This Christmas Eve, set out your cookies for Santa with a bowl of the tastiest reindeer food ever! Of course, the reindeer love this stuff, but it’s more than suitable for humans too! Your holiday guests will love snacking on this Christmas Puppy Chow.
Christmas is all about traditions, and at our house, setting out a tray of cookies for Santa Claus has always been a must. After all, by the time he gets to our house, he’s probably going to be hungry for a gingersnap, or a few chocolate peppermint macarons.
But don’t forget the Reindeer! They’re working hard, and deserve an extra special treat this year.
This reindeer food recipe, a.k.a Chrismas Puppy Chow, a.k.a Reindeer Chow, puts a holiday spin on the classic muddy buddies/puppy chow recipe, and makes it super festive and fun. Save some for the ones who carry the sleigh, but serve the rest for guests to snack on (with a glass of Christmas Punch), or pack it up in pretty bags to give as gifts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter– The best flavor combination ever is the basis of this sweet treat. Melted chocolate and peanut butter coat Chex cereal, and then we’ll add even more with Christmas M&Ms and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.
- So Easy to Make – This is a no-bake Christmas dessert recipe that you can make in just 20 minutes. You’ll need to wait a bit for the chocolate to harden, but even so, this will be one of the easiest Christmas treats on your list.
- Adjustable – Add and remove ingredients to make your own personal special reindeer food recipe. I’ll give you some suggestions on how to switch things up later on.
You should also check out my recipes for Mint Chocolate Puppy Chow and Movie Theatre Muddy Buddies! Christmas Puppy Chow Fudge is also a delicious holiday treat.
Key Ingredients in Christmas Puppy Chow
There are some important ingredients that must be included in this special reindeer food recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chex: A mixture of rice Chex and wheat Chex gives this Christmas reindeer snack extra fiber and crunch!
- Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate chips are my preference. You can also use semisweet chocolate bars, chopped up. Dark chocolate also works, but I’d avoid milk chocolate, as it can make puppy chow overly sweet.
- Peanut Butter: Any creamy peanut butter will work in this recipe. I used regular Skippy peanut butter.
- Butter and Vanilla Extract: Mix these in with the chocolate and peanut butter to make the most decadent coating for the Chex cereal.
- Powdered Sugar: This coats the puppy chow in a sweet fluffy covering. It sticks to your fingers in the best way!
- Peanuts: Reindeer love peanuts, don’t you know? I love them too, and they complement the peanut butter perfectly.
- Candy: To make this version of puppy chow extra Christmassy, add holiday M&Ms! And to make it extra chocolate-peanut-buttery, add miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups.
- Pretzels: Mini pretzel twists add a salty, crunchy element that helps to balance all of the rich sweetness going on elsewhere in the recipe.
How To Make Reindeer Food
- Make the Chocolate Coating: Peanut butter, butter, and chocolate chips melt up quickly in the microwave. Put them in a heat-proof bowl, and microwave at 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is smooth and melted. It should take 60-90 seconds in total. Stir in salt and vanilla extract, then let this coating cool down for about a minute so that it’s not so hot.
- Coat the Chex: Add the Rice Chex and Wheat Chex to a bowl, then pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the cereal. Stir gently with a spatula until each piece is mostly coated with chocolate.
- Grab a Ziplock Bag: This is where the magic happens! Add powdered sugar to the bag, then add the coated Chex cereal.
- Shake! Seal the bag, and gently shake it to coat each piece with sugar.
- Let Cool: Pour the puppy chow onto a sheet pan, and spread it out. Let it set on the counter until the chocolate has hardened, or speed up the process by placing it in the refrigerator.
- Dress it Up for Christmas! Keep the puppy chow sealed and in a cool place until you’re ready to serve. Pour it into a serving bowl, and gently mix the Chex pieces with Christmas M&Ms, pretzels, peanuts, and mini Reese’s cups.
Tip!
It’s ok if some of the puppy chow squares stick together. You can leave them that way, or gently separate them before the chocolate hardens.
Recipe Tips
- Wait to Add the Pretzels: It’s best to add the candy, nuts, and pretzels to the mix just before serving. This way the pretzels and nuts stay crunchy and fresh, and the candy doesn’t get completely covered in powdered sugar.
