This easy reindeer chow combines mini pretzels, Chex cereal, M&Ms, and mini peanut butter cups in a Christmas snack mix that’s just what kids think reindeers would eat! It only takes ten minutes to make and is always a huge hit with any age!
It’s not only a delicious treat, it’s a fun and festive Christmas treat as well. And one that thousands of people have made and enjoyed over the years!
It’s that time of year again! Time to get out the decorations, bake some cookies, and get ready for Santa!
And we can’t forget about the reindeer! While you’re making cookies for Santa or just making Christmas cookies (I recommend these Andes mint cookies) in general, try out this fun reindeer chow snack mix to change things up this holiday season!
Plus, it’s so easy to make the kids can even help. They’ll love thinking about magical reindeer flying overhead while making this yummy Christmas snack mix!
It’s a great snack to enjoy during a little Christmas movie night (try watching while playing this Christmas movie bingo!) or as a snack during a big Christmas games competition.
Or even to have out while playing one of these gift exchange games – a good consolation prize for someone who gets their beloved gift stolen right out of their hands.
You could even put it in a cute Christmas tin or jar and give it to neighbors with these cute Christmas treat tags!
Why you’ll love this
- Christmas muddy buddies – if you like muddy buddies, this recipe just takes it one step further with the addition of some of a reindeer’s favorite snacks!
- Super easy – if you can melt chocolate, you can make this fun Christmas snack mix! It’s just melting, mixing, and eating!
- Keeps well – this reindeer chow can keep up to seven days making it a great Christmas snack to make once and enjoy for days to come!
Reindeer Chow Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate chips – you can either use chocolate chips or chocolate melting wafers, either one works! You just need to have melted chocolate to make the mix.
- Chex Cereal – you can use rice, corn, or both. I don’t recommend wheat, that’s better in this homemade chex mix.
- Peanut butter cups – you want to use the mini peanut butter cups, either the wrapped ones or even the really little unwrapped ones work too!
- M&Ms – I like the Christmas colored ones since this is a Christmas snack mix, but you could really use any colored M&Ms you want if you can’t get Christmas ones. Or just pick out the reds and greens from a regular bag!
- Cheerios – Honey Nut Cheerios are best for the added sweetness but if you want, you could also use regular Cheerios.
You can also mix it up and add any of your other favorite snack ingredients – nuts, cornflakes, popcorn, etc. Just make sure you keep a good balance of sweet and salty!
How to Make Reindeer Chow
This recipe is one of my favorite Christmas recipes because it’s just so easy and so quick to make. I love letting my boys help me combine the ingredients and make this yummy reindeer chow.
Best of all – it’s not that big of a deal if they pour a little too much or don’t add enough, it’s a snack mix so anything goes!
Start by combining the Corn Chex, Rice Chex, and Cheerios in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter then microwave for 30 seconds and stir.
If everything isn’t completely melted, microwave for an additional 30 seconds, stir until it is completely melted and smooth.
You can also do this with a double boiler on the stove if you don’t have a microwave (like me).
Next, pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and mix well, evenly coating the cereal. This is the muddy buddies part, except with a few little tweaks.
Important!
This is important so make sure to make pay attention! Once the mixture is coated in chocolate, you need to set the mixture aside to about 15 minutes to let the chocolate set. If you don’t do this, the powdered sugar coating will not stick properly and you’ll end up with a mess instead of the reindeer chow you’re looking for!
Now combine the powdered sugar and cocoa in a large gallon sized ziplock bag.
Once they’re both in there, put all the chocolate coated cereal into the bag and zip closed.
Toss the cereal in the bag until it is all coated with the powdered sugar mixture. Chocolate muddy buddies at their best!
Once all the cereal is coated, pour it out onto a baking sheet to cool completely. You want the melted chocolate to harden and want the cereal to not coat your hands completely when you pick it up.
To finish the chow, combine the M&Ms, mini peanut butter cups, and pretzels in a large serving bowl.
Then add the cooled cereal mix and carefully stir to combine.
