Transform the iconic Australian biscuit into Reindeer Tim Tams with candy eyes, red M&M noses, and pretzel antlers. They take a total of 5 minutes to put together so are perfect for kids' activities, holiday gifts, dessert tables - and of course, Christmas.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 5 minutes TOTAL
- Make ahead: Store in the fridge for a couple weeks (if they last that long) - the nose may discolour and pretzels will soften.
- Customise: use different candies, different biscuits
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Why you'll love this recipe
Festive & Fun. These adorable reindeer-shaped treats, like my reindeer decorated brownies, add a playful and festive vibe.
Perfect for Gifting. These make unique and charming homemade Christmas gifts. Pair with my Christmas M&M Cookies or gingerbread truffles.
Kid-Friendly Activity. Decorating is a fun and creative holiday activity that's perfect for involving the whole family like my Christmas Tree Brownies.
Ingredients and substitutions
Tim Tams. These chocolate-covered Australian biscuits are the base for your Reindeers cookies. I know you can often find Tim Tams internationally, but if they're super expensive or unavailable, substitute with a similar rectangular-shaped cookie.
You can also mix-and-match with different types of Tim Tam, even white chocolate like my white choc tim tam balls.
Candy eyes. If you can't find them, you can use small dots of white and dark chocolate as a homemade alternative.
You could also use googly eyes (just make sure not to eat them)
Red M&Ms. These make perfect Rudolph noses but you can swap with red skittles, red jelly beans or even a raspberry (like I do for the Reindeer Brownies) for a similar effect.
Pretzel pieces. Pretzel sticks or twists create reindeer antlers. I use the knot shaped ones and very carefully cut them in half.
Melted dark chocolate. Acts as edible glue to hold everything together; swap with milk or white chocolate for a sweeter option (although the dark chocolate seems to be the most similar in colour to the tim tam chocolate coating so hides well)
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make Reindeer Tim Tams
Step 1: Lay the Tim Tams flat on a clean surface or baking tray. Make sure all your decorating ingredients-candy eyes, red M&Ms, pretzel pieces, and melted dark chocolate-are ready to go (especially because the melted chocolate will want to set quickly)
You can melt chocolate in the microwave on 10 second increments, stirring each round. Repeat until half melted, then stir until the rest melts.
Step 2: Use a small amount of melted dark chocolate as "glue" to stick two candy eyes near the top of each Tim Tam and a red M&M just below the eyes for the reindeer's nose. Hold each piece in place for a few seconds to secure.
Step 3: Break pretzel sticks or twists into antler-like shapes. Dab a little melted chocolate onto the bottom of each pretzel piece and attach them to the top corners of the Tim Tam. Press and hold to let the chocolate set for a few seconds.
Step 4: Place the decorated Tim Tam Reindeer in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let the chocolate harden and secure the decorations firmly.
Top Tip
Work quickly and hold the decorations in place while the chocolate sets to secure them.
Storing Christmas biscuits
Once made, you would be able to store them for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Any longer than a week, you might notice the pretzel going slightly soft and the red m&m discolours because of the moisture.
Make sure to always check the back of the package for the Tim Tam for the use-by date.
Other easy Christmas treats
Or, you can have a browse through my Christmas category for more delicious eats.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - Love & Pasta, Lauren x
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Recipe
Tim Tam Reindeer
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Ingredients
- 1 packet Tim Tams, (~8-11 biscuits) depending on packet
- 22 candy eyes
- 11 red m&m's
- 30 pretzels , (extra as they like to break in the way you don't want)
- 8 squares dark cooking chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Lay Tim Tams flat and prepare your decorations-melted chocolate, candy eyes, red M&Ms, and pretzel pieces.
- Use melted chocolate as glue to attach candy eyes, a red M&M nose, and pretzel antlers to each Tim Tam.
- Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to set.
- Serve and enjoy your festive Tim Tam Reindeer!
athletelunchbox
These are one of my favourite, simple Christmas treats to make when you're in a pinch. If you have time (and maybe you don't since you're on this 5 minute recipe), I would love for you to leave a comment about how you went making these!