This Reindeer Chow Recipe is a fun and festive Christmas treat made with chocolate muddy buddies, white chocolate covered pretzels, and little chocolate candies. Loaded with sweet and salty flavor, it’s the perfect quick and easy snack for holiday parties or even to give away as homemade gifts.
Sometimes called reindeer bait or Christmas puppy chow, you will be hard pressed to find a kid (or adult) that doesn't go nuts for this. If you're looking for even more muddy buddy recipes, you can also try our Mint Chocolate Muddy Buddies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies, or these Nutella Muddy Buddies.
Jump to:
Reindeer Chow Recipe
When the holiday season is just around the corner, I like to get ahead of the craziness and plan out a few fun and festive snacks that are quick and easy to bring to parties or give away as gifts. This year, reindeer chow is at the top of my list.
Basically a Christmas version of muddy buddies, this snack mix is packed full of salty and sweet treats with plenty of chocolate. We even add white chocolate covered pretzels with little holiday sprinkles, along with tiny chocolate candies like M&Ms or mini peanut butter cups.
If you’re looking for even more snack mix recipes, you can also try our classic Chex Party Mix, Fall Party Mix, Ranch Chex Mix, or these Oyster Cracker Churro Bites.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- Rice Chex Cereal - Rice Chex is super light and crisp, so when it’s coated with chocolate you get the most satisfying crunch. It also happens to be gluten-free! Crispix or Corn Chex would also work well.
- Chocolate Chips - I usually use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but this is definitely an ingredient that you can experiment with. I’ve had great results using milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and mint chocolate chips but there are plenty more options to choose from.
- Peanut Butter - you’ll want to use creamy peanut butter that does not separate—think Jif, Skippy, or similar. If you want something without peanuts, Nutella is a delicious substitute.
- Powdered Sugar - this covers the chocolate coating and sort of seals it all up once it cools. I recommend sifting it first so that it stays super smooth.
- Pretzels - for this reindeer snack mix, choose mini pretzels like squares or twists. They will be the perfect size and hold the perfect amount of chocolate and sprinkles.
- White Chocolate Wafers - white chocolate wafers are specially made to be easy to melt and dip, so for these pretzels they are perfect. You can definitely use white chocolate chips, but just be careful when you are melting them that you don’t heat them too much because they burn very easily.
- Sprinkles - you can use either red and green sprinkles, or any other Christmas-themed sprinkles that you can find.
- Candy - small, bite-sized chocolate candies work best. Whoppers, M&Ms, miniature Reese’s Cups, and Hershey’s Kisses are all great options.
How to Make Reindeer Chow
- Make the muddy buddies Chex mix. In a microwavable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds and stir. Heat again for 30 seconds and stir until all of the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is creamy. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir gently until all the cereal is coated.
- Coat in powdered sugar. Add half of the cereal mixture to a gallon freezer bag, or another plastic bag. Add half of the powdered sugar, seal, and gently shake until the cereal is coated. Repeat with the remaining cereal mixture.
- Cool. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool in a dark, dry place.
- Make the chocolate covered pretzels. Using a fork, dip each pretzel into the melted white chocolate, then tap to remove excess before placing onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Add your Christmas sprinkles before the chocolate sets up.
- Combine with the rest of the reindeer mix. Once the chocolate covered pretzels and the muddy buddies are set up and the chocolate has firmed up completely, combine them in a large bowl with the Whoppers, M&Ms, and mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
- Serve. Serve in a large serving bowl, or individual serving cups. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for 3-5 days. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can really get creative with this reindeer food recipe and add all sorts of crunchy, sweet treats. For cereal, I sometimes like to add Cheerios for a slightly different shape and flavor. Peanuts also taste great, and of course you can choose from all kinds of small chocolate candies.
Yes! These Christmas muddy buddies will stay fresh in freezer bags or another airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
While you can store reindeer muddy buddies at room temperature, you can extend their shelf life by keeping them in an airtight container in the fridge. The chocolate sets up and creates a protective layer on the outside of the cereal, keeping it nice and crisp.
Storing Instructions
- Room Temperature: store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3-5 days at room temperature.
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: stored cooled Muddy Buddies in freezer bags for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Reindeer Chow Recipe
Ingredients
Muddy Buddies Mix
- 9 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
White Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- 2 cups pretzels
- 1 cup white chocolate wafers
- 2 tablespoons Christmas sprinkles
Candies
- 2 cups Whoppers Candy
- 1 cup M&Ms Candy
- 1 cup Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the Chex cereal and set aside.
- In a microwavable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds and stir, repeating until all of the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is creamy.
- Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cereal in the bowl and stir gently until all the cereal is evenly coated.
- Add half of the cereal mixture to a gallon ziplock bag along with half of the powdered sugar. Seal and gently shake until the cereal is coated, then repeat with the remaining cereal mixture.
- Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool in a dark, dry place.
- Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate wafers in the microwave for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until almost completely melted. Remove and stir until melted and creamy.
- Take each pretzel and use a fork to submerge them into the melted white chocolate one at a time. Remove with the fork, then tap the fork onto the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Place onto a separate parchment paper lined baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the pretzels, sprinkling them with sprinkles before the chocolate sets up.
- Once the chocolate covered pretzels and the muddy buddies are set up and the chocolate has firmed up completely, combine them in a large bowl with the Whoppers, M&Ms, and mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
- Serve as is, or in individual serving cups. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Holiday Treat Recipes
- Candy Cane Popcorn
- Homemade Snickers Candy Bars
- Samoa Rice Krispies
- Candied Pecans
- Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls
- Homemade Caramel Popcorn
- Peppermint Patties
- More Holiday Recipes
- More Easy Dessert Recipes
This reindeer bait recipe, aka Reindeer Chow, takes muddy buddies and turns them into an easy Christmas treat. Add chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate candies for the perfect holiday party snack.
Leave a Reply