Get your snack on this holiday season with some Christmas puppy chow! This easy to make snack is done in minutes and perfect alongside present wrapping or snuggling in to watch your favorite holiday movies!
Why you'll love it
Let's be honest here, there's everything to love about this super fun holiday snack mix!
There's cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, candies, and all the sprinkles! Plus, it takes just minutes to make.
I made this batch you see in the photos with my 3-year old niece and it was such a blast. I definitely recommend it as a kid-friendly snack craft. But it's still fun making on your own as an adult too, so no kids required.
It's perfect to snack on while wrapping up presents as holiday music plays in the background. Or snuggle in on the couch with your favorite throw and good movie. There's no going wrong here.
Plus the ingredients, you can really mix and match what you like and don't like and call it a day. The possibilities are endless. Think of this as more of a jumping off point for your snacking creativity!
Ingredients
Puppy chow or muddy buddy is a classic in many households. It was never a huge part of my childhood though, so I was so excited to see how few ingredients are actually needed to make it, and the Christmas version only has a couple of extra things on top of that!
- Chocolate - The best part of the whole mix, maybe? I like to use dark chocolate, but the kids prefer when I use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate. Use what you like!
- Peanut butter - This is a quintessential part of the muddy butt/puppy chow mix. I recommend using your childhood favorite for the best experience. You can also substitute with your favorite peanut butter alternatives if you are making some for anyone with allergies.
- Chex - We can't have Christmas puppy chow without the Chex! Use whatever version of Chex you like. You can also experiment with the chocolate or cinnamon versions!
- Butter - To add a bit of richness and help make the chocolate and peanut butter a tiny bit easier to mix, butter works wonders.
- Vanilla - Just a little to bring out everything a little more. If you want to really up the Christmas vibes, a tiny splash - about ¼ teaspoon - of peppermint extract would also be amazing!
- Sprinkles - Sprinkles make everything so much fun, especially here! Just a warning, you will need more sprinkles than you think if you want them to show up under the powdered sugar, so I would say this is an optional addition only.
- Candies - Anything festive works. I used sugar cookie-flavored M&Ms, but use what you like best!
- Pretzels - This is an add-in to the finished puppy chow. We drizzled ours with white chocolate and of course, more sprinkles! It adds a welcome salty/sweet crunch to the mix.
Method
Making this snack is very simple and quick. It takes only a few minutes and you are ready to get your snack on!
- Melt your butter and your chocolate.
- Add the peanut butter, vanilla, melted chocolate, and melted butter together.
- Stir the chocolate mixture in with the cereal until well-coated. Add sprinkles.
- Add cereal to bag filled with powdered sugar and shake to mix.
- Pour it out and let it sit in the fridge or freezer for a minute for the chocolate to set.
- Add in your mix-ins!
Tips
You can mix and match cereal here for even more fun. I like to do that, plus add in mini marshmallows and other candies and nuts to make a reindeer mix.
If you want to try something different and a little more elevated, add some matcha powder to your powdered sugar for a subtle green tint. I call it Grinch bait!
The possibilities are truly endless!
Related recipes
If you loved this Christmas puppy chow, you must try my sweet and salty Christmas bark. These maple candied nuts are also great snackers and gifts. You will also appreciate my easy peasy Moose Munch! Don't forget to pair it with homemade hot chocolate or homemade hot chocolate bombs if you're feeling crafty still!
Christmas Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 9 cups Chex
- ½ cup sprinkles divided (optional*)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup holiday colored M&Ms
- 2 ounces white chocolate
- 2 cups mini pretzels
Instructions
- Add your chocolate and your butter in a microwave-safe container and heat for 30-second increments, stirring well between each increment until fully melted.
- Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
- Pour the mixture over the cereal and stir well to combine.
- Add in all but 2 - 3 tablespoons of the sprinkles.
- Pour the powdered sugar into a large bag and add the cereal. Shake until well-combined.
- Allow cereal to set in the fridge or freezer for a minute or two. Add in the candies.
- Melt the white chocolate and drizzle over pretzels. Add sprinkles.
- Add the pretzels to the cereal mix and enjoy!
Lesley A Riddle says
How long will it keep & does it need to be refrigerated?
Amanda Powell says
It should last a couple of weeks and it should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container