or clear cups for a party table, or leave it in one big bowl for grazing while the other treats bake. It keeps well, so it is the easy one to make first and let sit while your hands are free for the fussier recipes further down.
Reindeer Snack Mix with Pretzels and Red Candies
Ingredients
- 3 cups pretzel twists
- 2 cups square rice cereal
- 1 cup red candy-coated chocolate candies
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or white candy melts
- 1/2 cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine the pretzel twists and rice cereal in a large bowl.
- Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth and pourable.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the pretzel and cereal mix.
- Toss gently with a spatula until every piece has a thin, even coating.
- Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Scatter the holiday sprinkles over the top while the chocolate is still wet so they stick.
- Let the mix sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the chocolate is matte and firm to the touch.
- Break into clusters, stir in the red candies, and scoop into cups or bags.
Good to Know
Pretzel Rod Reindeer
These look like they took a trip to a bakery, and in fact they took one bowl of melted chocolate and a bag of pretzel twists. The dip is the only step that gets messy, and even that washes off a six-year-old’s hands with warm water and a laugh.
Stand them upright in a tall glass or a short mason jar once the chocolate sets, antlers facing out, for a centerpiece that costs almost nothing and photographs better than it has any right to.
Pretzel Rod Reindeer
Ingredients
- 8 pretzel rods
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips melted
- 16 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 16 candy eyes
- 8 red mini candy-coated chocolates
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Dip each pretzel rod into the melted chocolate, turning to coat about three-quarters of the length, and let excess drip off.
- Lay the dipped rods on the parchment and press two mini pretzel twist halves into the chocolate near one end for antlers.
- Press two candy eyes just below the antlers.
- Press one red candy below the eyes for the nose.
- Let the rods set at room temperature for 20 minutes, until the chocolate is firm and no longer glossy-wet.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Peanut Butter Celery Reindeer
She will have a drawer of candy eyes left over from last year and no idea what to do with them until this one. It is the single healthiest thing on this list, and the kids will not notice, because the pretzel antlers are doing all the visual work.
For a nut-free classroom, sunflower seed butter fills the groove exactly the same way and nobody can tell the difference once the face is on. Line the stalks up on a plate and they will disappear faster than the brownies.
Peanut Butter Celery Reindeer
Ingredients
- 6 celery stalks washed and trimmed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for nut-free
- 12 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 12 candy eyes
- 6 red mini candies or cinnamon red hots
Instructions
- Pat the celery stalks dry so the fillings stick.
- Spoon peanut butter into the groove of each stalk and smooth it flat with the back of the spoon.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the peanut butter at the top of each stalk for antlers.
- Press two candy eyes just below the antlers.
- Press one red candy or red hot below the eyes for the nose.
- Arrange the finished stalks on a plate, antlers facing up.
Good to Know
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Nobody needs an oven for this one, which matters on the one night of the year the oven is already busy with a brownie pan and a pizza bagel sheet. The stovetop part takes four minutes, and the sticky mess is the fun part for a kid with a spatula.
Cut the squares a little smaller than usual, closer to two inches, so the reindeer face does not get lost on a big slab. They sit happily on a plate at room temperature for two days, which makes them the easy one to send home with a friend.
Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 4 cups mini marshmallows
- 6 cups rice cereal
- 18 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 18 candy eyes
- 9 red mini candies
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the mini marshmallows and stir constantly until fully melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the rice cereal until every piece is coated.
- Press the mixture into a greased 9x9 inch pan in an even layer.
- Let cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, until firm enough to hold a cut edge.
- Cut into 9 squares.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the top of each square for antlers.
- Add two candy eyes and one red candy for the nose on each square.
Good to Know
Brownie Reindeer with Pretzel Antlers
A brownie does not need help to be good, but it does need a face if you want a six-year-old to call it the best thing on the table. This is the treat to bake first and decorate last, once the rest of the kitchen chaos has settled down.
