Christmas Munch and From-scratch Muddy Buddies

This Reindeer Munch goes by many names (Puppy Chow, Muddy Buddies, Monkey Munch). The chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar-coated pieces are mixed with some holiday M&Ms to add that little green and red for the holidays.

What is Reindeer Chow?

This Reindeer Chow or Reindeer Munch goes by many names… Puppy Chow, Muddy Buddies, Monkey Munch, the list goes on and on. But for Christmas time, it’s called Reindeer Munch.

The chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar-coated pieces are mixed with some holiday M&Ms to add that little green and red for the holidays. We made a huge batch of this and included it with the treats we gave to our customers this year. We put them in some cute little treat bags we picked up and made a plain little tag to go on them. It would make a great teacher, neighbor, or co-worker gift. It’s super straightforward to cook and you can make a large batch at a time without a whole lot of effort.

Why you will come back to this Reindeer Munch Recipe

You will love this reindeer much recipe because not only is it straightforward to cook, it’s well loved by so many people.

This recipe makes an excellent gift at the holidays especially for neighbors or in cookie tins.

Another great thing about this reindeer munch is that it can easily be made ahead of time and feeds a crowd. It makes it the well-balanced addition for holiday parties on the snack table.

It’s also customizable. You can add things like nuts, pretzels, and various chocolate candies. Make it your own!

Ingredients for Reindeer Munch

• Chex cereal
• Unsalted butter
• Creamy peanut butter
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• Holiday m&ms

How to cook Muddy Buddies for this Reindeer Chow Recipe

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the butter and peanut butter. Heat for 1 minute and remove from microwave. Stir until butter is melted and combined with peanut butter. If you need to, you can put back in the microwave for 30 seconds.
2. Once they are melted and combined, add in the chocolate chips. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add in the vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, add ¼ of the Chex cereal and drizzle ¼ of the chocolate mixture over it. Stir around gently until all pieces are coated.
4. In a covered container or brown paper sack, add in 1 cup of powdered sugar and the chocolate covered cereal. Close and shake until all pieces are covered and transfer to an airtight container.
5. Continue with the remaining cereal, chocolate mixture, and powdered sugar in ¼ batches at a time. Doing it in ¼ batches provides better coverage on the pieces.
6. Once you’ve got them all done and transferred to your airtight container, add in the M&Ms and give it a gentle shake to combine. Enjoy!

Tips for making Christmas Reindeer Chow

• When melting the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate, be sure to use a medium to large microwave safe bowl to give you room for stirring.
• When coating the cereal in the melted chocolate mixture, be gentle. Try not to break the cereal.
• Be sure to do the powdered sugar in batches. It helps get better coverage.

Reindeer Munch Recipe substitutions

• Chex Cereal – we use Rice Chex, but any version of Chex cereal will work. To be sure it remains gluten free, you cannot use Wheat Chex. One that we love to use rather than Rice Chex is Honey Nut. It adds even more sweetness.
• Unsalted butter – we prefer to use unsalted butter, but salted butter is fine to use here as well.
• Creamy Peanut Butter – Do not use a natural peanut butter. You need it smooth and creamy.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips – Semi-sweet chocolate gives it a specific flavor and richness, but you can experiment with both dark and milk chocolate to see which one you like best.
• Holiday M&Ms – If you can’t find the Christmas/Holiday M&Ms, you can use any green and red candy coated chocolate you like!

How to store Christmas Munch

Once the reindeer munch has dried, you can store it in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.

Many people prefer it to be stored in the refrigerator because of the chocolate, but it isn’t necessary.