{"id":335638,"date":"2025-12-08T23:50:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/baking-category-a-b\/reindeer-chow-easy-no-bake-treat\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T23:50:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:50:12","slug":"reindeer-chow-easy-no-bake-treat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=335638","title":{"rendered":"Reindeer Chow (Easy No-Bake Treat)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"White<\/div>\n
\"Wooden<\/div>\n
\"Overhead<\/div>\n

Reindeer chow is an irresistible mix<\/em> of Chex cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and your favorite candies, perfect for the holiday season.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"White<\/figure>\n

I bake so many Christmas cookies<\/a> between Thanksgiving and December 24 that I really love having some go-to no-bake treats to throw into the mix, too.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s just nice not to have to turn on the oven, ya know?<\/p>\n

My rum balls<\/a> are always<\/em> on the menu, and so are buckeyes<\/a> and oreo truffles<\/a>. And my kids love<\/em> helping me making this festive reindeer chow recipe!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Close\"Close<\/figure>\n

What is reindeer chow?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve ever had puppy chow, then you\u2019ve pretty much had reindeer chow.<\/p>\n

There are a couple different versions of reindeer chow (sometimes called reindeer food) out there; one of them coats the mix in white chocolate, and the other is a twist on puppy chow. <\/p>\n

My family\u2019s favorite version of reindeer chow is puppy chow\u2014a mix of Chex cereal coated in chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar\u2014with some extra mix-ins to make it even more festive.<\/p>\n

Red and green M&Ms are the most common additions to reindeer chow, but pretzels, peanuts, and mini peanut butter cups are also popular. <\/p>\n

This snack mix is always a hit at holiday parties and is great for gifting, too. Package it up in some festive tins<\/strong><\/a> and it\u2019s a perfect gift for neighbors. It\u2019s also an easy snack to make on snow days or for cozy nights watching Christmas movies.<\/p>\n

Plus, since this is a no-bake recipe that uses the microwave, it\u2019s a great treat to make with kids! My girls especially always love helping to shake the reindeer chow up in the powdered sugar.<\/p>\n

\"Reindeer\"Reindeer<\/figure>\n

How to make reindeer chow<\/h2>\n

Reindeer chow is going to be your new go-to easy Christmas treat. <\/p>\n

\"Ingredients\"Ingredients<\/figure>\n

Start by prepping a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unlike ranch chex mix<\/a> or ranch crackers<\/a>, this isn\u2019t going in the oven; the sheet pan is just to let the mix cool later.<\/p>\n

Add the cereal to a very large mixing bowl; set this aside.<\/p>\n

Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and salted butter to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute and stir.<\/p>\n

Keep microwaving on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is smooth.<\/p>\n

Stir in the vanilla, then pour this mixture over the cereal. Stir until the cereal is well coated in the melted chocolate mixture.<\/p>\n

Add the coated cereal to a 2-gallon zip-top bag. If you only have 1-gallon bags, do this in 2 batches or divide everything between 2 bags.<\/p>\n

Add the powdered sugar to the bag and seal tightly. Now for the part my girls love! Shake it up until the cereal is well coated in the powdered sugar. <\/p>\n

Spread the mix onto the lined baking sheet. There will probably be some clumps of cereal; you can break those apart or leave them.<\/p>\n

Let the mix cool completely. Now you can add in the mix-ins. Our favorites are salted peanuts, red and green M&Ms, mini pretzels (we like twists but pretzel sticks also work), and mini peanut butter cups.<\/p>\n

\n

Storage<\/h2>\n

Store reindeer chow in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.<\/p>\n

You can also freeze it for 2-3 months. This makes for extra good crunch!<\/p>\n

If you want to store the mix in the fridge or freezer, I recommend waiting to add the pretzels until just before serving so that they don\u2019t get stale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Wooden\"Wooden<\/figure>\n

Recipe variations & substitutions<\/h2>\n

The version of this recipe as written in the recipe card is my family\u2019s favorite, but there are plenty of ways to make this reindeer chow your own.<\/p>\n