Christmas puppy chow is crunchy Rice Chex wrapped in chocolate peanut butter and a thick, snowy coat of powdered sugar, with red and green M&M’s mixed through for color. It is the no-bake holiday snack that disappears from the bowl first, and one batch fills 4 or 5 small gift tins.
Two numbers decide whether it turns out white and crisp or grey and soggy. The coating ratio is 1 cup (170 g) of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup (128 g) of peanut butter to 9 cups (270 g) of cereal, so every piece gets a thin shell without pooling. Then the coated cereal rests for 2 minutes before the sugar goes on: warm enough to stay tacky, no longer hot enough to melt the sugar into paste. The whole thing takes 15 minutes of work and 15 minutes to set, with nothing but a microwave.
At a Glance
- Yield: about 10 cups, 20 servings of 1/2 cup
- Equipment: microwave-safe bowl, a large mixing bowl, a 2-gallon zip-top bag, a sheet pan
- Time: 15 minutes hands-on, 15 minutes to set
- Difficulty: easy; no oven, no candy thermometer
- Key technique: a 2-minute rest before the powdered sugar, M&M’s added last
What You Need for Christmas Puppy Chow
Seven ingredients, and each one has a job:
- Rice Chex: 9 cups (270 g). The open lattice holds the coating without going soft. Corn Chex is a little sturdier and slightly sweeter; a half-and-half mix works. Other cereals with a solid surface shed the sugar.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: 1 cup (170 g). Milk chocolate makes it sweeter and softer; dark (60 percent) makes it less sweet but sets firmer.
- Creamy peanut butter: 1/2 cup (128 g). Use a regular stabilized brand. Natural peanut butter separates and leaves an oily coat that the sugar slides off.
- Unsalted butter: 1/4 cup (57 g). It loosens the chocolate so a thin layer spreads over 9 cups.
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon, stirred in after melting.
- Powdered sugar: 1 1/2 cups (180 g), plus 1/4 cup (30 g) in reserve for touch-ups.
- Red and green M&M’s: 1 cup (about 200 g). Peanut M&M’s or Christmas sprinkles work too.
Melting the Chocolate Without Scorching It
Put the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes in total. Stop when a few soft lumps remain and let the heat of the bowl finish them while you stir. The mixture should be smooth, glossy and fall off the spoon in a thick ribbon, at about 110°F (43°C). Above 120°F (49°C) chocolate can turn thick and grainy. Stir in the vanilla last.
On the stove, use a small saucepan over low heat and stir constantly; it takes 3 to 4 minutes. Keep every drop of water away, since even a wet spoon can make chocolate seize.
Coating the Cereal Evenly
Measure the cereal into your largest bowl first, so it is ready the moment the chocolate is. Pour the warm mixture over the top and fold with a silicone spatula, scooping from the bottom and turning the cereal over, for about 1 minute. Fold, do not stir hard: Chex breaks under pressure, and broken pieces soak up more chocolate and clump.
Keep folding until no beige pieces show. Then leave the bowl alone for 2 minutes. The coating cools from about 110°F to close to 95°F (35°C), still sticky enough to grab the sugar but no longer hot enough to dissolve it.
The Powdered Sugar Shake
Pour 3/4 cup (90 g) of the powdered sugar into a 2-gallon zip-top bag, add the coated cereal, seal it with some air inside and shake for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3/4 cup (90 g) and shake again. Two additions coat more evenly than one big dump, which forms wet clumps of paste on the first pieces it touches. No bag? Use a large container with a tight lid, or toss in a bowl with two spatulas.
If you still see brown patches, add the reserved 1/4 cup (30 g) and give it one more shake.
Setting It and Adding the M&M’s
Spread the puppy chow in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature, or 10 minutes in the fridge. It is set when the pieces feel dry, separate easily and leave no chocolate on your fingers. Break up any clumps bigger than 3 pieces.
Scatter the M&M’s over the pan only now, once the coating is cool. Added to the warm bowl, the candy shells sweat, the red and green dye bleeds into the white sugar, and the pieces stick to the cereal.
