These Christmas Oatmeal Cookies are not only absolutely adorable but they taste amazing too. These are sure to be one of your new favorite holiday cookies to bake for friends and family!
These Christmas Oatmeal Cookies have crisp edges and soft, chewy middles. These reindeer cookies are also just too cute and super easy to make as well. There’s no chill time needed for the dough either.
If you need more festive holiday ideas then be sure to also check out these Reindeer Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Amish Christmas Cookies.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Taste great: There’s nothing more comforting than a freshly baked oatmeal cookie.
- Adorable: I think these are some of the cutest cookies that I’ve ever made. My kids loved that they looked like a reindeer.
- Easy to make: There’s nothing complicated about this recipe.
🥣 Ingredients needed
The full list of ingredients and their amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
For these cookies, you will need:
- Unsalted butter: You’ll need one cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter brought to room temperature.
- Brown sugar and sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Salt
- Quick Oats
- Chocolate chips: You can also swap these for raisins or a combination of white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
- Pretzels
- Candy eyes
- M&Ms: I used red M&M candies for the noses but you could also use brown ones or another small red candy.
🍫 Variations
You can use chocolate chips, raisins, white chocolate chips, craisins (dried cranberries), or any other favorite add-ins you like for oatmeal cookies. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips in mine.
⏲️ Recipe instructions (step by step guide)
Begin by preheating your oven to 350° and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper) or greasing it.
In a large mixing bowl, cream your sugar, brown sugar, butter (at room temperature), and vanilla extract together with a hand or stand mixer (image 1).
Add in the eggs, oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined (image 2).
Stir in the chocolate chips with a large spoon (image 3).
Using a large cookie scoop, drop the dough onto your baking sheet (image 4). Leave room for the cookies to spread.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Once removed from the oven and while the cookies are still soft, quickly add the pretzels for the antlers, candy eyes, and M&M nose (image 5). If you wait too long, the pretzels won’t stick to the cookies. Let the cookies rest for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- As soon as the cookies are out of the oven add the pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and M&M candies for noses.
- Let the cookies set on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. If it is any softer, it can cause the cookies to spread too much.
🥡 How to store leftovers
Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. I used wax paper to separate my cookies so it didn’t damage their reindeer appearance. The cookies will be good for up to four days after baking.
📋 Recipe FAQs
An airtight container is always a good way to store Christmas cookies. Look for a glass container with a rubber lid as these will help the cookies stay fresh.
When the edges are golden brown are always a good sign to pull them out.
Other great Christmas cookie recipes:
If you tried these Christmas Oatmeal Cookies or any other recipe on my site, please leave a ⭐ rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I would love to hear from you and I’m always happy to try to answer any questions you may have!
Christmas Oatmeal Cookies
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Hand or stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Large cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks) softened to room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips or raisins
- pretzel twists
- candy eyes
- M&M candies
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350° and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper (not wax paper) or greasing it.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream your sugar, brown sugar, butter (at room temperature), and vanilla extract together with a hand or stand mixer.1 cup unsalted butter (two sticks), 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add in the eggs, oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until well combined but do not over mix.2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 3 cups quick oats, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Stir in the chocolate chips with a large spoon.1 cup chocolate chips
- Using a large cookie scoop, drop the dough onto your baking sheet. Leave room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Once removed from the oven and while the cookies are still soft, quickly add the pretzels for the antlers, candy eyes, and M&M nose. If you wait too long, the pretzels won't stick to the cookies. Let the cookies rest for about 10 minutes before transferring.pretzel twists, candy eyes, M&M candies
Notes
- As soon as the cookies are out of the oven add the pretzel antlers, candy eyes, and M&M candies for noses.
- Let the cookies set on the tray for about 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. If it is any softer, it can cause the cookies to spread too much.
swathi says
Christmas oatmeal cookies is delicious perfect festive cookies recipe.
Criss says
I just made the Christmas oatmeal cookies, and they turned out delicious! The perfect blend of flavors and a great festive treat. I’ll be baking these every holiday season!
Nora says
Such a lovely Christmas cookie! My daughter loves making these!
JC says
Adorable and delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Krystle says
We love these delicious and easy cookies. It’s a family tradition to leave them for Santa.