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Home - Snacks

Published: Dec 8, 2020 · Modified: Dec 10, 2024 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Christmas Puppy Chow

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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!

overhead christmas puppy chow in a small pot

Why you'll love it

This tasty Christmas puppy chow goes by a few different names. It is commonly known as Christmas muddy buddies or mudy munch. Despite the name, it has no association with dog food. Instead, it is a sweet snack mix known and loved for its crunchy texture, simple ingredients, and being the perfect snack for a holiday party of cookie exchanges. 

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 is such an easy recipe that takes just minutes to make. You can add any of your favorite mix-ins to suit your personal tastes. 

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. It is especially popular for Christmas parties or any other holiday parties you may have. It also makes a great gift for anyone who loves holiday treats. 

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! You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements along with detailed instructions in the recipe card below. 

  • 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 - so long as it is the creamy peanut butter version for the best ease of use and mixing. 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, but the original rice Chex cereal is traditional. 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, unsalted butter works wonders.
  • Vanilla - Just a little pure vanilla extract brings out the flavor of 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.

Check out the "Variations" section for more inspiration!

Chex cereal in bowl topped with mix of melted chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, and butter

Method

Making this Christmas puppy chow recipe is very simple and quick - perfect for a festive last minute snack idea. It takes only a few minutes and you are ready to get your snack on!

  1. Melt your butter and your chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Add the peanut butter and vanilla to the melted chocolate and butter and mix well.
  3. Add the cereal to a large mixing bowl and add the chocolate peanut butter mixture. Stir until well-coated. Add sprinkles.
  4. Add cereal to a ziplock bag filled with powdered sugar and shake to mix.
  5. Pour the coated cereal out onto a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let it sit in the fridge or freezer for a minute for the chocolate to set.
  6. Add in your mix-ins!
cereal mixed with chocolate and peanut butter and sprinkles for christmas muddy buddies

Variations & Mix-ins

You can mix and match cereal here for even more fun. Use other types of Chex or anything else that can hold up to the chocolate, peanut butter, and other additions. 

Add in mini marshmallows and other candies and nuts to make a reindeer chow.

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!

Melt white chocolate chips to drizzle over the mix before breaking it up and putting it in your container. You can also do a mix of chocolate chip flavors

Lean into the chocolate and peanut butter by adding in mini peanut butter cups

Get even more festive with all of your favorite holiday sprinkles and Christmas M&M's 

Add a wintry touch with crushed candy canes

The possibilities are truly endless!

Storage

Keep the Christmas muddy buddies in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature. It should last about one week like this. 

christmas puppy chow on baking sheet

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finished puppy chow in container

Recipe Card

overhead christmas puppy chow in a small pot

Christmas Puppy Chow

Amanda Powell
An easy and fun Christmas puppy chow aka muddy buddy!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Total Time 13 minutes mins
Course snacks
Cuisine American
Servings 13 cups
Calories 293 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

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
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Add your chocolate and your butter in a microwave-safe medium bowl and heat for 30-second intervals, stirring well between each increment until fully melted.
  • Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla into the chocolate peanut butter mixture.
  • Place the cereal into a large mixing bowl. 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 ziploc bag and add the chocolate - coated cereal. Shake until the cereal is fully coated in the sugar.
  • 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. Top the still melted white chocolate with the remaining sprinkles.
  • Add the pretzels to the cereal mix and enjoy!

Notes

You do not have to add sprinkles to the cereal, but I do recommend them for the pretzels.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 293kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 203mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26g
Keyword chex mix, christmas, holidays, muddy buddies, muddy buddy, puppy chow
Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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About Amanda Powell

Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lesley A Riddle says

    December 15, 2021 at 4:02 am

    How long will it keep & does it need to be refrigerated?5 stars

    Reply
    • Amanda Powell says

      December 17, 2021 at 9:56 pm

      It should last a couple of weeks and it should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container

      Reply
4.80 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Hey, I'm Amanda!

I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a cookbook author, food science nerd, world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese.

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