Description
Delight in festive Rudolph Cookies, a charming holiday treat made from a rich Devil’s Food Cake Mix base, topped with creamy cocoa frosting, and decorated with a playful reindeer face using Nilla wafers, pretzels, and colorful M&Ms. These cookies are quick to bake, visually fun, and perfect for holiday celebrations with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil (plus more if needed)
- 3/4 cup butter (softened)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk (plus more if needed)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (plus more as needed)
Decorations
- Nilla Wafers
- 1/4 cup melted chocolate
- Mini pretzels
- Red M&Ms (for Rudolph’s nose)
- White M&Ms (for eyes)
- Brown M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces (optional for other reindeer)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Prepare Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, combine the Devil’s Food Cake Mix, eggs, and oil. Stir well until the batter is thick and uniform. If the dough feels too stiff, add a small amount of oil to loosen it.
- Form and Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place them spaced apart on the prepared pans and gently press down the dough balls so they don’t bake too tall, ensuring a flat top for decoration.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, adjusting time based on your preferred fudgey texture. Remove from oven once done.
- Cool Cookies: Transfer the baked cookies to wire racks and allow them to cool completely before decorating to avoid melting the frosting and decorations.
- Make Cocoa Frosting: Beat the softened butter until smooth. Add cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and milk, mixing well. Gradually blend in powdered sugar until you achieve the desired frosting consistency. Add more milk to thin the frosting if needed.
- Create Reindeer Eyes: Melt the chocolate (using melts or any chocolate you have). Using a toothpick tip, carefully place tiny dots of melted chocolate onto white M&Ms to form pupils. Adjust size according to preference.
- Assemble Rudolph Cookies: Spread frosting over each cooled cookie. Place a Nilla wafer on top to represent the reindeer’s face, position two mini pretzels for antlers, and then attach the red M&M for Rudolph’s nose using a dab of frosting. Stick on the decorated white M&M eyes with frosting as well. For other reindeer variations, substitute red M&Ms with brown ones or Reese’s Pieces.
Notes
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting.
- You can adjust the cookie bake time for a chewier or cakier texture.
- If the cookie dough is too sticky, refrigerate for 15 minutes before shaping.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup and to avoid cookie sticking.
- Substitute milk with a milk alternative to make frosting dairy-free.
- Melted chocolate can be replaced by chocolate chips melted gently in the microwave.
- For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free cake mix and gluten-free Nilla wafers.
