Description
This festive Reindeer Food Recipe, also known as Christmas Puppy Chow, combines crunchy Rice Chex cereal, pretzel pieces, and creamy peanut butter with melted semisweet chocolate. Coated in powdered sugar and mixed with holiday M&Ms and mini peanut butter cups, this sweet and salty snack is perfect for the holiday season. Easy to prepare and ideal for sharing, it’s a fun, flavorful treat with a festive twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 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
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Combine Cereal and Pretzels: In a large bowl, mix together the Rice Chex cereal and broken pretzel pieces, ensuring an even distribution for the coating.
- Melt Chocolate and Peanut Butter: Melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together either on the stovetop using low heat or in the microwave with short bursts, stirring frequently until smooth and fully combined.
- Mix Wet and Dry: Pour the melted peanut butter chocolate mixture over the cereal and pretzel mix, stirring gently to coat all pieces evenly without breaking the cereal.
- Chill Mixture: Refrigerate the coated mixture for about 30 minutes until it just begins to set and firm up slightly.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar: Remove the mixture from the fridge. In a separate large bowl, place ½ cup of powdered sugar at the bottom. Add half of the chilled mixture, then sprinkle another ½ cup of powdered sugar over it, followed by the remaining mixture on top.
- Stir to Coat: Gently stir and toss the mixture to evenly coat the cereal and pretzels with powdered sugar for a light, sweet crust.
- Chill Again: Return the mixture to the refrigerator for an additional 30 to 60 minutes to fully set and firm up the coating.
- Add Final Sugar and Candy: Add powdered sugar in ¼ cup increments as needed to fully coat the mixture to desired sweetness and coverage. Then stir in the red and green M&Ms and mini peanut butter cups to add festive color and flavor.
- Serve and Store: Transfer the finished Reindeer Food to a serving bowl and enjoy. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chocolate Options: Use semi-sweet or dark chocolate for best flavor balance. Milk chocolate can make the mix overly sweet. Allergy-friendly brands like Hu Kitchen or Enjoy Life are great alternatives.
- Nut Butter Variations: Substitute creamy peanut butter with almond, cashew, sunflower seed butter, or other nut/seed butters for different flavor profiles.
- Cereal Substitutes: Rice Chex is preferred, but Crispex or similar rice-based cereals can be used as alternatives.
- Pretzel Choices: Use mini or broken pretzel sticks. Avoid large or thick pretzel rods to maintain proper coating and texture.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is critical for the coating and shouldn’t be substituted for best results.
- Candy Swap: Customize with your favorite holiday candies beyond M&Ms and peanut butter cups to suit taste and occasion.
- Storage Tips: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month to extend freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 140mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
