Holiday snackers rejoice! I’m bringing this fun and festive Disney World treat to your home kitchen with my reindeer food recipe. Serve this certifiably-munchy concoction filled with seasonal gingerbread pieces, perfectly spiced granola, white chocolate pretzels, and more!
There’s nothing quite like the magic of Disney during the holiday season.
Christmas time is arguably the best time to visit Disney World – the festive lights, themed parades, and jolly atmosphere are enough to lift anyone’s Christmas spirits.
And, of course, there are endless holiday-themed goodies to sample!
One of my absolute favorite Christmas Disney treats to enjoy each year is the Magic Reindeer Food served at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!
For those who haven’t tried magic reindeer food, it includes a yummy mix of white chocolate pretzels, gingerbread cookies, granola, and holiday-themed M&M’s. It’s a super fun and festive dessert to snack on throughout the park.
And though this Disney dessert is only a seasonal offering, you can make it year-round at home with my recipe!
As a bonus, I’ll share how to make custom reindeer food to suit any and all of your allergy needs in this post.
Note: For a list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the bottom of this post and save the recipe card!
This recipe is perfect for those who are:
- Gluten-free
- Wheat-free
- Fish-free
- Shellfish-free
- Soy-free
Note: I do offer tips on how to make this free of other common allergies below.
✨ Baking Tips
- Add a dash of ginger and nutmeg to your granola for extra spicy goodness.
- Allow gingerbread dough to sit in the refrigerator to avoid spreading, and get perfectly cut cookies every time!
- Personalize your mix with different nuts, dried fruits, and chocolate additions.
✨ How to make Disney’s magic reindeer food
The base of my reindeer food recipe is spiced granola!
Begin by preheating your oven and lining your baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, add your granola ingredients to a large mixing bowl using the instructions down below. Stir to combine and pour evenly over your baking sheet, baking until crisp and browned!
Next, prep your gingerbread cookies. Your oven is already preheated, so you can get straight to mixing.
Add gingerbread ingredients to a stand mixture, scraping and mixing until dough ball forms. Then, place your dough in a covered bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll and cut your set dough, then bake using the instructions below. Make sure to wait until your gingerbread cookies have cooled down before decorating them with dark chocolate and Christmas sprinkles!
Finally, drizzle green and red melting chocolate over your white chocolate pretzel for a festive display.
Toss your prepared granola and pretzels together with some green and red M&M’s, waiting to add your gingerbread cookies until serving.
Ta-dah! Homemade reindeer food that is perfect for sharing (though I can’t guarantee you’ll want to).
✨ FAQs
Here are the most common questions I get any time I share this Reindeer Food recipe. If you have any more questions, drop them for me in the comments below or DM me on Instagram!
How do I make this reindeer food vegan-friendly?
To make this recipe vegan, you’ll need to swap out your honey for maple syrup or agave. You’ll also have to purchase dairy-free melting chocolate.
For the white chocolate pretzels and M&M’s, a little bit of creativity is needed!
I found these vegan peppermint No No’s that would be a great M&M substitution. For pretzels, I recommend making your own using this vegan white chocolate pretzel recipe from Labeless Nutrition.
Finally, swap milk and butter for plant-based alternatives and your egg for a flax seed egg. PHEW!
How do I make it gluten-free?
This swap is way easier!
Simply opt for certified gluten-free oats, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and gluten-free pretzels. Glutino makes yogurt-dipped pretzels that would work perfectly.
What could I substitute for pecans?
If you’re allergic to tree nuts or you’re just not a fan, substitute your pecans for extra oats and dried cranberries.
Looking for more Disney desserts? Try these:
- Minnie Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Mickey Mouse DoubleTree Cookies
- Churro Bars
- Honey Bee “Winnie the Pooh” Cupcakes
✨ Follow Me On This Food Journey!
If you are looking for a community that is just as obsessed with Disney as you are, join the rest of the Magical AF Foodies and like our page to always get the inside scoop on Mickey and all of his friends!
Follow us on Instagram to join us on our foodie adventures at Walt Disney World and its resorts!
✨ Check Out The Recipe Down Below 👇
Print
Disney World Reindeer Food
- Total Time: 62 minutes
- Yield: 8 – 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make my certifiably-munchy Disney Reindeer Food recipe filled with seasonal gingerbread pieces, perfectly spiced granola, white chocolate pretzels, and more!
Ingredients
Granola:
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 5 cups gluten-free oats
- 2 cups crushed pecans
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Gingerbread cookies:
- 3 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg (room temp)
- 2 tbsp whole milk
Chocolate cookie coating:
- Dark chocolate melting wafers
- Christmas sprinkles
White chocolate pretzels:
- 2 cups white chocolate-coated pretzels (gluten-free!)
- 1 cup red melting chocolate
- 1 cup green melting chocolate
Extras:
- M&Ms (red and white)
Instructions
Make granola:
- Preheat the oven 325°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add the honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the oats, cranberries, and pecans.
- Mix to combine.
- Pour the oat mixture on the prepared baking pan.
- Evenly spread the mixture on the baking pan.
- Bake for 16 minutes.
- Set to the side.
- Allow to cool to room temp.
- Break the granola up into large chunks.
Bake gingerbread cookies:
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture, and use a pastry blender to blend the mixture until combined.
- Place the bowl back on the mixer.
- Gradually add the molasses, egg, and milk, and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Scrape the sides and mix again until dough ball forms.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and form the dough into a ball.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the dough ball on a lightly floured counter.
- Roll out the dough to ½ inch thick.
- Using a 3.5″ x 2.5 rectangle cookie cutter, cut your cookies and place them on a silicone or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Place the baked cookies on a cookie rack to cool to room temperature.
Decorate cookies:
- In a medium-sized microwaveable bowl, add your dark chocolate melting wafers.
- Cook in the microwave in 30 seconds intervals until melted.
- Once the chocolate is melted, dip one side of the cookie into the chocolate and place it back on the cooling rack.
- Sprinkle each cookie with Christmas sprinkles immediately after coating it in chocolate.
- Set to the side to harden.
Make chocolate-covered pretzels:
- Place the pretzels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, add the red chocolate wafers.
- Microwave the chocolate in 30 seconds intervals until melted.
- Using a spoon, drizzle the red chocolate over the pretzels.
- Repeat the same process with the green chocolate as the red chocolate.
- Set the pretzels to the side to dry.
Make DIY reindeer food:
- In a large add the granola, pretzels, and M&M’s.
- Toss to combine.
- Add the cookies when serving.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Pin This for Later!
