Christmas Donuts – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Christmas Donuts made to look like reindeer (specifically Rudolph)! These cute and festive donuts are simple to make and sure to be a hit this holiday season!

Try some of our most popular Christmas treats like these Christmas Oreo Truffles, easy Christmas Gifts with free printable bag toppers, or Christmas Oreo Pops.

Christmas Donuts

One of my favorite donut shops recently made some donuts to look like reindeers and I couldn’t resist creating my own and sharing them here! My kids went crazy for these–I mean, of course they’re delicious (a donut in a donut!), but they’re such a fun treat as well! 

These donuts make such a festive addition to a Christmas dessert (or brunch!) spread. Or they make for the perfect treat to give out to friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.

Christmas Donuts also make for a festive Christmas breakfast–they’re quick and easy to put together plus filled with loads of sugar which is what Christmas breakfast dreams are made of! 🙂

How To Make Christmas Donuts At Home

If you’re interested in making donuts from scratch, try this maple donuts recipe (or for semi-homemade donuts you’ve got to try our Air Fryer Donuts or Cronut recipe).

But to keep things as simple as possible for these Christmas donuts, I swung by our local donut shop and grabbed a mixed box of chocolate and maple glazed. If there is one flavor preferred in your family grab that flavor–these “Reindeers” are cute on chocolate or maple!

Christmas Donuts Ingredients Needed

Beyond the maple and/or chocolate-glazed donuts, here’s what else you’ll need:

• Mini pretzel twists. The pretzels get broken in half to create the “antlers.” Use leftover pretzels in our favorite Chex Mix Recipe or Christmas Snack Mix.
• Mini donut holes. Grab these old-fashioned donut holes or assorted donut holes depending on the flavors you prefer.
• M&Ms. The “nose” is a red M&M attached with melted chocolate. Grab a holiday bag of M&Ms or pick out the reds from a regular bag of M&Ms. Another alternative would be to use big red Christmas sprinkles for the nose.
• Melted chocolate. To create the eyes and attach the M&M to the Christmas donuts, we use melted chocolate. Grab your favorite type of chocolate–milk, semi-sweet, or dark. See “quick tip” box below.

QUICK TIP

We recommend chocolate made for melting like good quality baking bars (such as Baker’s, Lindt, or Ghiradelli) or good quality melting wafers (such as Ghiradelli) for best results. (Both bars and melts are found in the baking aisle of the store.)

More Christmas Desserts:

Christmas Donuts

Christmas Donuts made to look like Rudolph! These cute and festive donuts are simple to make and sure to be a hit this holiday season!

Christmas Donuts

Christmas Donuts made to look like Rudolph! These cute and festive donuts are simple to make and sure to be a hit this holiday season!

Instructions

• MELT CHOCOLATE: Add chocolate melts or finely chopped chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 15 seconds until nicely melted. Once melted and smooth, use a spatula to transfer every bit of chocolate into a small plastic bag. (I use a cup to hold the open plastic bag so I can scoop the chocolate right inside). Seal the bag without air in it and cut off the very tip.

• PIPE ON EYES: Start with piping on the “eyes.” Set out all of the donuts and pipe 2 closed eye shapes on each donut.

• FINISH: Gently press a donut hole in the center of each donut (these are not intended to be firmly attached so people can remove them for easier eating!). Use some leftover chocolate to pipe some chocolate on the back of the M&M and attach each M&M to the center of the donut hole. Break a pretzel in half and gently press into either side of the donut.

• SERVE: Serve promptly enjoying soon after decorating (best enjoyed same day they’re made).

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Chocolate: We recommend chocolate made for melting like good quality baking bars (such as Baker’s, Lindt, or Ghiradelli) or good quality melting wafers (such as Ghiradelli) for best results. (Both bars and melts are found in the baking aisle of the store.) Use whatever chocolate you like best–semi-sweet, milk, or dark. (We use milk chocolate in these pictures.)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4.9g | Fat: 19.1g | Cholesterol: 25.4mg | Sodium: 408.1mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 2.4g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.