Pour everything into a large bowl and serve either in a large bowl or spooned into individual cups. Christmas cupcake liners make great cups for this kind of Christmas snack mix!
Tips & Storage Info
Make this for any holiday by changing out the M&M colors inside! Everything else works great for other holidays and the name can just be changed. Cupid chow, Easter bunny chow, you get it.
Mix gently so you don’t break all of the peanut butter cups and pretzels. You want the mixture to be mixed but not broken up.
Freeze this reindeer chow in a freezer safe airtight bag or container for up to three months. Just put it into freezer safe bag or containers and allow to thaw when you’re ready to enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This snack mix is definitely not nut-friendly and there’s really not a good way to replace the peanut butter and peanut butter cups without totally changing the taste of the mix. I’d recommend doing something else, possibly chocolate dipped rice krispie treats instead.
Freeze this reindeer chow in a freezer safe airtight bag or container for up to three months. Place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw then enjoy just like normal! You could even do individual bags of the snack mix so you don’t have to thaw it all at once.
This reindeer chow will last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container. Keep it even longer by freezing for up to three months.
You can definitely add nuts to this reindeer chow or any of your other favorite snacks. If you are adding nuts that you want to taste the salty nature of the nut, I recommend adding those at the end so they aren’t coated in the chocolate and powdered sugar.
More Easy Christmas Treats
If you liked this Christmas snack mix, make sure to check out these other popular holiday treats!
- Cranberry orange bread – this is the most moist, most delicious Christmas bread ever!
- Grinch cupcakes – these darling cupcakes are not only super flavorful, they look just like the Grinch!
- Mini sugar cookies – these yummy sugar cookies are even better when enjoyed in mini form!
- Sugar cookie fudge – a fudge that tastes just like a sugar cookie, seriously!
- White chocolate cranberry macadamia nut cookies – the most amazing Christmas cookies with all sorts of flavor and crunch!
Reindeer Chow
Ingredients
- 3 cups Corn Chex
- 3 cups Rice Chex
- 2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
- 3 TBS butter
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBS cocoa powder
- 16 ounces Christmas M&Ms
- 2 cups mini peanut butter cups
- 4 cups pretzels (sticks or twists)
Instructions
- Combine the Corn Chex, Rice Chex, and Cheerios in a large bowl.3 cups Corn Chex, 3 cups Rice Chex, 2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
- In a separate bowl, combine butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter then microwave for 30 seconds and stir. If everything isn't completely melted, microwave for an additional 30 seconds, stir until it is completely melted and smooth3 TBS butter, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and mix well, evenly coating the cereal.
- Set aside to sit for 15 minutes before coating.
- Combine powdered sugar and cocoa in a large gallon sized ziplock bag. Add chocolate coated cereal to the bag and zip closed. Toss the cereal in the bag until it is all coated with the powdered sugar mixture.1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 TBS cocoa powder
- Once all the cereal is coated, pour it out onto a baking sheet to cool.
- Combine M&Ms, mini peanut butter cups, and pretzels in a large serving bowl then add the cooled cereal mix and carefully stir to combine.2 cups mini peanut butter cups, 4 cups pretzels, 16 ounces Christmas M&Ms
iola says
I’m making this for Xmas
Britni Vigil says
Hope you enjoy it!
Mary Blizzard says
Can you add salted peanuts?
Britni Vigil says
I’ve never tried it but don’t see why not. Let me know how it turns out.
Teresa Tichenor says
I’m going to make this for Christmas
Kim says
What could I use to substitute for the pretzels? My crew doesn’t like pretzels, and since they are the ones that will be eating it. I have diabetes so I can eat vicariously through my crew.
Britni Vigil says
That’s a great question that I don’t have a great answer for. I’d just omit them altogether.
Steph says
I actually haven’t made this recipe yet, but I know I’ll love it. I just wanted to comment and say you’re an absolute genius to list the ingredient amounts under the steps! Plus, you have “jump to recipe” and “cook mode” buttons. Thank you!
Britni Vigil says
Thank you for the kind words!
Cindy says
What can I substitute for corn chex ?
Britni Vigil says
You could just use more Rice Chex.