Use a box mix without any guilt if the night is already long: nobody is grading the chocolate, only the antlers. Cut the squares a little smaller than you would for a plain brownie, since the decorations crowd a big piece.
Brownie Reindeer with Pretzel Antlers
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 24 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 24 candy eyes
- 12 red mini candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
- Whisk the melted butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until the mixture lightens slightly in color.
- Stir in the cocoa powder, flour and salt just until no dry streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it level.
- Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the top corners of each square for antlers.
- Add two candy eyes below the antlers and one red candy for the nose on each square.
Good to Know
Reindeer Cupcakes
This is the one for the party table, the one that needs a cupcake carrier and a seat of its own. Frosting first, decorating second: the pretzels and candies need something soft to grip, so do not rush the cooling step before you top them.
If you are short on time, a good boxed cake mix and a tub of chocolate frosting get you to the same finish line as scratch batter, and nobody at a six-year-old’s party has ever asked which one you used.
Reindeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting
- 24 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 24 candy eyes
- 12 red mini candy-coated chocolates
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately, mixing just until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly among the liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Spread or pipe chocolate frosting over each cupcake.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the frosting at the back of each cupcake for antlers.
- Add two candy eyes and one red candy for the nose on each cupcake.
Good to Know
Reindeer Sugar Cookies
These take the longest of anything on the list, mostly because the dough wants to chill, not because any single step is hard. Start them earlier in the day and let the chilling time happen while the kids are busy with something else entirely.
Leave one on a plate for Santa and send the rest home in a tin lined with wax paper, stacked no more than two deep so the antlers do not snap in transit.
Reindeer Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup white icing or melted white chocolate
- 32 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 32 candy eyes
- 16 red mini candies
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl, then stir into the butter mixture just until combined.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until firm enough to roll without sticking.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface and cut into rounds.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the edges just turn pale gold.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Pipe a small amount of icing near the top of each cookie and press two pretzel twist halves in for antlers.
- Add two candy eyes and one red candy for the nose on each cookie, using a dab of icing to hold them if needed.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Reindeer Donuts
Nobody says you have to bake these. A box of plain cake donuts from the grocery store works exactly as well as a homemade batter once the glaze and the face go on, and that is the honest, cheap version of this recipe.
If you do want to bake, a donut pan makes the shape without any frying, and the whole batch is done before the oven has even finished heating up for the brownies. Either way, dip and decorate while the glaze is still tacky so the antlers hold.
Reindeer Donuts
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate glaze or melted chocolate chips
- 12 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 12 candy eyes
- 6 red mini candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 6-cavity donut pan.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until smooth.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan cavities, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the donut comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- Dip the top of each donut into the chocolate glaze and let excess drip back into the bowl.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the glaze for antlers, then add two candy eyes and one red candy for the nose.
- Let the donuts sit for 10 minutes, until the glaze is set and no longer wet to the touch.
Good to Know
🛍 Shopping guide
Reindeer Marshmallow Pops
Three ingredients, no oven, and a result that looks like it belongs on a hot cocoa bar rather than a kitchen counter. This is the one to hand a child who wants to help but cannot yet be trusted near a hot pan.
Stand the finished pops upright in a tall glass filled with a little sugar or dry rice to hold the sticks steady while the chocolate sets, then move them to a platter once firm.
Reindeer Marshmallow Pops
Ingredients
- 8 large marshmallows
- 8 lollipop sticks
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips melted
- 16 mini pretzel twists broken in half
- 16 candy eyes
- 8 red mini candies
Instructions
- Insert a lollipop stick into each marshmallow, pushing about halfway through.
- Melt the milk chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Dip each marshmallow into the melted chocolate, turning to coat, and let excess drip off.
- Stand the pops upright in a glass filled with sugar or dry rice so they do not touch while setting.
- Press two pretzel twist halves into the chocolate at the top of each marshmallow for antlers.
- Add two candy eyes and one red candy for the nose on each pop.
- Let the pops stand for 15 minutes, until the chocolate is firm and matte.
