Reindeer Food Recipe (Christmas Puppy Chow) Recipe
This festive Reindeer Food Recipe, also known as Christmas Puppy Chow, combines crunchy Rice Chex cereal, mini pretzels, peanut butter, and chocolate with a dusting of powdered sugar and colorful red and green M&Ms, making a delightful holiday snack that’s perfect for sharing or gifting during the Christmas season.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 10 servings 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Main 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
Coating and Mix-ins
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 ½ cups red and green M&Ms
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Combine cereal and pretzels: In a large bowl, mix together the Rice Chex cereal and broken mini pretzel pieces ensuring even distribution.
- Melt peanut butter and chocolate: Gently melt the semisweet or dark chocolate chips with the creamy peanut butter either on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix melted chocolate with cereal: Pour the peanut butter and chocolate mixture over the cereal and pretzel mixture. Stir thoroughly to coat all the pieces evenly.
- Chill mixture: Place the coated cereal mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until it starts to firm up slightly but isn’t fully set.
- Prepare for coating: Remove the mixture from the refrigerator. In a separate large bowl, pour ½ cup of powdered sugar to the bottom. Add half of the chilled mixture into the bowl, then sprinkle another ½ cup of powdered sugar evenly over it, followed by the rest of the mixture.
- Coat with powdered sugar: Gently stir and toss the mixture in the powdered sugar until it is evenly coated, ensuring no clumps form.
- Second chilling: Return the coated mixture to the refrigerator and chill for an additional 30 to 60 minutes to allow it to set completely.
- Final sugar coating: After chilling, continue adding powdered sugar in ¼ cup increments, tossing gently after each addition, until the cereal and pretzel pieces are fully coated to your liking.
- Add festive mix-ins: Fold in the red and green M&Ms along with the mini peanut butter cups, mixing gently to distribute them evenly throughout the snack.
- Serve and store: Transfer the finished Reindeer Food to a serving bowl for immediate enjoyment or store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Melting peanut butter and chocolate together can be done using either a double boiler on the stovetop or in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each to avoid burning.
- Ensure the cereal mixture is well chilled before coating to help the powdered sugar adhere better and create a nice coating.
- If desired, you can substitute mini pretzels with another crunchy salty snack like pretzel sticks or crispy rice crackers.
- This recipe is best enjoyed within a week to maintain optimal freshness and crunch.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature; avoid refrigeration after final coating to prevent sogginess.
Keywords: Christmas snack, Puppy Chow, Reindeer Food, holiday treat, peanut butter chocolate, festive snack mix
