Reindeer Chow

Reindeer Chow — A holiday twist on classic Muddy Buddies that’s EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and perfect for hostess gifts or cookie exchanges!! Chex, chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, M&M’s, and sprinkles make this dessert snack mix totally IRRESISTIBLE!!

Festive Recipe for Reindeer Mix 

If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert or snack for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, or a salty-and-sweet treat, this fun and festive Reindeer Chow recipe is a perfect recipe that’s ready in 15 minutes.

Reindeer Chow (aka Reindeer Food or Reindeer Mix) is a holiday twist on classic Muddy Buddies, which are made with Chex cereal, melted chocolate, and peanut butter, and tossed in confectioners’ sugar. From there I added pretzel twists, holiday sprinkles, and red and green M&M’s.

I gave nearly the entire batch to some family friends and I got a text that said, “I hate you for the Reindeer Chow because every time I walk past my kitchen, I have to have some. It’s so delicious and addicting.”

The melted chocolate and peanut butter seeps into the holes of the Chex and the confectioners’ sugar coats every nook and cranny for a snack mix that’s crunchy, yet the crunch is tempered from being coated in chocolate-peanut butter and coated in sugar.

There are occasionally small clusters of cereal that are bonded together by a little too much chocolate-peanut butter with extra sugar that works into the nooks and crannies. Those clusters are like little gems and are so good.

The pretzels are really crucial to add some saltiness to an otherwise sweet dessert/snack mix. It’s the type of snack that one handful can turn into five, quickly and easily. It’s very addicting stuff.

Reindeer Chow Ingredients 

What makes this recipe so wonderful (and so dangerous!) is that it comes together quickly with minimal ingredients. To make this reindeer snack mix, you’ll need the following ingredients: 

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Creamy peanut butter
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Chocolate Chex
• Pretzel twists
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Holiday M&M’s 
• Holiday sprinkles

How to Make Reindeer Chow

Making reindeer puppy chow at home is so simple, but the results are incredibly festive and fun! Here’s an overview of how the recipe for reindeer mix is made: 

1. Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter on the stove.
2. Once melted, stir in the vanilla.
3. Add the Chex and pretzels to a very large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over top.
4. Give it a good stir to disperse the chocolate mixture, then add the confectioners’ sugar.
5. Once the reindeer Chex mix has been thoroughly mixed and is coated in the confectioners’ sugar, stir in the holiday M&M’s and sprinkles. 

Can I Add Other Mix-Ins?

Yes, you can get creative with this Christmas treat and add mini peanut butter cups, other favorite candy bars diced into pieces, salted nuts, or whatever you’re craving. Think of this Reindeer Crack as a smorgasbord snack mix and it all works together.

Can I Use a Different Nut Butter? 

Absolutely! If you have a peanut allergy in your family, feel free to swap out the peanut butter with almond butter or another nut or seed butter altogether. 

How to Store Reindeer Food

The Reindeer Chow recipe makes great hostess gifts and works well in cookie exchanges in decorative bags because it keeps fresh for a long time. 

I have stored it at room temp for about a month in a plastic storage bag and it was totally fine. I have also stored it in the fridge for even longer, like two months. Accidentally forgot about it but it was fine.

As always, use your best judgment, but I am just sharing my personal findings about how long it will keep.

Tips for Making Reindeer Snack Mix

This Christmas puppy chow recipe makes a huge quantity — about 2 pounds, although I did not weigh it. You’ve got a box of Chex, a pound of M&M’s, chocolate, peanut butter, butter, sprinkles, and pretzels, so that’s why it makes two pounds worth, but that is a lot to accommodate in one bowl.

So I recommend starting the recipe in the biggest bowl you have. Then, after adding the confectioners’ sugar, transfer everything into a jumbo (2.5-gallon) plastic storage bag. You can shake the sugar around easier, more effectively, and unless you have a ridiculously ginormous bowl, it will become hard to accommodate all the ingredients.

If you’re not making the Reindeer Chow for Christmas, you can easily omit the holiday sprinkles and red and green M&M’s. Or use seasonally appropriate colors such as red and white for Valentine’s Day, pastel for Easter, and so forth.

More No-Bake Dessert Recipes:

12 Easy No-Bake Holiday Desserts – No time to bake? Here are 12 FAST and EASY no-bake recipes! Whether you want chocolate, peanut butter, cheesecake, bark, or truffles, these recipes have you covered!!

Loaded Christmas Puppy Chow — This fast, easy, no-bake holiday treat is LOADED with all the good stuff! Chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, M&Ms, peanut butter cups, and pretzels for a salty-sweet, crunchy, and addictive snack!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Stacks – Easy, no-bake treats that are a holiday favorite! They have it all: Salty, sweet, crunchy, and gooey with chocolate and peanut butter! Great for cookie exchanges or impromptu parties!

Holiday Special K BarsBuckeye Fudge – Easy, no-cook, no-fuss, foolproof fudge that’s ready in 1 hour! Dense, chewy and full of rich peanut butter flavor with a smooth, fudgy chocolate topping! It’s irresistible!

Loaded Christmas Bark – This easy, no-bake chocolate bark is loaded with goodies! Oreos, M&M’s, peanuts, pretzels, and sprinkles! Great for holiday parties and cookie exchanges! Salty, sweet, and addictively good!

Chocolate Saltine Toffee (aka Christmas Crack) – This stuff lives up to it’s name and is extremely addictive! Salty, sweet, crunchy, chewy and a holiday favorite everyone loves! Easy recipe!

Graham Cracker Toffee (aka Graham Cracker CRACK) — Sweet, buttery, caramely, perfectly chocolaty, topped with toffee bits for extra crunch! Lives up to its name and extremely addictive! An easy holiday and party fave!

Holiday Special K Bars — Super chewy, gooey, FAST, easy, no-bake cereal bars loaded with peanut butter, chocolate, and sprinkles!! Like scotcheroos but with Special K!