Rudolph Sugar Cookies Decorated

🎅 The Joy of Making Rudolph Reindeer Sugar Cookies with Kids

There’s something magical about Christmas baking — the sound of Christmas carols playing softly in the background, the smell of vanilla and sugar wafting through the kitchen, and the giggles of little helpers covered in flour from head to toe. This year, one of our favorite holiday traditions has become baking Rudolph Reindeer Sugar Cookies — a festive, vegan-friendly treat that brings out creativity, laughter, and a whole lot of Christmas cheer.

These adorable cookies are not only delicious but also double as a fun family activity that kids absolutely love. With their red noses, big eyes, and crunchy pretzel antlers, these Rudolph cookies are a hit with children and adults alike — and the best part is, they’re 100% vegan and made with simple, wholesome ingredients.

🎄 Why Kids Love Making These Cookies

Kids adore anything hands-on — and cookie baking is the perfect way to let them express themselves in a creative (and edible!) way. The process of rolling out the dough, pressing in the reindeer-shaped cookie cutters, and decorating each cookie to life is both rewarding and fun.

The decorating stage is where the magic really happens. Every reindeer has its own personality — some end up looking sweet, others silly, and sometimes you get a “Rudolph with attitude.” Letting kids design their own reindeer faces with icing, pretzels, and candy eyes encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and most importantly — laughter.

It’s a wonderful way to create memories instead of just treats. Even if the kitchen gets messy (and it will!), the joy on their faces makes it completely worth it.

🧈 Simple Ingredients for Sweet Moments

The beauty of these cookies lies in their simplicity. You don’t need anything fancy — just a few pantry staples. The base is a soft, buttery vegan sugar cookie dough, made with:

• Vegan butter

• Organic cane sugar

• Vanilla extract

• All-purpose flour

• A touch of cornstarch for softness

• And a pinch of salt for balance

That’s it!

Once the dough is rolled out, kids can grab the reindeer cookie cutter and press out shapes. Watching the dough transform from a plain circle into adorable reindeer heads is a small thrill every time — especially when the little ones recognize Rudolph’s shape right away!

After baking, the cookies turn slightly golden around the edges, firm enough to hold their shape but still soft in the middle. Perfect for decorating once cooled.

🎨 Decorating: The Best Part of All

Now comes the fun (and slightly chaotic) part — decorating! This is where the kids’ creativity really shines.

Each cookie gets its own “face” using:

• Brown vegan icing (for the reindeer base)

• White and black icing (for eyes)

• Mini red candies or red M&Ms (for Rudolph’s famous nose)

• Pretzels (for the antlers — a fun salty contrast!)

Reindeer Sugar Cookies (Rudolph Cut-Outs)

vicky schulte

These adorable Vegan Rudolph Sugar Cookies are soft, buttery, and shaped like reindeer! Made with vegan icing, red candy noses, and pretzel antlers, they’re a fun and festive holiday recipe perfect for Christmas cookie baking.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

• For the Vegan Sugar Cookies
• 1 cup Vegan Butter (softened, not melted)
• 3/4 cup Organic Cane Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch (for tenderness)
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1-2 tbsp Plant Milk

Vegan Royal Icing Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp Water
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract Whisk until smooth and shiny.

Decorations

• Vegan Gel Food Coloring (Brown, Red, White and Black)
• Mini pretzels (for antlers)
• Small Red Candies (for Rudolphs Nose)

Instructions

 

• Make the Dough

  In a large bowl, cream together vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.

  In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Add 1–2 tbsp plant milk as needed until the dough holds together.
  
• Chill the Dough

  Form dough into a disk, wrap in parchment or plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
  
• Cut Out the Cookies

  Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.Use a reindeer-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
  
• Bake

  Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.Bake for 8–10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.Cool completely before decorating.
  
• Decorate Your Reindeer

  Outline and flood with brown icing for the face.

  Add white icing for the eyes and black for pupils.

  Attach a red candy for the nose to make Rudolph.

  Use pretzels or piped icing to create antlers.

  Let icing dry completely before stacking or packaging.
  

Keyword kids christmas cookies, rudolph sugar cookies, sugar cookies

✨ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 100% vegan – no dairy, no eggs, all flavor.

• Cut-out style for decorating fun with family.

• Crisp edges and soft centers — the perfect sugar cookie texture.

• Great for holiday cookie swaps or edible gifts.

• 💡 Tips

  • If you want extra detail, use edible glitter or gold dust on the antlers.

  • Use a small round piping tip for precision.

  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

  ---

  ❤️ Perfect For

  • Christmas cookie decorating parties

  • Cute homemade holiday gifts

  • Kids’ baking projects

  • Winter dessert platters

You may also enjoy these Christmas Recipes:

Grinch Mint Fudge

Vegan Grinch Heart Sugar Cookies

Grinch Marshmallow Pops