No Bake Reindeer Cookies take me straight back to our kitchen at Christmastime, when the counters were covered in wax paper and my mom had a saucepan gently melting butter on the stove. When I was growing up, the smell of warm marshmallows and chocolate meant the holidays had officially begun. My mom always said the secret was low heat and quick hands. I still remember shaping little reindeer faces while the mixture was warm and sticky. Let me tell you, these chewy, sweet-and-salty treats are pure holiday magic.
No-Bake Reindeer Cookies – Festive & Ready in 30 Minutes
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Cookie Scoop
- Parchment Paper
- baking sheets
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 6 cups cornflakes cereal
- 36 mini pretzels for antlers
- 18 candy eyeballs
- 18 red candies cherry sours or red chocolate candies
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and measure cornflakes into a large bowl.
- In a saucepan over low heat (keep under 250°F stovetop temperature), melt butter completely.
- Add mini marshmallows and stir constantly until almost melted.
- Add chocolate chips and stir gently until smooth. Remove from heat immediately once melted to prevent stiff cookies.
- Pour the warm mixture over cornflakes. Fold gently until evenly coated without crushing cereal.
- Using a greased cookie scoop, drop mounds onto parchment.
- Grease your hands lightly and shape each mound into a rounded triangle or oval (reindeer face).
- Quickly press two mini pretzels at the top for antlers, add candy eyes, and press a red candy nose into the center.
- Let set at room temperature for 20 minutes, or refrigerate 10 minutes if your kitchen is humid.
Notes
Freezing: Freeze in layers with parchment up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Humidity Tip: If humid, add ½ cup extra cornflakes for structure and refrigerate briefly.
Troubleshooting:
- Too hard? Marshmallows overheated.
- Too soft? Not enough cereal.
- Decorations falling off? Add them immediately while sticky.
Nutrition
CONCLUSION
Between you and me, these No Bake Reindeer Cookies are the kind of treat that turns an ordinary December afternoon into something special. This takes me right back to standing beside my mom, both of us working fast before the marshmallow mixture cooled. Trust me on this, once you get the rhythm of melting, mixing, and shaping, you’ll want to make them every year. They’re chewy, chocolatey, and just salty enough from those pretzel antlers. Back in our kitchen, these disappeared faster than anything else on the counter. I hope they bring that same warm holiday feeling to yours.