Reindeer Food Recipe (Christmas Puppy Chow)
Posted Dec 12, 2020, Updated Jan 17, 2023
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This Reindeer Food is a fun and festive Christmas Puppy Chow recipe that’s easy to make with only 7 ingredients! Reindeer chow is a cute gift for friends, neighbors and coworkers!
My love for Puppy Chow (or Muddy Buddies as some call it) runs deep. I perfected the technique and ratios to make the best puppy chow ever, and I added a Christmas flair to make this Reindeer Food recipe.
This Reindeer Chow is made with 7 ingredients including rice square cereal, pretzels, peanut butter, chocolate and more. Every piece of cereal is generously coated with chocolate & peanut butter – so every bite is pure bliss.
This reindeer food recipe is easy to make and even easier to eat! Wrap it in a cellophane bag and use this adorable printable to make cute gifts for neighbors and friends, along with this homemade kettle corn and cinnamon sugar pecans!
Reindeer Food Recipe: Ingredients and Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate. I recommend using dark or semi-sweet chocolate. In my opinion, milk chocolate makes it too sweet. If you need an allergy-friendly chocolate both Hu Kitchen and Enjoy Life Foods make great options! Since it’s being melted, you can use any form such as chips, chopped bars, discs, etc.
- Creamy peanut butter. This reindeer food recipe can be made with any nut or seed butter if you have a peanut allergy in your family. Cashew, almond, sunflower seed butter, etc.
- Rice Chex Cereal. Chex is my favorite cereal to use to make this reindeer chow (or a generic equivalent)! However many people love Crispex!
- Mini Pretzels. The pretzels are broken into smaller pieces, so you can use sticks or mini pretzels. I don’t recommend thick rods or other large varieties.
- Powdered Sugar. I don’t recommend making substitutes for the powdered sugar in this Christmas puppy chow recipe.
- Candy: Feel free to substitute your favorite holiday candy. I love the red and green M&Ms to give it a Christmas flair, and the peanut butter cups for taste!
How to make Reindeer Food
This Christmas Puppy Chow is really easy to make, but as always, we’ll walk through the steps together to ensure your success – and don’t forget to watch the video!
Combine Chex & Pretzel Pieces
Begin this reindeer chow recipe by combining the rice Chex cereal and pretzel pieces in a large bowl, then set the mixture aside. It’s important to break the pretzels into smaller pieces so there’s a salty crunch in every bite!
Melt Chocolate and Peanut Butter
Next, melt the peanut butter and chocolate together, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Then, stir the mixture until it’s melted and smooth.
Combine Ingredients
Pour the peanut butter chocolate mixture over cereal/pretzel mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Make sure to scrape the melted chocolate off the sides of the bowl to incorporate it into the cereal mixture.
Chill the Reindeer Food
Next, chill the reindeer food in the refrigerator until the mixture just barely begins to set up (about 30 minutes). You can also set it outside on a cold December day. This step is absolutely critical to ensure your reindeer chow isn’t too sweet. By chilling the mixture, you will use less powdered sugar overall because it will not absorb as quickly into the chilled mixture as it would into a warm mixture.
Add powdered sugar
Once the Christmas puppy chow is slightly hardened (but still able to be stirred), remove the mixture from the refrigerator.
Put some powdered sugar on the bottom of a separate, large bowl. Add half of the chilled mixture, then add more powdered sugar over the cereal and the remaining chocolate/cereal mixture. Using a fresh bowl will keep the powdered sugar from sticking to the chocolate on the sides. Gently stir until the powdered sugar is evenly distributed, tossing to coat the cereal with powdered sugar.
Chill again
Chill the reindeer food again in the refrigerator until it’s set (about another 30-60 minutes).
Add more powdered sugar
After it is chilled completely, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time until the cereal/pretzel mixture is coated.
