Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
Next, add the vanilla extract and egg and mix well to combine.
Now, add the dry cake mix to the creamed mixture. Stir until well blended. The dough will be a little thick.
Using a cookie scooper, scoop out the dough and form it into 1 inch balls.
Drop each cookie dough ball in a bowl of powdered sugar and roll it around to coat it.
Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls on the lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
Now, bake the cookies for about 10-13 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool completely. Use icing or frosting to attach two pretzel twists to the top of each cookie for antlers. Add two candy eyes and a red M&M for the reindeer nose.
Finally, let the cookies rest for about 5 minutes so the icing is set and enjoy!
Notes
You can use chocolate chips for the eyes if you can't find the candy eyes.
Cinnamon red hot candies make a great alternate for the red reindeer noses.
Any 15.25 oz. chocolate cake mix can be used for this recipe.
You can make the dough and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. To freeze these cookies, place them in a ziploc bag or freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies overnight and enjoy!