Reindeer Brownies {Easy Holiday Recipe}

Name: Reindeer Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup neutral oil; ½ cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 eggs; ½ cup all purpose flour; ⅓ cup cocoa powder; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup chocolate chips; 2 tablespoons chocolate chips; 16 pretzels; 16 candy googly eyes; 8 red M&Ms

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These reindeer brownies are so cute and delicious to eat! This easy Christmas dessert idea is so fun for kids and adults alike and a perfect way to get into the festive spirit. These brownies are dairy free, rich, fudgy and perfect for any holiday party.

Large white platter of reindeer brownies cut up into triangles and decorated

It’s the one time of the year when you can turn your ordinary brownies into Christmas brownies…aka reindeer brownies – with a very shiny nose! Make it a full party and try these other festive recipes like Christmas Tree Vegetable Platter with Dip, Crudite Platter Wreath and Baked Brie Cranberry in Bread Bowl.

ingredients & substitutions

Oil: Use a neutral oil to keep these holiday brownies nice and moist. Canola or vegetable both work well.
Sugar: For the sweetest brownies use white granulated sugar.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds some extra sweetness and flavor. Pour vanilla extract is best to use, but imitation will work just fine.
Eggs: To bind the ingredients together. Make them vegan by swapping them with flax eggs.
Flour: For best results use all purpose flour. We haven’t tried it, but would expect these to turn out well with a 1:1 GF flour.
Cocoa powder: For that rich chocolatey taste. Use unsweetened as we add in sugar separately.
Baking Powder: This helps to lift the brownies and give them a cakey texture.
Salt: A little salt helps to enhance the flavors of the chocolate. It makes a lot of difference!
Chocolate chips: We like to use semi-sweet, but milk will work well too.
For decorating: Melted chocolate chips to act as a glue to hold the decorations in place. Pretzels for the reindeer horns, candy eyes so that they can see and red M&Ms for Rudolph’s nose!

How to Make Reindeer Brownies

While you can use any brownie recipe to make these, follow these steps for the brownie recipe pictured here, which comes out chocolatey and decadent!

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs.
Add the flour and cocoa powder mixture on top of the wet ingredients
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using a spatula and fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake until cooked through.
Cool on a wire rack.
Then cut into triangles and then decorate into little reindeer as shown below.

6 image collage to show how to blend the ingredients, pour into baking dish and then bake and slice into 8 triangles

Tips for making Reindeer Brownies

Use butter instead of oil for a more fudgy consistency. To keep these brownies dairy-free, it’s a great idea to use oil, but feel free to switch to melted butter in equal parts if you prefer.
Customize the recipe by adding crushed walnuts in the brownie batter, cinnamon or even a heat kick with cayenne pepper (not recommend for the kiddos though!).
Use good quality chocolate. These brownies are only as good as the chocolate you use, so don’t skimp on the cocoa powder or the chocolate chips!
Use room temperature eggs for the smoothest texture. It’s a good idea to take them out of the fridge about an hour before making the brownies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to cut brownies when they’re hot or cold?

It’s best to cut the brownies when they are slightly warmer than room temperature. Let the brownies cool on a rack for about 10 minutes and then cut them. Use a thin knife to cut the squares, and it’s best if the knife is warm – just run it under a hot tap and wipe it dry.

How long do chocolate brownies keep?

Once the brownies are baked and cooled, you can store them in an airtight container with the layers separated by parchment. They will keep in the fridge or at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. You can then decorate the brownies just before serving them.

Can you freeze them?

Yes, brownies freeze really well, and you can freeze them individually or the whole thing. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil and then place in a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or you can reheat from frozen in the microwave in 15 second increments, being careful not to over heat them.

Hand grabbing one of the reindeer brownies from round white platter

These Rudolph the reindeer Christmas brownies are so easy and fun to make, it’s a greta recipe to get your kids to help you in the kitchen with! Perfectly festive, they are so cute to look at so delicious to eat!

For more Christmas desserts, check out:

If you try this healthy-ish feel good Christmas Reindeer Brownies recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

This Reindeer Brownies recipe was originally published on December 18, 2018. The recipe post has been updated to include updated step-by-step photos and more details about baking the brownies.

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