This reindeer food recipe is a fun and easy Christmas craft that kids love! You can whip up this holiday tradition in minutes with oatmeal and sugar. We have so much fun sprinkling this festive “food” over the yard as a snack for Santa’s reindeer!
Just like my homemade hot chocolate mix and puppy chow, this easy reindeer food recipe also makes a perfect homemade gift for friends, teachers, and classmates during the holiday season.
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Why You’ll Love This Reindeer Food Recipe
It’s a tradition in our house to sprinkle “reindeer food” on our lawn on Christmas Eve, to attract Santa’s reindeer. It also gives Dancer, Prancer, and company something to eat while Santa is inside leaving us presents (and eating cookies)! Here’s why you’ll be making this fun craft every Christmas from now on:
- Quick to make. This magical reindeer food recipe is such a fun activity for kids, while they’re making it and when they’re sprinkling it over the lawn afterward!
- Pantry ingredients. You need only two ingredients: oats and sugar. I use colored sugar to give this reindeer food recipe a Christmassy spin.
- Easy gifting. Reindeer food is an easy last-minute hostess gift, or you can make it for friends, neighbors, and teachers. I used to make the kids in my son’s class a little bag of reindeer food to go in their goodie bags before the holiday break.
How to Make Reindeer Food
To make reindeer food, all you need is oats (any kind) plus white, red, and green sugar. You can mix the ingredients and add everything to a gift bag, or, do what I like to do and layer the ingredients into a piping bag for a pretty presentation. Here’s how:
- Prep. Place your piping bags into cups and fold the tops over, as if you were going to fill them with frosting. Gather your reindeer food ingredients.
- Scoop. Scoop the ingredients into the bag. Starting with the colored sugar, top that with a layer of white sugar, and finally, add the oats.
- Seal and store. Twist and seal the bags closed. Add a ribbon and note of your choice, and get gifting! You can also store your reindeer food for later, see below.
Tips and Variations
- Color the sugar yourself. If you have granulated sugar but not red or green sugar in the pantry, you can color white sugar using red and green food coloring. Just add a few drops to a bowl of sugar, and mix.
- Make sure it’s biodegradable. Oats and sugar are safe for sprinkling on the ground. If you swap or change the ingredients in this reindeer food recipe, take care that anything you use isn’t harmful to the environment. Avoid glitter, for example. You don’t want any real woodland creatures choking on your magical reindeer food!
- Change up the holiday. Turn this reindeer food into bunny food at Easter. Swap the red and green colored sugar for pink, purple, and/or yellow. You can also layer white and green sugar to lure a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day.
How to Use Reindeer Food
On Christmas Eve, sprinkle reindeer food outside on the lawn or next to the chimney to beckon Santa’s reindeer your way! Don’t forget to have cozy mugs of hot chocolate waiting when you come in from the cold.
Reindeer food makes a fun and festive gift for friends and family, either on its own or in addition to a plate of sugar cookies, fudge, or peanut butter balls. Check out my best Christmas cookies for more inspo.
How to Store
Reindeer food is non-perishable, so it lasts in the pantry for months. In case you want to get a head start on your holiday gifting, be sure to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry location.
More Christmas Recipes
Reindeer Food
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1 batch 1x
- Category: Christmas
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This reindeer food recipe is a fun and easy Christmas craft idea. It uses only two ingredients: oats and sugar. Kids have so much fun sprinkling this “food” outside as a snack for Santa’s reindeer on Christmas Eve!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oatmeal
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/8 cup of red/green sugar
Instructions
- Mix the oatmeal and sugars together, pour them into a plastic bag, and sprinkle them outside on the ground for the reindeer!