Good to Know
Reindeer Hot Chocolate
This is the cup she hands out right before the lawn mix goes outside, something warm to hold while small feet are in boots on a cold step. It takes four minutes on the stove and nobody needs to wait for anything to cool before drinking it.
Scale the recipe by the mug: one batch per child, made fresh, tastes better than a giant pot kept warm for an hour. A dollop of whipped cream holds the antlers in place, so do not skip it even for a child who claims not to like cream.
Reindeer Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup whipped cream
- 2 mini pretzel twists
- 2 candy eyes
- 1 red mini candy
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming, about 3 minutes, without letting it boil.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and salt until fully dissolved and no lumps remain.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour into a mug and top with whipped cream.
- Press the two pretzel twists into the cream for antlers.
- Add the two candy eyes and the red candy for the nose.
Good to Know
Reindeer Pancakes
Save this one for the morning after, once the lawn mix has done its job and someone wants proof that the reindeer actually came. One big pancake for the face, two small ones for ears, and bacon that was already in the pan for everyone else’s breakfast.
Plate it on its own rather than stacked, so the ears and antlers stay visible, and let the littlest one place the blackberry eyes since that part needs no skill at all, only enthusiasm.
Reindeer Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 4 strips cooked bacon
- 8 blackberries
- 4 strawberries halved
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg and melted butter together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until a few lumps remain.
- Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat and lightly grease it.
- For each reindeer, pour one large pancake (about 1/2 cup batter) and two small pancakes (about 2 tablespoons batter each) for the ears.
- Cook until bubbles form across the surface and the edges look dry, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden on both sides.
- Arrange one large pancake with two small pancakes tucked behind it for ears, and two half-strips of bacon crossed above for antlers.
- Place two blackberries for eyes and one strawberry half for the nose on each face.
Good to Know
Banana and Strawberry Reindeer Skewers
This is the fast, no-cook side to the pancakes, the one that uses up whatever fruit is already sitting on the counter. Threaded in a candy-cane pattern, it reads as festive without a single extra ingredient beyond what is already in the bowl.
Assemble these right before serving: bananas brown fast once cut, and nobody wants a gray stripe in an otherwise cheerful skewer. A squeeze of lemon juice over the cut banana buys you an extra hour if you need to get ahead.
Banana and Strawberry Reindeer Skewers
Ingredients
- 3 bananas cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 strawberries hulled and halved
- 6 wooden skewers 6-inch
Instructions
- Thread the skewers by alternating a banana piece and a strawberry half, starting and ending with strawberry so both ends are red.
- Repeat until each skewer holds 3 to 4 pieces of each fruit in a red-white-red-white pattern.
- Arrange the finished skewers on a plate.
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is reindeer food safe for birds and animals?
Yes, an oats and colored sugar mix is safe for birds and small animals to nibble on the lawn. Skip plastic craft glitter entirely, since it does not break down and can harm wildlife if swallowed.
How long does reindeer food keep before Christmas Eve?
Sealed in an airtight bag or jar, the oats and sugar mix keeps for several weeks in a cool, dry cupboard. Make it any time in early December and set it aside until the night it is needed.
What age can kids start making reindeer food?
Most children from about age three can measure, pour and stir the oat mixture with help, since nothing involved is hot or sharp. Keep small pretzel pieces and candy eyes away from children under three.
Do you need to clean up reindeer food the next morning?
Rarely, since birds and small animals tend to find and finish an oats and sugar mix scattered on grass within a day or two. Rain or snow also breaks it down quickly, so it never sits as litter for long.
Can you eat reindeer food yourself?
The oats and sugar lawn mix is not meant for people, since it is scattered outside rather than served at the table. For something the kids can actually eat, reach for the pretzel, brownie or cupcake reindeer instead.
How much reindeer food do you need per bag?
About one third to one half cup per bag is plenty for one family’s lawn or porch step. Scale the recipe up for a classroom or neighborhood swap by doubling or tripling the oats and sugar in the same ratio.
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