Easy to make and a fun cookie project for the kids these Nutter Butter Reindeer Cookies should be a must on your holiday cookie plate.
A couple people I know are struggling with the blending of holiday traditions once they are in a relationship, get married, have kids, etc.
More specifically the time honored debate of Christmas Eve vs. Christmas Day and when do you really celebrate Christmas.
I come from a family of Christmas Day’ers.
As mentioned in a previous post we always got to open one gift Christmas Eve, which was always pajamas.
Other than that we were sent to bed at a way too early hour with the excuse of us not getting to see Santa.
But now I really know it was so my parents and relatives could start on the heavy drinking without us kids. 😀
Well, that and my dad was stuck assembling all the “some assembly required” gifts that all the instructions were in another language. 🙂
I have ALWAYS been a get up early Christmas girl.
Usually starting around 4am going into my parents room begging for me to get to go look.
And them saying no.
In my defense if they didn’t make me go to bed at 8pm then I probably wouldn’t be up at 4am (they would hold out till about 6:30).
I’ve slowed down in my old age as when you are an adult you pretty much know what you are getting.
This is how our open your stocking without parents came into effect.
We were allowed to see what was in the stocking but not anything else until my parents came downstairs.
One year my brother convinced us that if we opened our gifts on Christmas Eve we could all sleep in.
We did.
We slept in.
It sucked.
There was nothing to look forward to except Christmas dinner.
That was the first and last year we did that.
But I know a lot of people that celebrate it Christmas Eve.
What about you?
Are you a Eve or Day’er?
I saw these Nutter Butter Reindeer Cookies on Our Best Bites and thought they were too cute not to make.
So while making the gingerbread houses I made these too since the frosting and candy were out.
Obviously they are very simple, yet totally festive all the same!
Want More Holiday Cookie Ideas?
Mini Chocolate Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies
Shortbread Roll Out Sugar Cookies
White Chocolate Topped Gingerbread Cookies
Vanilla Bean Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Nutter Butter Reindeer Cookies
Ingredients
- Nutter Butters
- Pretzel Twists
- Mini Brown M &M’s (think of all the lefts overs you get to eat)
- Cinnamon Candy Red Hots (or a red M&M)
- Royal icing or melted chocolate (to “glue” stuff on)
Instructions
I think this is self-explanatory to figure out.
Place the Nutter Butter on wax paper or parchment paper (in case run away candy pieces).
Using either royal icing or melted chocolate glue on the two mini brown M and M's for eyes.
Cinnamon Candy Red Hot for a nose.
The pretzel twist for the antlers.
You might want to find something to rest the pretzel antlers on until they dry. I used a thin book that was the same height as the cookie.
laurie says
Dayer here. Liam will wake up at 5am though. And since my Mom wakes up early as well, we instated a stocking when you wake up rule. He is allowed to touch that and nothing else. The other 2 boys usually sleep until 7-8 and then we have to wake all my lazy brothers up, which usually takes 30 minutes. Its organized chaos and I love it.
Diana says
We’re sort of both, due to extended family. My mother’s family always celebrated Christmas Eve, and now that we’ve moved/are older etc, my mom hosts Christmas Eve celebrations for my side of the family. THAT is what feels like Christmas to me, just because it was always the most family-centric and fun celebration growing up. We did do the bulk of our presents Christmas Day growing up,and now we celebrate with my husbands family and kids Santa stuff as well, but Christmas Eve is still what I think of when I think of Christmas 🙂
Becca says
I’ve never heard of anyone celebrating on Christmas Eve (except for the open one present thing). It’s just a bizarre concept to me. Like you said, there’s nothing to look forward to except the Christmas ham next day.
And you’re right, these little nutter butter reindeer are totally adorable!
Di says
Out traditions were like yours—we opened gifts on Christmas Day (though we didn’t get the pjs the night before). We were allowed to open our stockings before my parents were up, too, which kept us occupied for a little while at least. The first year I was home from college, my sisters all got mad at me because I was still asleep at 9am. In my defense, my family lived on the east coast, and i’d just gotten home from the west coast. =)
Panya says
My husband and I aren’t Christian, but parts of our families are.
