Reindeer chow is a fun Christmas muddy buddy snack mix that is loaded with tasty treats and festive red and green M&M candies! It's a perfect recipe for getting the kids involved or serving at any holiday get-together! Trust me, it's so addicting that there won't be any leftovers!
Christmas Muddy Buddies Recipe
Puppy chow, muddy buddies, or in this case, reindeer chow is a fun treat that is perfect for any large get-together! It is easy to make and serves a crowd!
Not to mention, it is ridiculously addicting! Using red and green M&Ms makes this a wonderfully festive treat just in time for Christmas!
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If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, check out my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, my fantastic Christmas cake, fruitcake and more cake ideas, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!
🥘 Reindeer Chow Ingredients
All of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Feel free to customize it by adding anything else you like!
- Chex - 9 cups of Chex rice cereal to act as the base of the snack mix.
- Honey Nut Cheerios (optional) - 1 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios, if desired.
- Pretzel Sticks - 1 cup of pretzel sticks to add a salty element.
- Chocolate Chips - 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips for melting and coating all of the ingredients.
- Peanut Butter - ½ cup of peanut butter. This will be melted with the chocolate for a winning flavor combination!
- Butter - ¼ cup of butter.
- Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to enhance the flavors.
- Confectioners Sugar - 1½ cups of confectioners sugar.
- Kit Kats - 1 cup of Kit Kats. You can use either the bite-sized version or just chop them into small pieces.
- Reeses Peanut Butter Cups - 1 cup of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. Again, you can use the bite-sized version or just cut them up!
- M&Ms - ½ cup of M&M candies. Use the red and green ones for a festive touch!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Reindeer Chow
This recipe requires absolutely no cooking, so even a beginner can master it! You will need a large bowl, a microwave-safe bowl (for melting chocolate), and a silicon spatula to fold it all together!
When finished, you will have 18 servings of Christmas puppy chow, so it is perfect for serving the whole family (and enjoying leftovers tomorrow!)
Prepare Ingredients
- Combine cereal. Begin by adding 9 cups of Chex rice cereal, the optional 1 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios, and 1 cup of pretzel sticks into a large bowl. Mix until well distributed.
- Prepare to melt. In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, add your 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup of peanut butter, and ¼ cup of butter.
- Melt. Heat the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove it from the microwave and stir. Continue to heat it in small bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each one, until the chocolate is almost entirely melted. Then, stir it until completely melted and smooth.
- Add vanilla. Next, stir 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the chocolate-peanut butter mixture.
Combine Everything
- Coat the cereal. Pour the melted chocolate and peanut butter over the cereal and pretzel mixture. Gently fold the mixture with a silicone spatula until all of the cereal and pretzels are well coated.
- Add powdered sugar. Continue to fold the cereal while adding in 1½ cups of confectioners' sugar. Continue folding until all of the ingredients are coated with sugar.
- Add candy. Finally, add in 1 cup each of bite-sized pieces of Kit Kats and Reeses peanut butter cups, and ½ cup of red and green M&Ms. Gently stir until they are well-distributed. Serve your puppy chow immediately or store it for later.
Serve this festive snack alongside some other Christmas treats for an impressive dessert lineup! It would look fantastic next to some Christmas cowboy cookies and Christmas crack! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Puppy chow is super customizable! You stir in any of your favorite things! Try some graham crackers, marshmallows, or chocolate chunks!
- I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. I think that the snack mix could be too sweet if using milk chocolate.
- The clumps and clusters are one of the best parts of reindeer chow! Try to avoid over-mixing so that you don't break it up too much.
🥡 Storing
Reindeer chow can be kept in a sealed, airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. Additionally, you can pop it in the freezer and store it for up to 2 months.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Nope! These are two different names for the same tasty snack mix! There is no difference at all and comes down to simply which term you prefer to use!
Yes! While this snack mix is quick and easy to make (so you don't need to make it in advance), you can easily make it the day before if you like. Simply store your reindeer chow in an airtight container at room temperature. It will be just as tasty when you are ready to enjoy it!
You can easily swap out the peanut butter if you have an allergy. Any other nut butter would work. Or, you could use nut-free butter like sunflower butter or cookie butter.
🎅 More Fun & Festive Treats
- Christmas Fudge - This classic and simple fudge recipe is rich, decadent, and topped with festive sprinkles!
- Polar Bear Paw Print Cookies - Chocolate cookies are topped with frosting, coconut, and M&Ms to resemble a paw print!
- Nutter Butter Snowmen - Dunking your Nutter Butters in white chocolate makes them look just like snowmen!
- Christmas M&M Cookie Bars - Easy-to-serve bars are perfect for bringing to any holiday festivities!
- Christmas Nougat - This chewy and sweet nougat is loaded with red and green gumdrops!
- Christmas Cake Batter Meringues - Light and airy meringue cookies are a wonderfully tasty treat!
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📖 Recipe Card
Reindeer Chow
Ingredients
- 9 cups Chex rice cereal
- 1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios (optional)
- 1 cup pretzel sticks
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup Kit Kats (unwrapped bit size candies, or cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (unwrapped bit size pieces, or cut into chunks)
- ½ cup M&M's candies (Christmas colors, sorted into red and green candies)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Begin by adding your Chex rice cereal, the optional Honey Nut Cheerios, and pretzel sticks into a large bowl. Mix until well distributed.
- In a separate, microwave-safe bowl, add your semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.
- Heat the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove it from the microwave and stir. Continue to heat it in small bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each one, until the chocolate is almost entirely melted. Then, stir it until completely melted and smooth.
- Next, stir the vanilla extract into the chocolate-peanut butter mixture.
- Pour the melted chocolate and peanut butter over the cereal and pretzel mixture. Gently fold the mixture with a silicone spatula until all of the cereal and pretzels are well coated.
- Continue to fold the cereal while adding in the confectioners' sugar. Continue folding until all of the ingredients are coated with sugar.
- Finally, add in your bite-sized pieces of Kit Kats, Reeses, and red and green M&Ms. Gently stir until they are well-distributed. Serve your puppy chow immediately or store it for later.
Notes
- Puppy chow is super customizable! You stir in any of your favorite things! Try some graham crackers, marshmallows, or chocolate chunks!
- I recommend using semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. I think that the snack mix could be too sweet if using milk chocolate.
- The clumps and clusters are one of the best parts of reindeer chow! Try to avoid overmixing so that you don't break it up too much.
- To store: Keep your muddy buddies in an airtight container or plastic storage bag for 7 days at room temperature.
- To freeze: Muddy buddies can be stored in a storage bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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