This Reindeer Chow is a homemade Muddy Buddy recipe tossed with some extras to make it fun and festive for the holidays!
One of my favorite treats for any day of the year is Puppy Chow. I grew up with it, and it is just one of those things that I could eat on repeat. But trust me, don’t use the recipe on the box! I tweaked it a little to make it extra delicious.
This Reindeer Chow is my favorite muddy buddy or puppy chow recipe, whichever name you prefer, and then some fun mix-ins! I went for the sweet and salty combo by adding some pretzels, festive M&M’s and of course mini peanut butter cups for more chocolate and peanut butter. You really can never get enough!
Why You’ll Love Reindeer Chow
- Simple – Just a handful of ingredients that you can find at any grocery store is all you need. Plus you can mix it up if you want and use whatever you have on hand.
- Fun – sweet & salty is always a fun flavor combo, plus the red and green just pop and make this fun to look at.
- Easy – It takes just about 10 minutes to make, so it is the perfect easy treat you can throw together in just minutes and look like the star of the show.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chex Cereal – use any variety you like. I prefer Corn or Rice Chex
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- Peanut Butter – you want to use creamy peanut butter for this
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
- Pretzel Pieces
- Mini Peanut Butter Cups
- Red & Green M&M’s
How To Make Reindeer Chow
- Melt – In a microwave safe bowl combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds and then stir. Continue with 15 second intervals until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- Mix – Add the chocolate mixture to a bowl of Chex cereal and mix until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Toss – Using a large ziplock plastic bag, add the coated cereal and powdered sugar. Zip it closed and then toss it around until everything is well coated.
- Cool – spread the mixture onto a baking sheet for it to set up.
- Mix-Ins – Once the mixture has set up for 30 minutes add your pretzels, peanut butter cups, and M&M’s and mix until everything is combined.
How To Store
Store your puppy chow in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can also freeze reindeer chow. Place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Recipe Tips
- Cereal – You can use any variety of Chex cereal you like. Or even Life Cereal or Cripix will work.I prefer to use Rice or Corn Chex, but use what you have an enjoy.
- Candy. Switch up the candy and use this for any holiday. Reese’s Pieces of fall, Pastel M&M’s for Easter…whatever you like.
- Chocolate. I almost always use semi-sweet chocolate chips, because that is what I have on hand. But if you have a bar or other form of chocolate you can most definitely use it. Just chop it about the same size to ensure that it melts evenly.
- Mix-Ins. Get creative with your mix-ins. I used pretzel pieces for a sweet and salty combo
Give As A Gift
This Reindeer Chow makes a cute gift to give a friend or neighbor. You can fill a mason jar or a plastic bag that you tie with a cute ribbon.
More Fun Christmas Treats
- Grinch Truffles
- Sugar Cookie Fudge
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread
- Santa Hat Brownies
- Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies
- Grinch Hot Chocolate
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies
Reindeer Chow
This Reindeer Chow is a homemade Muddy Buddy recipe tossed with some extras to make it fun and festive for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 5 cups Chex Cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 Tablespoons butter, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel pieces
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
- 1 cup red and green M&M's
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter cubes. Heat for 45 seconds in the microwave. Stir and heat for 15 second intervals until it is completely melted. Stir in the vanilla extract
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex cereal, and mix until everything is well coated.
- Add the cereal mixture and powdered to a gallon sized plastic bag Seal the bag and toss until the pieces are all coated. Pour onto a baking sheet.
- Let the cereal mixture set up for about a 20 minutes for the chocolate to harden.
- Sprinkle the peanut butter cups, M&M's and pretzel pieces over the top and mix to combine.
- Serve or store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 347Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 8mgSodium 217mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 3gSugar 32gProtein 6g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Sandra
Wednesday 20th of December 2023
Such a fun treat for Christmas! My kids enjoyed making and eating these!
Beth
Tuesday 19th of December 2023
I love reindeer chow during the holidays. All those festive flavors really make the season. I really like your version. It's so loaded!