Add candy and serve
Once the reindeer chow is coated in powdered sugar to your liking, add the M&Ms and peanut butter cups and stir to combine, then transfer to a serving dish. Reserve a few to dress up the top of the serving bowl if you will be putting it out for guests and not packaging it up in bags as gifts.
Store/Freeze
Store this Christmas puppy chow in an airtight container (or bag) for up to 1 week at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and for 1 month in the freezer. Serve at room temperature.
FAQs
Yes! this puppy chow recipe can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
This puppy chow stays fresh for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container at room temperature (but it usually gets eaten way faster)!
Package to give as gifts
If desired, portion out the Christmas puppy chow into cute holiday containers, bags, etc. and give as gifts to friends and neighbors.
My talented hubby helped me design this cute label you can print out and add to your bags of reindeer food!
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!
Reindeer Food Recipe (Christmas Puppy Chow)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 5 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 1 ½ cups mini pretzels broken into pieces
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups red and green M&Ms
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine rice Chex cereal and pretzel pieces.
- Melt peanut butter and chocolate together, either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Pour peanut butter chocolate mixture over cereal/pretzel mixture and stir to combine.
- Chill in the refrigerator until the mixture just barely begins to set up (about 30 minutes).
- Remove the mixture from the refrigerator.
- In a separate, large bowl, put ½ cup powdered sugar on the bottom of the bowl. Add half of the chilled mixture, then add another ½ cup powdered sugar over the cereal and the remaining chocolate/cereal mixture.
- Gently stir until the powdered sugar is evenly distributed, tossing to coat the cereal with powdered sugar.
- Chill the mixture again in the refrigerator until it’s set (about another 30-60 minutes).
- Add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time until the cereal/pretzel mixture is coated.
- Add M&Ms and peanut butter cups and stir to combine.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate. I recommend using dark or semi-sweet chocolate. In my opinion, milk chocolate makes it too sweet. If you need an allergy-friendly chocolate both Hu Kitchen and Enjoy Life Foods make great options! Since it’s being melted, you can use any form such as chips, chopped bars, discs, etc.
- Creamy peanut butter. This reindeer food recipe can be made with any nut or seed butter if you have a peanut allergy in your family. Cashew, almond, sunflower seed butter, etc.
- Rice Chex Cereal. Chex is my favorite cereal to use to make this reindeer chow (or a generic equivalent)! However many people love Crispex!
- Mini Pretzels. The pretzels are broken into smaller pieces, so you can use sticks or mini pretzels. I don’t recommend thick rods or other large varieties.
- Powdered Sugar. I don’t recommend making substitutes for the powdered sugar in this Christmas puppy chow recipe.
- Candy: Feel free to substitute your favorite holiday candy. I love the red and green M&Ms to give it a Christmas flair, and the peanut butter cups for taste!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you like this recipe, try these!
Here are some more delicious recipes perfect to make at Christmas time!
- This is the best puppy chow recipe you will ever eat, ever.
- Cookies: Some of our favorite cookies include, Cut-out sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, peanut butter blossoms, double chocolate cookies, the best chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and these peanut butter cookies.
- Hot chocolate. This peppermint hot chocolate is the perfect way to warm up this holiday season, also try our Homemade hot chocolate recipe and peanut butter hot chocolate.
- Candy. Another great addition to a cookie platter is homemade candy. Our homemade almond toffee is the best. Also try these Oreo balls, Chocolate peanut butter balls, and candied pecans or candied almonds.
- Bars: Bars are so much easier to make than cookies (in my opinion) because it’s a spread and bake situation. We love these chocolate peanut butter bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, and these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars.
- Check out our roundup of all of our favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes!
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Amazing!! Always a crowd favorite. Love making this
Thank you so much Bridget!
Would this recipe be gluten-free if I omitted the pretzels?
Yes, as long as you use gluten-free peanut butter cups and candy. This puppy chow recipe is gluten-free! https://joyfoodsunshine.com/puppy-chow-recipe/