Reindeer Brownies
Cute, easy, and festive, these Rudolph-inspired reindeer brownies are a holiday treat made with a batch of brownies, pretzels, candy, and melted chocolate.
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Table of Contents
About Reindeer Brownies
A big part of the holiday season is about time with loved ones, and these reindeer brownies would make for a delicious activity that everyone (even little elves) can participate in.
Because really, what’s better than making holiday treats while watching classic movies?
Whether you’ve seen it before or want to watch it again, making these fun brownies while watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer could quickly become a yearly tradition!
What do you need to make reindeer brownies?
- Baked brownies – You can either follow the recipe listed here OR you can make from-the-box box brownies. Use whatever you prefer.
- Pretzels – Use these to create the antlers.
- Red M&M’s – For the red noses. I used red to give these brownies a Rudolph look, but feel free to use whatever color you’d like.
- Vanilla Frosting or Candy Eyes – Used for creating the eyes. Use whatever method you like best.
- Melted chocolate from chocolate chips, candy melts, etc – This is used for attaching the various decorations (antlers, nose, eyes, etc) to the brownies.
Do you have to use self-rising flour?
While you can use any brownie recipe for these fun treats, there is a brownie recipe included on this page – and it has self-rising flour listed in the ingredients.
Self-rising flour is different than all-purpose flour, as self-rising flour has baking powder and salt already added to it. This is a common combination to see in baking recipes, and using self-rising flour is just an easy way to get all three ingredients in one shot. Typically, a recipe that uses self-rising flour won’t call for additional flour, salt, or baking powder. And finally, self-rising flour typically has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, so baked goods using it tend to be softer.
All that being said, if you don’t have (or don’t want to buy) self-rising flour, you can easily make a similar version at home.
For every one cup of self-rising flour, you can substitute with:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
This specific recipe calls for two cups of self-rising flour, so to substitute, you would need two cups of all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Can reindeer brownies be made in advance?
Yes, they totally can!
Once prepared and stored in a sealed container, reindeer brownies can be stored for two to four days on the counter. For best results of a good first impression, aim to make them no longer than two days in advance.
How long are reindeer brownies good for?
As mentioned above, once prepared and stored in a sealed container, these reindeer brownies should last for up to four days.
Can you freeze reindeer brownies?
Certainly!
Once prepared and decorated, these festive brownies can be stored in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to three months.
More delicious Christmas treats
How to make Reindeer brownies
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Get ready to bake by spraying a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Be generous with the spray; you’ll need the whole, uncut brownie to slide out of the baking dish in order to cut the Christmas tree shapes.
Step 2 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer and a large bowl), whip together the egg and sugar, then mix in the flour, heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and baking soda until combined into a thin batter.
Step 3 – Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, making sure the top is level.
Step 4 – Bake!
Step 5 – Let the brownies cool for at least one hour before attempting to remove them from the pan. When ready, drape a towel over the top of the baking dish, then hold the towel to the top of the brownies while you gently flip the dish over. Place the dish on a flat surface and gently shake until the brownie releases from the dish.
Step 6 – Cut the brownie into triangle shapes. If the brownie is thick enough, you can cut them in half to double the number of reindeer brownies you can make (but it’s not required).
Step 7 – Melt the chocolate chips per package instructions, then dip the decorations (pretzels, M&M, eyes, etc) into the chocolate. Press them onto the brownies to create the antlers, nose, and eyes. If you’re using frosting for the eyes, add two dabs of frosting and then a small spot of melted chocolate for the pupil (I used a toothpick coated in chocolate).
Step 8 – Let chocolate harden so decorations stay in place.
Step 9 – Serve and enjoy!
Reindeer Brownies
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- pretzels, for antlers
- red M&M's, for the nose
- vanilla frosting, for the eyes (or use candy eyes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, then set aside. NOTE: For easier removal, you can line the baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil before spraying with cooking spray.
- Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), whip the eggs and sugar together on medium speed until combined, about 2-4 minutes.6 eggs, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- Pause mixing and add the self-rising flour, heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and baking soda. Mix ingredients on medium speed until combined, about 3-5 minutes.2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing it out into an even layer if needed.
- Bake brownies for 45 minutes or until a tester toothpick comes out clean with no crumbs.
- Let brownies cool completely in pan until ready to decorate (about 1 hour).
- Remove brownies from baking dish (grip the edges of parchment paper and lift up). Transfer brownies to a clear work area.
- Cut the brownie into triangles. You can do this by hand or use a cookie cutter or stencil. If desired (and if brownie is thick enough) you can cut the thickness of each brownie triangle in half, doubling the number of reindeer brownies you can create.
- When ready to decorate, add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power, then stir. Continue to heat for 15 second intervals, mixing in between, until chocolate is smooth.1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Decorate brownies using melted chocolate to stick the pretzel antlers, M&M's nose, and candy eyes (if using) to the prepared brownies. If using vanilla frosting for the eyes, add 2 dabs to each brownie and use the melted chocolate for the pupils.pretzels, red M&M's, vanilla frosting
- Let reindeer brownies decorations dry for 30 minutes.
- Serve immediately
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
