Yesterday I talked about how fun it is to make reindeer food with your kids as a way to think about those magical reindeer that make Santa’s sleigh fly at Christmas time! And all about this yummy reindeer chow that’s reindeer food for people! So today we’re going to continue with the reindeer fun with these adorable chocolate reindeer balls! They’re a fun and festive treat that anyone who likes chocolate will love. They use my brownie balls as a base then get decorated as cute little reindeer to turn them into the perfect holiday treat! Add these to any holiday treat plate and watch them fly off the plate in seconds! And since they’re made with my yummy brownie balls recipe, adults will love them too. You could also do the same thing with these Oreo truffles if you’d rather go Oreo than brownie, but I’m preferential to the brownies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Adorable – if you like festive Christmas treats, you’ll love this one. It doesn’t get much more festive than Christmas reindeer! Pair these with some Christmas tree brownies for the cutest Christmas treats ever!Easy – if you can melt chocolate, you can make these reindeer balls. That’s the most complicated part!No chill recipe – no need to chill these, just let the chocolate harden and you can eat them immediately. That means they can be ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Brownies – I recommend just using a box of fudge brownie mix and making it according to package instructions (so you’ll also need the ingredients for the brownies such as eggs, oil, water). Mini pretzels – I like to use mini pretzels that are broken in half to look like reindeer antlers.Melting chocolate – Ghirardelli melting wafers are best for these because they melt and harden quickly, but you could also use chocolate chips or regular chocolate. Just give it a little more time to harden. Chocolate frosting – this recipe is best with just regular store-bought chocolate frosting, the stuff that comes in a little tub.Red Sixlets – red Sixlets are best for the reindeer noses but if you can’t find those, you could use any sort of little red candy, the noses may just not be as round.
How to Make reindeer balls
You’ll make these reindeer balls in two easy steps – making the chocolate balls then turning them into reindeer with simple decorations. We’re going to start with how to make the chocolate balls.
1 – Make the Chocolate Balls
Start by making the brownies according to the package directions (or your favorite brownie recipe) for an 8×8-inch baking dish. Let the brownies cool completely before using – I like to make them the day before, but as long as they’re cooled, you’re good to go. And let’s be honest, if you make them the day before, they may not be around to make these reindeer balls the next day. Once cooled, break the brownies up into large chunks and add them to a large bowl or stand mixer and mix until crumbled and all of the larger pieces are gone. Next, add the frosting to the brownie chunks and mix everything together well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Then use a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) to portion out the brownie mixture and roll the mixture into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. The mixture should be soft and shapable but not leave a sticky residue on your hands. If it is still sticky, try chilling for 30 minutes before shaping. You can either go ahead and dip the balls now or let them chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or until you’re ready to melt.
2 – Coat the Chocolate Balls
Before you start melting the chocolate, make sure you have all of your decorations ready to go because you’re going to put them on before the chocolate is completely set. Melt the melting chocolate in a wide mouth glass at 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each, until fully melted. Or if you’d prefer to not use the microwave, you can double boil the chocolate on the stove in a bowl or double boiler. Once the chocolate is melted, pour the melted chocolate into a wide-mouthed glass for dipping. Drop the balls, one at a time, into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to coat. Use a fork to remove the ball from the chocolate and tap to remove any excess chocolate. Use a toothpick or another fork to help slide the ball off of the fork and back onto the baking sheet.
3 – Decorate the Reindeer Balls
Let the chocolate set for just a little bit so it’s not still sliding off the balls then it’s time to decorate. Add two pretzel halves to the top of the reindeer balls for the reindeer’s antlers. Press them down firmly but not too hard that you put a hole in the balls. Add two candy eyes to the front for the eyes and add a red Sixlet for the nose. Let the chocolate set completely before serving or enjoying. If you don’t let the chocolate set, the decorations will all just fall off as soon as you pick them up and while the brownie balls themselves will still be yummy, they won’t be the reindeer balls you’re going for! I mean, look how cute this cake stand full of reindeer balls is. I’d totally eat a few (or all of them).
Expert Tips
Don’t spend time making the pretzel pieces perfect. Just break them in half however you want – reindeer antlers aren’t all the same anyway! Place the balls in a freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air to freeze for up to 3 months before you add the reindeer details. Let thaw at room temperature then use a little melted chocolate to add the decorations on. Don’t use a brownie mix that has extra additions like a fudge sauce or that is overly gooey because they’ll be too soft and won’t hold up in this recipe. I prefer the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate brownies. Homemade frosting can also be used, make sure to use a buttercream-like frosting and not a whipped cream base. If using homemade frosting, these balls should be refrigerated. Store reindeer balls in an airtight container and enjoy within five days. The pretzels will start to get stale after that point.
More Easy Christmas Recipes
If you like these adorable reindeer balls, you’ll love these other cute Christmas recipes!
Melted snowman cookies – these yummy sugar cookies get topped with snowlike frosting and a marshmallow snowman who is half melted!Christmas tree cake dip – this quick and easy three ingredient cake dip uses Little Debbie Christmas Tree cakes and a few other basic ingredients for one yummy holiday treat!Santa hat cupcakes – red velvet cupcakes get a Christmas inspired upgrade with the addition of ice cream cone hats!Grinch brownies – the most delicious homemade brownies combined with some Grinch inspired goodies!Peanut butter snowballs – peanut butter bites get dipped in white chocolate then sprinkled with holiday sprinkles for a delicious peanut butter candy like treat!