- Skip the Wheat Chex: Rice Chex on its own makes a super tasty puppy chow, plus it’s gluten-free. You could also use corn Chex if you prefer.
- Try Other Candy: Feel free to replace the candy in the recipe with your favorite holiday candies. You could also add chocolate-covered pretzels instead of or in place of the regular ones.
- Add Sprinkles: I find it easiest to use red and green decorating sugar sprinkles and mix them up with the powdered sugar coating. Otherwise, the sprinkles won’t stick, or they’ll be hidden under all the fluff!
- Make it Peanut-Free: To make a peanut-free puppy chow, replace the peanut butter with any other nut or seed butter you enjoy, and leave out the peanuts.
Storing Tips
Keep your Christmas Puppy Chow in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month!
Remember to wait to mix in the pretzels, nuts, and candy until just before serving so that everything is fresh and tasty.
Cookie Recipes for Santa
You have reindeer food ready, so make sure you have plenty of Christmas cookies baked to leave for the big elf! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Pizzelle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread Cookies
- Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies
- Christmas Crack
Be sure to include a glass of milk, or try a special treat like Peppermint Hot Chocolate or a Santa-themed Christmas Cocktail!
FAQs
You can call this puppy chow, reindeer food, or muddy buddies! I think it’s named because of its resemblance to a snack you might feed your pet, but I promise that this is food for people, and it’s delicious!
This recipe makes an amazing handmade, edible gift for friends, neighbors, and family! Wrap up individual or share-sized servings in holiday bags or boxes. You can keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to gift them. I like to keep reindeer food and a batch of make-ahead Rum Balls at the ready for unexpected guests.
I suggest letting the melted chocolate cool a bit on the Chex before adding the powdered sugar. I also let the chocolate cool down before pouring it on the Chex. This will reduce the time that the cereal will be able to absorb moisture from the chocolate, so it will stay crisper.
The Reindeer are going to be so spoiled this year! Be sure to make enough Christmas Puppy chow for them and for all of your holiday guests.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Christmas Puppy Chow
Equipment
- sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars
- ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rice chex
- 3 cups wheat chex
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1 bag (7-8 oz) Reeses mini peanut butter cups unwrapped
Instructions
- In a heat-proof bowl, combine the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter together. Microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Remove from the microwave and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Add rice and wheat Chex to a large bowl and gently stir them together, then pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the cereal.
- Gently stir until the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate.
- Allow the chocolate to cool down slightly (but not harden).
- Add powdered sugar to a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Then add the chocolate-covered Chex. Seal and shake the bag gently to evenly coat the Chex with powdered sugar.
- Spread the puppy chow out onto a baking sheet and allow it to cool and harden. You can speed up this process by placing the tray in the fridge. If needed, break up any clumps.
- Before serving, add the puppy chow to a large bowl. Mix in peanuts, M&Ms, mini pretzels, and mini Reeses cups.
Notes:
- To Store: Store the puppy chow in the refrigerator, in a ziplock bag or airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for 1 month. Serve at room temperature.
- It’s best to add the nuts and pretzels to the mix just before serving. This way the pretzels and nuts stay crisp and fresh, and the candy doesn’t get covered in powdered sugar.
- Package Christmas Puppy Chow in holiday bags or tins and give it out as gifts to friends, family, and neighbors.
- Feel free to replace the candy in the recipe with your favorite holiday candies. You could also add chocolate-covered pretzels instead of or in place of the regular ones.
- Try adding holiday sprinkles! I find it easiest to use red and green decorating sugars and mix them up with the powdered sugar. Otherwise, the sprinkles won’t stick, or they’ll be hidden under all the fluff!
- You can also switch up the type of Chex. Try all rice Chex instead of the wheat/rice combo, or pick up a box of Crispix instead.
- To make a peanut-free puppy chow, replace the peanut butter with any other nut or seed butter you enjoy, and leave out the peanuts.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Tammy says
I have been making people puppy chow since the 1980s. The chocolate/peanut butter mixture was too thick to cover the cereal well. It was thick like fudge. Iwill use my tested and true recipe the next time. I like the add ins. So thanks for that idea.