Reindeer Food Recipes

Everyone remembers to leave milk and cookies for Santa but what about the reindeer?!? The poor boys work so hard every Christmas yet they are often overlooked!

Reindeer Food Recipes for Christmas Eve

We used to leave a couple of carrots out but started making Reindeer food a few years ago. The boys love helping make it and playing with different recipes, like this Frozen Fractals Reindeer Food, so I wanted to share some of the best ones I've found online!

How to Package Reindeer Food?

You can package up reindeer food in ziplock bags, add a printable tag/label, or sprinkle it in the yard. You could also make it in advance of Christmas Eve and store it in a mason jar. Keep it somewhere the kids can see to help build excitement while they count down!

I really liked the idea of this cute drawstring bag labeled with a Magic Reindeer Food cut file, but I don't have a Cricut yet. If I get one before next Christmas, I'll make up a bag like this for storing our reindeer food in future years.

Is Reindeer Food Safe for Animals?

Some of these recipes are edible (but not meant for human consumption) while some use glitter (like my Frozen Fractals Reindeer Food) and aren't safe to sprinkle outside. And some are edible but not safe for wildlife. If you plan to let your kid sprinkle in the yard, please make sure it is a recipe noted as wildlife safe. To keep it edible, you can substitute regular glitter with edible glitter.

I've never used edible glitter in anything meant for animals and have heard mixed messages on it. The RSPCA says not to use edible glitter in magic reindeer food that wildlife will have a chance to nibble on, but instead recommends one birds will love that helps repel rodents!

How do You Leave Reindeer Food to Make Sure They Get It?

We leave a ziplock bag for Santa to take with for when the reindeer get hungry. We don't do a printable label anymore but leave it on the plate with Santa's cookie and a carrot or a few baby carrots. Others sprinkle it on the front steps or in the yard. If you have a one-story house, maybe you could toss some up on the roof to guide the reindeer on where to land!