How to Make Reindeer Chow at Home

If you’re looking for an easy and delicious snack to make that the whole family will love, look no further than reindeer chow! Kids of all ages can make reindeer chow at Christmastime or any time of the year. Also called festive muddy buddies or puppy chow, reindeer chow is a super simple snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and your urge to snack. Best of all, you can get the kids to join in the fun!

If you feel up to it, you can use the time you spend making this yummy dessert with the kids to review some basic math and science concepts. There’s nothing like baking delicious treats full of sugar and chocolate to trick kids into doing some math!

Get ready to have a fun and delicious treat ready in about 10 minutes.

Recipe to Make Reindeer Chow

To make reindeer chow at home, you’ll need to gather up some ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 cups Chex cereal (divided)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter (divided)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
• 1 cup red M & Ms*
• 1 cup green M & Ms*
• 1½ cups powdered sugar (divided)
• 2 gallon-sized Ziplock bags

*Note: Any type of candy melt will work as a substitute for M & Ms. The thing that makes this so festive is that the reindeer chow is red and green. Stick with those colors, and you’ll be all set. If you are unable to get melted candies, then chocolate chips will also work (the final result won’t look as festive, but it will still be delicious!) Also, you can use other colors to make reindeer chow during other times of the year.

You will need a few pieces of equipment that you likely already have stored in your kitchen. First, you will need three bowls. One needs to be microwave safe for cooking. The other should be large enough to fit 8 cups of cereal. The last one should have an airtight cover for storage.

You will also need either parchment paper or wax paper and a sturdy spatula for mixing.

Instructions

1. Put 4 cups of Chex cereal into a large bowl.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix 1 cup red M & Ms, ¼ cup peanut butter, and ½ Tbsp of vegetable oil. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, then stir. Continue cooking 15 seconds at a time until the mixture is smooth.
3. Pour melted peanut butter and chocolate mixture on top of cereal and stir it around, so all the cereal is nicely coated.
4. Pour the coated cereal into a one-gallon ziplock bag along with ¾ cups of powdered sugar. Shake the bag up to cover the cereal with the powdered sugar.
5. Pour the coated cereal onto parchment paper or wax paper so it can set.
6. Do the same thing, only with the green M & Ms.
7. Combine everything and store it in an airtight container.
8. Devour reindeer chow before you ever put the lid on or store it for up to one week.

Reindeer Chow Substitutions

If you don’t have Chex mix on hand, you can still enjoy this fun and festive dessert without making an extra trip to the store. Here are some yummy substitutions and additions if you want to get creative.

• Popcorn
• Pretzels
• Kettle corn
• Bugles chips
• Crispix cereal
• Add in peanuts
• Try with different flavors of Chex cereal
• Add in butterscotch (or other candy chips)
• Use melted chocolate in place of M&Ms
• Replace peanut butter with almond or another type of nut butter for allergies

We’re Here for All Your Holiday and Post-Holiday Needs

We hope you are enjoying spending time with your family this holiday season. We’ll be here for you when the holidays are over and it’s time to get back to normal (whatever that might look like in 2021!)

@Ease Solutions has childcare and home estate staffing solutions for all of your household needs. Check out our website today to learn more about how we can help make 2021 your best year yet.