Growing up my mom let me and my brother choose among any of the gifts from her to open on Xmas eve. Everything “from Santa” — which were our stockings, and usually the larger and/or more expensive items — wasn’t put out until that night while we were sleeping. She’d wake us up Xmas morning [later than most people, we all like to sleep in] and we’d open everything, then we’d have breakfast, get dressed, and go to my gramma’s where the rest of the family would exchange gifts and have dinner. This entire tradition continued until I was 17, even though the only time I remember believing in Santa was when I was five [I’ve a very distinct memory of writing a Dear Santa letter with a crayon on the back page of a coloring book.]
I don’t know about when he was younger, but now my husband’s family gathers at his [only remaining] grandmother’s house on Xmas eve for dinner [just giving gifts to Granny], then on Xmas day they stay home with their respective children for gifts and stockings. He said he never got gifts “from Santa” because he and his brothers never believed.
Adam says
We kind of have three Christmases, and really it’s all because I’m lucky enough to still have all my Grandparents with me.
We rotate Christmas Eve and Day celebrations at my Grandparent’s houses (two dinners, two sets of presents). And then Christmas morning with my parents and brothers and our presents for each other (including gifts from Santa) and a light breakfast. We also try and spend boxing day as a family (playing with all our stuff) :). We still get up stupid early on Christmas morning, shouts of “IT’S CHRISTMAS, IT’S CHRISTMAS” can be heard throughout the house at 5 to 6AM coming from my brothers 🙂 (they’re both in their 20s 🙂 ).
We all turn into big kids. For me it’s all about how much time I can spend with my family, and since moving out a few months ago it’s become even more important to me. I’ve never once forgotten how lucky I am.
Thanks for making me think about these things the last few days Peabody, I’ve been kind of stressed of late :).
joey says
We do it all and more! This year, my mom’s side decided that Dec 18 would be our “Christmas”. Then my mom is doing a smaller, more intimate “Christmas” on the 23rd eve. My dad’s family is doing actual Christmas Eve on the 24th. Our own little family of 3 will be opening more gifts Christmas morning (25th), after which we have a Christmas lunch with my mom’s extended family and Christmas dinner with my hubby’s family 🙂 Yes, gifts and all for each celebration! I’ve stopped stressing and just enjoy the ride! 🙂 Happy holidays to you Peabody!!
CookiePie says
OMG that is adorable. ADORABLE!!! Absolutely love it.
Amanda Joy says
Because my parents are divorced, and even before that happened… Christmas Eve is always with my dad’s family. Christmas day is with my little family, then my in law’s, then my grandma’s, then my mom and step dad’s house. Usually the day after Christmas is with my step mom’s family. Christmas is so busy round these parts:)
Rodzilla says
haha I’m glad you omitted a step by step recipe.
Maybe one gift on Christmas Eve, but that’s it. What else would you do all Christmas day?
Erika says
I’m a “day’er” too. I celebrate with extended family whenever we can all get together, but my mom and I always open our gifts on Christmas morning. Then we sit around, eat junk and stare at all our loot 😉
Merry Christmas Peabody!
Hanne says
Here in Norway it’s tradition to celebrate and open the gifts on Christmas Eve. When I was little, my parents usually let me and my brother open one gift each in the morning, and then we’d open the rest in the evening, after the Christmas dinner 😀
Lynn says
I’m on cuteness overload looking at these!
Jordan says
We are a bit of both. We would always exchange gifts with family on Christmas Eve after church (one of two days we went a year). Then we’d have our Santa gifts on Christmas morning. That way we had Christmas day to play with all of our new loot and stay out of our parents’ way as they made Christmas lunch/dinner, which usually was at our house for the entire extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc from both sides of the family).
christina @ ovenadventures says
Christmas day all the WAY! I still wake up too early and then my bf and I lay in bed and wait until at least 7:30. Trying to be all adult like and stuff. Then we rush down and open our presents. By then the kids are up and we get to help them open their presents.
Oh and my mom had the same rule, I could open my stocking but that was it until I bugged her enough that she got up.
KB @ Home-Baked Happiness says
We always did Christmas on Christmas morning, but one year, my dad complained because apparently, his family had done everything on Christmas Eve. So then, we compromised until I went off to college — we got one present on Christmas Eve (usually either pajamas or something we could take/wear to church that night), the rest in the morning.