Festive cuteness and chocolate indulgence combine in these Reindeer Chocolate Brownies! They are made from a super fudgey and rich chocolate brownie, which is sliced into triangle shapes and decorated with a whipped chocolate ganache. To create the cute reindeer faces I added pretzels, candy eyes and red sweets. They are so adorable and perfect for kids and adults to make and enjoy over the Christmas holiday season!
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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking. The butter can be cold for this recipe, as you are going to melt it anyway. It will just take slightly longer to melt.
- I used unsalted butter for this recipe.
- I used light brown soft sugar for the brownies, which I do recommend using as it makes them extra fudgey, but you can also use caster sugar.
- I topped these brownies with whipped ganache. You could swap this for chocolate buttercream, or use melted chocolate to stick the reindeer bits onto the brownies instead.
- For the reindeer noses I used red M&Ms. Any small red sweet will work like Smarties or Jelly Tots. You could also use red fondant or some red buttercream.
- For the reindeer's eyes I used candy eyes, which are available in larger supermarkets and online. Instead, you could use some white fondant - roll it into a small ball and flatten it out a little. Then dip a cocktail stick into black food colouring and dot it into the middle of the fondant.
- For all of the answers to more questions about brownies, check out my Chocolate Brownies guide!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Reindeer Chocolate Brownies
To make the brownies, melt the butter and dark chocolate together on a low heat, set aside. Whisk the eggs, light brown soft sugar and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Slowly pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture, whisking as you pour. Lastly, mix in the plain flour.
Pour the mixture into the baking tin, bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Remove from the tin and slice into triangle shapes. There will be some off cuts for snacking.
To make the ganache, warm the double cream and butter on a low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the dark chocolate. Take off the heat and stir until the chocolate is melted. Leave to cool fully at room temperature. Use an electric mixer to whip the ganache for around minutes, until lighter in colour and silky. Pipe or spread onto the brownies and decorate with the pretzels, candy eyes and red sweets.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
What type of chocolate is best for brownies?
It’s hard to give an exact answer, because it depends on personal preference, but most dark chocolates will work well. I would always say to use a dark chocolate that you like to eat. One of the main ingredients of this recipe is melted dark chocolate, so it contributes massively to the flavour of the brownies. If you prefer a very dark chocolate that’s less sweet then use a higher cocoa bar, for example 70% cocoa and higher. If you prefer a milder dark chocolate, then a cocoa content around 40-50% will suit you better. One chocolate I would avoid using is cheap cooking or baking chocolate. You can get good quality baking chocolates (for example Lindt make one, and I have made amazing brownies with it) but any cheaper lower quality brands can taste very ‘fake’. For more tips on making brownies, check out my Chocolate Brownie making guide!
How should the brownies be stored and can they be frozen?
They should be stored in an airtight container, or covered on a plate, in a cool place for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the brownies. Once they are fully cool, wrap them well in cling film or place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
How do you know when the brownies are baked?
The best way to check is with the toothpick test, poke one into the middle of the brownies. It should come out with a few moist crumbs on it, but not be wet. It's better to underbake brownies rather than overbake them, especially for fudgey brownies, and you can always put them in the fridge to firm up.
Can the brownies be made gluten free?
For gluten free you can replace the plain flour with a gluten free plain flour blend. Snickers are gluten free too which is great news. Please do check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this recipe to anyone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can the brownies be made dairy free?
To make the brownies dairy free, use a dairy free butter alternative. I recommend Flora Plant, or the Stork Baking Block. Or you can replace the butter for 200ml vegetable oil (or another mild tasting oil like sunflower or canola oil). You will also need to make sure the dark chocolate you use in the brownie batter is dairy free. For the ganache, use a dairy free dark chocolate and a dairy free double cream alternative. You will also need to use dairy free options for the decoration. Please do check the labels of everything you use if you are serving this recipe to anyone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Reindeer Chocolate Brownies:
- I made all of my Reindeer Chocolate Brownies into red nosed Rudolphs (he is the best reindeer after all!) But you can also make the other reindeer by using brown fondant or a brown sweet for the nose instead.
- The pretzels will eventually go soft from being in the ganache, so if you are making them in advance, wait until you're almost ready to serve before adding the pretzels.
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Traybake tin
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Red fondant
- Candy eyes
- Dark chocolate
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More Christmas recipes...
Reindeer Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies
- 350 g Dark chocolate
- 250 g Butter
- 250 g Light brown soft sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract optional
- 120 g Plain flour
For the ganache
- 250 ml Double cream
- 25 g Butter
- 250 g Dark chocolate chopped or broken up
For decoration
- 28 Candy eyes see notes
- 14 Red M&Ms or other small red sweets
- 28 Pretzels
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 12" x 9" traybake tin
- Melt the dark chocolate and butter together in a pan on a low heat, stirring regularly. When fully melted, remove from the heat. Set it aside to cool
- In a mixing bowl use an electric mixer to whisk together the eggs, light brown soft sugar and vanilla extract for 5 minutes until thicker and paler in colour. You can also do this in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment
- Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly as you pour it in
- Add the plain flour and whisk in gently with a hand whisk until you can't see any more flour
- Pour the batter into your lined tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a cocktail stick poked into the centre comes out with moist crumbs on it, but is not wet. Leave them to cool fully in the tin and chill them in the fridge for at least 2 hours
- To make the ganache, warm the double cream and butter together in a pan on a low heat. Add the dark chocolate and stir until it is fully melted. Set aside to fully cool to room temperature
- Remove the brownies from the tin and slice into triangle shapes. There will be some off cuts for snacking
- Use an electric mixer, or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to whip up the ganache for 1-2 minutes, until it is lighter in colour and holds it's shape
- Pipe or spread the ganache onto the brownies, decorate with the pretzels, candy eyes and red M&Ms
- Store leftovers in a cool place in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Notes
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before you start baking. The butter can be cold for this recipe, as you are going to melt it anyway. It will just take slightly longer to melt.
- I used unsalted butter for this recipe.
- I used light brown soft sugar for the brownies, which I do recommend using as it makes them extra fudgey, but you can also use caster sugar.
- I topped these brownies with whipped ganache. You could swap this for chocolate buttercream, or use melted chocolate to stick the reindeer bits onto the brownies instead.
- For the reindeer noses I used red M&Ms. Any small red sweet will work like Smarties or Jelly Tots. You could also use red fondant or some red buttercream.
- For the reindeer's eyes I used candy eyes, which are available in larger supermarkets and online. Instead, you could use some white fondant - roll it into a small ball and flatten it out a little. Then dip a cocktail stick into black food colouring and dot it into the middle of the fondant.
- For all of the answers to more questions about brownies, check out my Chocolate Brownies guide!
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results,
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