When It Goes Wrong
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Grey, see-through coating | Sugar added while the chocolate was too hot | Rest 2 minutes; shake in 1/4 cup (30 g) more sugar |
| Sugar falls off | Coating cooled too long before shaking | Shake within 5 minutes of coating |
| Thick, grainy chocolate | Overheated or touched by water | Melt in 30-second bursts; stir in 1 tsp oil to loosen |
| Big wet clumps | All the sugar added at once | Add the sugar in 2 additions |
| Pink or green streaks | M&M’s added to warm cereal | Add candy after it sets |
Reindeer Chow and Other Variations
Reindeer chow is the same recipe made into a party mix: after the puppy chow sets, toss it with the M&M’s plus 2 cups (about 60 g) of mini pretzel twists and 1 cup (about 50 g) of mini marshmallows. The pretzels add a salty crunch that balances the sugar, and the batch grows to about 13 cups.
- Peanut-free: use sunflower seed butter in the same amount. It can turn faintly green after a day, which is harmless and hidden under the sugar.
- White Christmas: swap the chocolate chips for 1 1/4 cups (210 g) of white chocolate chips and add 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Gingerbread: add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the powdered sugar.
- Candy cane: replace the M&M’s with 1/2 cup (85 g) of crushed candy canes, added just before serving so they stay crunchy.
For more red-and-green treats from the same no-bake playbook, Christmas cracker toffee and Christmas fudge both set without an oven, and peppermint Oreo truffles round out a cookie tray.
Gifting, Storage and Make-Ahead
Puppy chow keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 2 months. Many people eat it straight from the fridge; the cold coating snaps. Humidity is the enemy: a loosely closed bag goes soft within a day. Shake stored puppy chow with a spoonful of fresh powdered sugar before serving to brighten it.
For gifts, line each tin with parchment, fill it the day you give it and tuck in a tag that mentions peanuts. One batch fills 4 or 5 tins of 2 cups each. Pair it with white chocolate cranberry Rice Krispie treats or sugar cookie fudge for a mixed box.
Christmas Puppy Chow Questions
Is puppy chow the same as muddy buddies?
Yes. Muddy Buddies is the name Chex uses on the box; puppy chow is the name most families use. The recipe is the same.
Can I make it without peanut butter?
Yes. Use sunflower seed butter or cookie butter in the same 1/2 cup (128 g) amount. Without any spread, the chocolate sets too hard and thin to hold the sugar.
Why is my puppy chow soggy?
Usually too much coating for the cereal or storage that lets in air. Keep the 1 cup chips to 9 cups cereal ratio and seal it airtight.
How far ahead can I make it for a party?
Up to 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or 2 weeks in the fridge. Add pretzels or candy canes on the day.
Save This for Your Christmas Treat Plans
Pin this Christmas puppy chow to your Christmas candy or cookie tin board so the 2-minute rest is there when the baking weekend comes. More ideas are in the easy Christmas desserts collection.
Christmas Puppy Chow
Christmas puppy chow is crunchy Rice Chex in a chocolate peanut butter shell with a thick snowy coat of powdered sugar and red and green M&M’s. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1/4 cup of butter, fold it through 9 cups of cereal, then rest it for 2 minutes so the coating is tacky but no longer hot enough to melt the sugar. Shake it with powdered sugar in two additions, let it set for 15 minutes and add the candy last so the colors stay bright. No oven, about 10 cups.
Ingredients
Puppy chow
- 9 cups (270 g) Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar, plus 1/4 cup (30 g) if needed
- 1 cup (about 200 g) red and green M&M’s
Instructions
- PREP: Measure the cereal into a large bowl and line a sheet pan with parchment.
- MELT: Microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
- COAT: Pour the chocolate over the cereal and gently fold for about 1 minute until every piece is coated. Let it rest 2 minutes.
- SUGAR: Put 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a 2-gallon zip-top bag, add the cereal, seal and shake. Add the remaining 3/4 cup and shake again until evenly white.
- SET: Spread on the sheet pan for 15 minutes at room temperature (or 10 in the fridge) until dry to the touch.
- FINISH: Scatter the M&M’s over the puppy chow, toss and store airtight.
Notes
- Melt in 30-second bursts and stop at about 110°F (43°C); hotter chocolate turns grainy.
- Rest the coated cereal 2 minutes before the sugar so the coating stays white, not grey.
- Add the powdered sugar in 2 additions to avoid wet clumps.
- Set: pieces feel dry and separate easily, about 15 minutes. Add the M&M’s only then.
- Airtight at room temperature up to 1 week, fridge 2 weeks, freezer 2 months. Contains peanuts.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 3g
