This Reindeer Chow recipe is a delicious and festive holiday snack that is perfect for parties, movie nights, or as a homemade gift. It’s a twist on the classic “puppy chow” recipe, with holiday colors.
Believe me when I tell you this recipe is one of the easiest to make and can be whipped up in no time. It’s great for a last minute bring to a party or if you forgot to get a gift option.
All you need is a few simple ingredients of M&M’s, muddy buddies, pretzels, and Reese’s peanut butter cup minis to mix together and you’ve got a sweet and salty Christmas snack that is quite addictive.
The best part of this recipe is that it can be customized to fit your tastes and preferences. You can switch up the candy or add in other ingredients like chocolate chips or dried cranberries. The possibilities are endless!
And a little secret for when you are in a time crunch and can’t make a muddy buddies recipe, use the premade Chex Mix muddy buddies mix. It will be our little secret and no one will even know.
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What is in Reindeer Chow Mix
- Muddy Buddies – use this puppy chow recipe to make your own.
- Pretzels – any kind of pretzels will work in this from pretzels sticks to twists.
- M&M’s – holiday M&M’s with red and green work great in this recipe.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Minis – can also use other kinds of chocolate candies.
How to Make Holiday Reindeer Chow
Prepare your Muddy Buddies by melting chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour over Chex cereal. Mix until coated, transfer to a resealable bag, add powdered sugar, and shake to coat. Spread Muddy Buddies on wax paper to cool.
Combine cooled muddy buddies with pretzels, M&M’s and Reese’s peanut butter cup minis in a bowl and mix together carefully without breaking.
Store in an airtight container or distribute in small containers for gift giving.
Other Add Ins and Variations
- Mini marshmallows
- Nuts; peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc.
- Chocolates & candies; peanut M&M’s, Whoppers, mini candy cane pieces, chocolate covered pretzels.
- Change it up for different occasions by swapping red and green M&M’s with pink, white and red for Valentine’s day, etc.
- Can pour chocolate over all the ingredients and shake in powdered sugar for added flavor.
- Add Christmas sprinkles for a festive look.
- Save on time and use premade Chex Mix Muddy Buddies in a bag. The peanut butter one is a great option.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container, tin or ziploc bag in a cool dry place for up to 4 days. Store in refrigerator to last longer up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.
More Holiday Treats
- White Chocolate Chex Mix
- Holiday Peanut Butter Balls
- Slow Cooker Chex Mix
- Christmas Cracker Candy
- Chocolate Cherry Christmas Mice
Recipe
Reindeer Chow
Ingredients
- ½ cup Peanut Butter
- 1 6 oz package Chocolate Chips
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 7 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 (10oz.) bags Christmas M&M's
- 4 cups pretzels
- 1 (9.9oz.) Reese's miniatures peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Instructions
- Prepare your Muddy Buddies by melting chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a saucepan over low heat.
- Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract, and pour over Chex cereal. Mix until coated, transfer to a resealable bag, add powdered sugar, and shake to coat. Spread Muddy Buddies on wax paper to cool.
- Combine cooled muddy buddies with pretzels, M&M’s and Reese’s peanut butter cup minis in a bowl and mix together carefully without breaking.
- Store in an airtight container or distribute in small containers for gift giving.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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