Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food Recipe (Holiday Snack!)
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If you visit Walt Disney World during the holidays, you’ll be able to buy some Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food.
This is a yummy snack mix with granola, gingerbread cookies, white chocolate pretzels, and M&M’s!
And now, you can make it at home with our Disney-inspired recipe!
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Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions, to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required and understand the steps and timings involved.
Walt Disney World is a magical place already, but go during the Holidays and it’s like another level!
One of my favorite Disney Resorts is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, which has the most stunning Christmas tree in the lobby, but also some delicious, festive snacks to buy!
One such snack is the Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food, which seems to only be available from this beautiful resort.
But if you can’t get to Disney for the holidays, then this reindeer food recipe is one for you to try!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
Staple ingredients such as oil, salt, sugar, etc., aren’t always included here as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen.
The complete list of ALL ingredients with measurements is found on the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredients Needed To Make Reindeer Food
- Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Whole Milk (Full-Fat Milk)
- Other Fresh Produce – Eggs
- Honey – try to buy locally-produced honey when possible.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract – always buy good vanilla as it really does make a flavor difference.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Vegetable Oil – or other neutral oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil.
- Rolled Oats
- Pecans
- Dried Cranberries
- All-Purpose Flour – also known as Plain Flour.
- Cake Flour – This is a finely milled flour that has a lower protein content, less gluten, and is lighter and softer than all-purpose flour. You can make your own cake flour by measuring 1 leveled cup of all-purpose (plain flour), removing 2 tablespoons, and then adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (cornflour). Sift well before using.
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Baking Soda – also known as Bicarbonate of Soda.
- Ground Ginger
- Ground Allspice – not ALL the spices but the dried unripe berry of the Pimenta dioica tree. Often used in Jamaican and West Indian cuisine.¾ cup molasses
- Dark Chocolate Melting Wafers – you can use chocolate chips or break up a whole chocolate bar.
- Nonpareils Christmas Sprinkles – we used red, white, and green.
- White Chocolate-Covered Pretzels – if you can’t buy this ready-made, you can make your own by melting some white chocolate and dipping pretzels into the melted chocolate. Check out our Chocolate Covered Pretzels recipe.
- Red Candy Melts
- Green Candy Melts
- Red & White M&M’s
Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- Baking/Cookie Sheet – this is to bake the granola, as well as the gingerbread cookies.
- Parchment Paper – also known as baking paper or greaseproof paper.
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber/Silicon Spatula
- Wooden Spoon
- Electric Mixer – either a handheld or standing mixer.
- Pastry Blender/Cutter – this is to combine flour and butter. If you don’t have one, you can always do this using more common kitchen tools, or even with your hands. Read this substitute guide.
- Plastic Wrap – to cover the dough for chilling.
- Rolling Pin – to roll the gingerbread cookie dough.
- Rectangle Cookie Cutter – we used a 3.5″ x 2.5″ cookie cutter, but you can make them a little smaller or larger if that’s the size you have. You could even make different shapes if you prefer.
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Microwaveable Bowl – to melt chocolate and candy wafers. You can melt them in a double-boiler on the stovetop, or in a dedicated device such as the Wilton candy melting pot.
- Squeeze Bottles – for drizzling red, and green melted candy over the pretzels. You could also do this using a spoon, or placing the candy in plastic food bags and snipping the corner off.
- Cellophane Bags – reindeer food would make a great homemade gift, so why not bag it up with some festive ribbon and a gift tag?
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. Please note, that you can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.,).
More Reindeer-Themed Recipes
Here are some more reindeer-themed treats you might like to try out:
- Reindeer Cookie Bars
- Minnie Mouse Reindeer Cupcakes
- Reindeer Rice Krispies Treats
- Reindeer Corn Cookies
- Unicorn Reindeer Cupcakes
- Reindeer Chow
- Reindeer Poop Pudding
- Layered Reindeer Cake
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Doughnuts
- Reindeer Poop Cookies
How Do I Make Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food?
The printable recipe card has the full ingredients list and instructions and can be found at the end of this post.
There are several steps to this recipe as the granola, and gingerbread cookies are made from scratch, and you will also need to decorate the white chocolate pretzels too.
Reindeer Food Granola
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F/170°C/Gas 3, and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Whisk together the honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl, then stir in the rolled oats, pecans, and dried cranberries.
Step 3: Spread the mixture evenly over the prepared baking sheet, and bake. Leave to cool, then break into pieces.
Reindeer Food Gingerbread Cookies
Step 1: Use an electric mixer to whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt.
Then use a pastry cutter to blend the butter and flour mixture.
Gradually add the molasses, egg, and milk and mix till combined, and a dough starts to form.
Step 2: Cover the dough and place it in the fridge to chill – this makes rolling the dough easier and helps to prevent the cookies from spreading whilst baking.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3: Roll the dough on a floured surface and cut out rectangular cookies. Place them on the prepared cookie sheet, bake, then leave to cool on a wire rack.
Step 4: Decorate the cooled gingerbread cookies with melted chocolate and festive sprinkles and set them aside to dry.
Reindeer Food Pretzels
Step 1: Melt the red, and green candy melts and use them to drizzle over the white chocolate-covered pretzels. For added pizzazz, you could add nonpareils sprinkles if you like! Leave the pretzels to set.
Combine Reindeer Food Elements
Step 1: All that is left to do, is to combine all of the elements together.
Place the broken-up granola, pretzels, and M&M’s into a bowl and toss them together. Add the gingerbread cookies when ready to serve.
