Christmas Puppy Chow (aka muddy buddies) is a munchable, crunchable, sweet, and salty snack mix. Perfect for holiday parties or DIY Christmas gifts because it’s filled with Christmas colors and plenty of candy. 

Christmas Puppy Chow in a bowl with christmas decoration at the back.
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Christmas Chex Mix

Our quick and easy no-bake Christmas Puppy Chow recipe takes 10 minutes to make by coating Chex cereal with a melted chocolate peanut butter mixture, tossing it in powdered sugar, and adding any kind of candy, snack food, or holiday treats.

Wondering what this crazy concoction is? Simply put, it’s holiday puppy chow for people (not puppies), with the same crunchy texture as my Halloween Puppy Chow Chex Mix, Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies, Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix, and Halloween Harvest Chex Mix, but revised as a puppy chow recipe for Christmas.

Making Christmas muddy buddies turns a traditional Chex mix into a dangerously delicious muddy buddy recipe with a winter holiday makeover!

Why We Love Christmas Puppy Chow

  • Quick and easy to make in 10 minutes.
  • Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
  • Addictive Christmas crack Chex mix makes it hard to resist the next handful.
  • A Christmas snack mix can be customized with your favorite sweet and savory foods. Don’t care for peanut butter cups? Use other candy. Craving more chocolate? Mix it in!
  • Fun activity to create with kids and let them toss in their favorite treats.
  • Perfect for Christmas parties, holiday celebrations, gift-giving, and great alternative to cookies and cakes.

Christmas Puppy Chow Ingredients

Christmas Puppy Chow ingredients.
  • Rice Chex cereal
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Unsalted butter
  • Confectioners sugar
  • Mini pretzels
  • Red and green M&M’s
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • Sprinkles (optional)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Substitutions and Additions

  • Change The Chex: For this recipe, I use Rice Chex, but you can use Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Chocolate Chex, mixed Chex, or even Crispix cereal in your mix.
  • Choose Your Chocolate: I used semi sweet chocolate in this recipe, but milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips will also work.
  • Customize Your Crunch: If you make these Muddy Buddies for the holidays, toss in some colored M&M’s, holiday sprinkles, or crushed peppermint for an extra festive touch. Feel free to stir in Reese’s Pieces, crushed candy, cookie pieces, or chopped nuts for extra crunch.
  • Go Gluten-Free: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free. Make sure you do not use Wheat Chex in your puppy chow snack mix, use gluten-free pretzels, and check the labels on your other mix-ins.
Christmas Puppy Chow in a glass jar with a red lid

How to Make Christmas Puppy Chow

  1. Melt: Microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in 15-second intervals until smooth, stirring between intervals (Image 1). Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal (Image 2) and stir to coat. (Image 3)
  2. Shake In Powdered Sugar: Toss the chocolate-coated cereal in powdered sugar until completely covered. (Image 4)
    Pro Tip: You can use a bowl with a lid or a large storage bag for this step.
  3. Stir In Snacks: Transfer to a new bowl and add sweet and salty snacks (Images 5 and 6). Enjoy!
Chocolate mixture in a bowl. Add the chocolate mixture over cereal and stir. Stir in powdered sugar. Mix in the pretzels, M&Ms, Reese’s, marshmallows and sprinkles.

Tips For Making Christmas Puppy Chow

  • The chocolate-peanut butter ratio can be adjusted as preferred.
  • I like to make the puppy chow base separately, but you can also toss the candies in the chocolate and powdered sugar. I personally like to see the various colors and textures, so I add them in at the end. 
  • Larger sprinkles work best for this recipe; smaller ones will drop to the bottom. 
  • I like to use the extra tiny pretzels for this recipe as they are similar in size to the Chex and other ingredients and are extra fun in the mix!
  • This puppy chow does not need to be refrigerated, although if you like your snack cold, feel free to keep it in the fridge.
  • Processed peanut butter, like Jiff or Skippy, works best in this recipe. All-natural nut butters may not set well at room temperature. If you have a peanut allergy, sunflower seed butter should work, too.
  • I sometimes spread the coated cereal on a cookie sheet and allow the chocolate to cool and set up for 15-30 minutes. This step isn’t required, but I find it helps keep the cereal from sticking together.

How to Store Christmas Puppy Chow

  • To Store: This recipe stores well in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The fresher the better!
  • To Freeze: You cannot freeze your puppy chow.
Christmas Puppy Chow in a tin can.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much powdered sugar should I use for my puppy chow?

Every time I make this puppy chow, I use a slightly different amount of powdered sugar, but it’s ABOUT 1 ½-2 cups. You may want to add more if you prefer your mix to look super white. 

How can I make sure my chocolate doesn’t seize?

Be careful when melting the chocolate, and heat in 15 second intervals. Make sure to stir between each round and allow about a minute for the heat from the bowl to melt the chocolate. The oils from the butter and peanut butter will help keep the chocolate from seizing, but keeping a close eye on it is still good. 

Why is it called puppy chow?

This snack mix is called puppy chow because it looks similar to dog food! Did you know that Chex was originally made by Ralston Purina, the maker of Purina dog food? According to Wikipedia, puppy chow is also called muddy buddies, monkey munch, muddy munch, reindeer chow, or doggy bag.

More Christmas Treat Recipes

Christmas Puppy Chow on a white table.

Other Easy Holiday Desserts

If you tried this Christmas Puppy Chow Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!

5 from 6 votes
Christmas Puppy Chow on a big bowl.

Christmas Puppy Chow

Serves — 10
Christmas Puppy Chow is filled with Chex cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, Christmas candy and coated in powdered sugar
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups rice chex mix cereal
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1½- 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 cup mini pretzels
  • 1 cup red and green M&M’s
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup mini Reese’s
  • Optional: sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Place the chex mix cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
    8 cups rice chex mix cereal
  • In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 15 second intervals until smooth. Stir between each interval.
    1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Pour chocolate over cereal and stir until evenly coated.
  • Toss the chocolate coated cereal in powdered sugar until all of the chocolate is covered. You can use a bowl with a lid or a large storage bag for this step.
    1½- 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • Transfer to a new bowl and add in the pretzels, M&Ms, Reese’s, marshmallows and sprinkles and toss until well mixed.
    1 cup mini pretzels, 1 cup red and green M&M’s, 1 cup mini marshmallows, 1 cup mini Reese’s

Jenn’s Notes

Serving Size: 6-8 people
Yield: 10 cups of mix
Storage:
  • To Store: This recipe stores well in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Obviously the fresher the better!
  • To Freeze: You cannot freeze your puppy chow.
Tips:
  • The chocolate peanut butter ratio can be adjusted as preferred.
  • I like to make the actual puppy chow base separately but you can also toss the candies in the chocolate and powdered sugar if you prefer. I personally like to see the various colors and textures so I add them in at the end.
  • Larger sprinkles work best for this recipe; smaller ones will just drop to the bottom.
  • I like to use the extra tiny pretzels for this recipe as they are similar size as the Chex and other ingredients and are extra fun in the mix!
  • This puppy chow does not need to be refrigerated, although if you like your snack cold, feel free to keep it in the fridge.
  • Processed peanut butter, like Jiff or Skippy, works best in this recipe. All-natural nut butters may not set well at room temperature. If you have a peanut allergy, sunflower seed butter should work too.
  • I sometimes spread the coated cereal on a cookie sheet and allow the chocolate to cool and set up for 15-30 minutes. This step isn’t required, but I find it helps keep the cereal from sticking together.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 742kcal | Carbohydrates: 113g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 541IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 10mg

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5 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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