This is an adorable reindeer buttercream board you can make and serve up for a movie night at home, a holiday party, or a treat just for snacking.
A buttercream frosting paired with donuts, cookies, candies, and more for dipping in the frosting.
Whip this up for all your holiday snacking needs.
Thanks, Tina, for this fun creation!
No Bake Holiday Treat: Reindeer Buttercream Board
This week is filled with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
We’re wrapping presents and spending time hanging out with our boys.
Make this Reindeer Buttercream board if you’re looking for a fun holiday activity that can also pair as a treat.
It’s filled with chocolate buttercream frosting and your favorite holiday treats.
What will I need to make this reindeer buttercream board?
To make this reindeer buttercream board, you will need the following ingredients:
Confectioners’ sugar. If your sugar is lumpy, run it through a sifter to help break up the lumps. This provides a creamy frosting.
Unsalted butter. The butter is the base of the frosting. But make sure it is room temperature, so it creates the perfect texture.
Vanilla extract. I love using vanilla, but you could also use the almond extract to alter the flavor just a bit.
Gel food coloring. Gel food coloring works great in creating the perfect color of the frosting.
Chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods. These items are what I used for making the antlers for the reindeer.
Variety of cookies and sweets for dipping. Pick and choose whatever you want to dip into your buttercream frosting.
How to make a Reindeer Buttercream Board
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
Buttercream Frosting:
- 3 cups (360 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter (227 grams), slightly melted*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- gel food coloring**
- Candies, Cookies & Other Treats:
- Chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods
Choose your favorites: mini donuts, mini brownies, mini cinnamon buns, shortbread cookies, chocolate-dipped cookies, ginger cookies, pretzels, Oreos, pound cake, fresh fruits for dipping like strawberries, and Christmas candies.
Equipment:
measuring cups and spoons of various sizes
medium mixing bowl
small mixing bowls
spatula
electric mixer
tipless piping bags
charcuterie board (suggested size 12″ x 20″)
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, and vanilla extract on high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Separate the buttercream frosting into four separate bowls. You’ll need about one tablespoon to color black, two tablespoons of frosting for white, and ¼ cup of frosting for the color red. The remainder of the frosting can be colored brown.
- Place all frostings into tipless piping bags – one color per bag.
- On a large charcuterie board (pictured here is a 12″ x 20″ board), start by making two large overlapping brown circles. The bottom circle should be in the middle of the board. I make this bottom circle (the nose and mouth area) a double layer of frosting, so it is thicker than the top circle (eyes area).
- Then take the red frosting and make a large circle for the nose. Use the white frosting to make the eyes. Then use the black frosting for the pupils and a smile.
- Use chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods to make antlers at the top of the head.
- Fill the rest of the board with the cookies and other sweets you have to dip into the buttercream.
How to Store Buttercream Frosting
Buttercream can stay at room temperature for about three days, but it should be wrapped well in food-safe plastic wrap.
The best way to store these leftovers is to scoop the buttercream into a food-safe container.
Then keep the candies and other sweets stored separately in food-safe containers at room temperature.
Do I have to use homemade frosting for this reindeer board?
If you want to make a different type of frosting or buy store-bought, go right ahead.
You can then color the frosting to pipe on the look of it all.
So for the red nose, I recommend starting with a white frosting.
Then for the black, you can color white frosting or chocolate frosting.
Can I make this without piping bags?
Yes, you sure can. All you need to do is put the frosting in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.
Then cut off a tiny end of a tip and then use the bag to pipe the frosting onto the boar.
What type of board will I need?
So you could easily use a cutting board, cheese board, or charcuterie board.
Feel free to use whatever style of board you would like.
Make sure you use a large enough boar to fit the reindeer and the dippers on the side of the reindeer to create a dessert board.
Now that you have the tips and printable recipe for making this reindeer holiday board grab everything you need and get started!
Happy Holidays!
Love reindeer themes? Check out: DIY Reindeer Wrapping Paper
Check out these other buttercream boards Tina made for us:
Christmas Tree Buttercream Board
Find more holiday recipes below:
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Candy Cane Buttercream Sandwiches
Elf on the Shelf Hot Cocoa Board
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups 360 grams confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227 grams, slightly melted*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- gel food coloring**
- Candies Cookies & Other Treats:
- Chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods
- Choose your favorites: mini donuts mini brownies, mini cinnamon buns, shortbread cookies, chocolate-dipped cookies, ginger cookies, pretzels, Oreos, pound cake, fresh fruits for dipping like strawberries, and Christmas candies.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract on high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Separate the buttercream frosting into four separate bowls. You'll need about one tablespoon to color black, two tablespoons of frosting for white, and ¼ cup of frosting for the color red. The remainder of the frosting can be colored brown.
- Place all frostings into tipless piping bags – one color per bag.
- On a large charcuterie board (pictured here is a 12" x 20" board), start by making two large overlapping brown circles. The bottom circle should be in the middle of the board. I make this bottom circle (the nose and mouth area) a double layer of frosting, so it is thicker than the top circle (eyes area).
- Then take the red frosting and make a large circle for the nose. Use the white frosting to make the eyes. Then use the black frosting for the pupils and a smile.
- Use chocolate finger cookies or chocolate-coated pretzel rods to make antlers at the top of the head.
- Fill the rest of the board with the cookies and other sweets you have to dip into the buttercream.
Notes
measuring cups and spoons of various sizes
medium mixing bowl
small mixing bowls
spatula
electric mixer
tipless piping bags
charcuterie board (suggested size 12" x 20")
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