You could also box up or bag up the Disney reindeer food to give out as gifts to neighbors, teachers, service people, friends, or family. It would also make a lovely hostess gift.
Melting Tips for Candy Melts
You can melt candy melts/candy wafers in the microwave or a double boiler, or if you plan on making lots of candy-covered treats in the future, I recommend investing in a Wilton candy melting pot as treat-making life is then so much easier!
Try this PME one if you’re in the UK, as the Wilton one is not available on Amazon.co.uk.
If you use the Wilton Candy Melting Pot, you can check out Wilton’s demo video on YouTube which is really helpful. They also give tips on how to melt candy melts in the microwave, as well as using the double boiler method.
The two most important things are
- Do not overheat – use an even melting temperature
- Do not add water – it makes the candy seize up and become unusable. Make sure the equipment used is completely dry, and avoid using utensils that retain moisture like a wooden spoon.
If you find that the candy is too thick, add vegetable shortening or (solid) coconut oil in 1 teaspoon increments, up to 1 tablespoon, and stir well.
Another reminder – do not add water. The very first time I used candy melts I managed to get water in the bowl and it was ruined. Learn from my mistakes! Additionally, do not use vegetable oil, butter, milk, or any other liquids as this will also make the candy seize up.
If you are using your microwave, test melt a small amount of candy melts first, to see how it works. You may need to adjust the temperature and time to suit your machine. Heat in 15-30 second increments, stirring the candy melts each time. They may not look melted, but they might have started melting from the inside. Stirring helps to distribute the heat.
More Disney Recipes
Looking for more Disney-inspired to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Make These Lion King Paw Print Cookies For Your Little Cubs!
- Cosmic Mickey Mouse Brownies For Disney Snacking at Home!
- Make This Yummy Jungle Cruise Snack Mix for Your Intrepid Explorers!
- Gingerbread Mickey Minnie Cupcakes
- Gingerbread Mickey Mouse Cookies
- Frozen Olaf Dessert Cups
Walt Disney World Reindeer Food Snack Mix Recipe
The printable recipe card below has the full ingredients list and instructions. To save ink, any demonstration photos do not print.
Disney's Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food
This tasty winter snack is inspired by Wilderness Lodge Reindeer Food which is available at the resort during the holidays!
Ingredients
For the Granola
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups crushed pecans
- 1 cup dried cranberries
For the Gingerbread Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) + extra for dusting
- 1 cup cake flour*
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup molasses
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp whole milk (full-fat milk)
For the Chocolate Cookie Coating
- Dark chocolate melting wafers
- Christmas nonpairels sprinkles
For the White Chocolate Pretzels
- 2 cups white chocolate coated pretzels
- 1 cup Red melting chocolate
- 1 cup Green melting chocolate
Extra Ingredients
- M&M's - red and white
Instructions
- To make the granola, preheat the oven to 325°F/170°C/Gas 3. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Add the honey, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the rolled oats, pecans, and cranberries to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
- Place in the oven to bake for 16 minutes. Set the granola aside to cool at room temperature before breaking it up into large chunks.
- To make the gingerbread cookies, use an electric handheld or standing mixer and whisk together the two types of flour, dark brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, allspice, ground cinnamon, and salt to combine.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture, and use a pastry blender/cutter to blend the mixture until combined.
- Using the mixer on medium speed, add the molasses, egg, and milk to the flour and butter mixture and mix to combine. Scrape down the sides and mix until dough ball forms. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Dust the work surface with flour and roll the cookie dough to about ½-inch/1cm thick.
- Using a 3.5" x 2.5 rectangle cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and leave them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate coating for the cookies, melt the dark chocolate according to the package instructions, or place it into a microwaveable bowl and melt it in 30-second increments, stirring in between until fully melted.
- Once the chocolate is melted, dip one side of the cookie into the chocolate and place it back on the cooling rack. Sprinkle each cookie with Christmas sprinkles immediately after coating it in chocolate. Set the cookies aside for the chocolate to harden.
- To decorate the pretzels, place them on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Microwave the red candy melts according to the package instructions, or place it into a microwaveable bowl and melt it in 30-second increments, stirring in between until fully melted.
- Drizzle the melted red candy over the pretzels using a spoon, or transfer the melted candy to a squeeze bottle or piping bag to drizzle with.
- Repeat steps 16 and 17 with the green candy melts. Set the pretzels aside to dry.
- With all the elements prepared and set, add the granola, pretzels, and M&M's to a large bowl and toss to combine. Add the cookies when serving.
- Optional: Transfer servings to food boxes or cellophane bags to give as gifts. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Notes
What is Cake Flour?
This is a finely milled flour that has a lower protein content, less gluten, and is lighter and softer than all-purpose flour. You can make your own cake flour by measuring 1 leveled cup of all-purpose (plain flour), removing 2 tablespoons, and then adding 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (cornflour). Sift well before using.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1036Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 339mgCarbohydrates: 128gFiber: 8gSugar: 86gProtein: 12g
This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Recipes To Prepare A Special Dinner
You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Savory Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Soup: Winter Vegetable Soup
- Salad: Roasted Fennel and Grapefruit Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
- Main Dish: Orange Cranberry Chicken Recipe Made with Bone-In Chicken Breasts
- Side Dish: Creamy Instant Pot Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Beverage: Cranberry Moscow Mule Cocktail for the Holidays
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.
The Create the Holidays series on The Purple Pumpkin Blog features free printables, crafts, recipes, and more for Christmas and the Winter Holidays. Check out Create the Holidays (formerly Create Christmas) from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
