Celebrate Christmas with this Holly Jolly Christmas Puppy Chow recipe! Muddy Buddies made in red, white, and green to celebrate the season with a sweet and salty treat.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Holly Jolly Christmas Puppy Chow is a festive and holiday-themed variation of the classic puppy chow (also known as muddy buddies or monkey munch) snack.
Puppy chow is typically made with cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar.
The holiday version adds a Christmas twist with festive colors and flavors.
It is the perfect dessert or sweet and salty snack to use for the holidays and serve alongside your cookie platters!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make Christmas Muddy Buddies. See full quantities and recipe information in the full recipe card below.
Rice Chex Cereal – you can use any variety or flavor as desired, just make sure it is the cereal that does not have any seasoning on it already!
Powdered Sugar
Candy melts are pretty sweet, but they provide the perfect color for colored puppy chow.
Can I use white chocolate and color it?
I do not recommend using white chocolate and trying to color it, because white chocolate does not melt very well and it takes a lot of coloring to make bold colors.
If these made with candy melts are too sweet on their own, you could mix them with something salty like little pretzels or peanuts.
Instruction Overview
Melt your candy melts according to package directions. This can be done in the microwave, but reduce the power. If it is too strong and too hot, the candy will not melt properly.
Then toss the cereal with the candy melts gently to coat.
Immediately place in a large resealable bag with powdered sugar and shake!
Spread the puppy chow out on a baking sheet or other flat surface to finish drying before storing in an air-tight container.
Now at some point in the process, you are probably going to think at least one of the following (if not all, like I did):
- There is NO WAY that little amount of candy melts will cover all this cereal!
- OH NO the cereal is BREAKING!
- WHY DO THEY ALL LOOK WHITE! I MESSED UP! I CAN’T SEE THE COLOR!
But it’s okay, all of the above are FINE. The candy melts DO cover that much cereal, just keep stirring.
The cereal might break a little but that’s okay! Just be gentle.
And the colors DO look pretty white when they come out of the bag. But shaking them in the fine mesh strainer gets rid of all that extra powdered sugar and you will see the color! Have faith!
Kim’s Tips
Regular white candy melts have a yellowish tint to them, so use the bright white to make sure they look truly white!
I like to use the Rice Chex flavor because it is a light texture, light and neutral flavor, and makes these gluten free.
FAQs
Why do they call puppy chow?
What is the difference between Muddy Buddies and puppy chow?
How long does puppy chow last?
More Christmas Sweets
Holly Jolly Christmas Puppy Chow
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Large resealable bag
- Sifter
- Medium Bowls
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups rice Chex cereal divided
- 1/2 cup green candy melts
- 1/2 cup red candy melts
- 1/4 cup bright white candy melts
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
Instructions
- Place each color of candy melts in separate bowls that are large enough to mix the cereal in for each color (I like to use deep soup bowls).
- Place 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a quart or gallon sized resealable plastic bag.
- Melt the lightest color (white) of candy melts in the microwave as per package directions. Stir frequently to encourage melting.
- When fully melted, immediately mix in the Chex mix. (1/2 cup of cereal for white). Gently toss with a spoon to fully coat.
- Immediately transfer the cereal to the plastic bag with the powdered sugar. Seal and shake. Gently massage the bag from the outside to encourage the cereal to separate, but gentle enough so they do not break.
- Pour the bag contents into a sieve (fine mesh strainer) over another bowl. Shake to remove excess sugar.
- Pour the cereal out on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet to dry. If there are any pieces that were stuck together, you can pull them apart, dunk them into the discarded sugar, and shake again.
- Let the candy melts that was left behind in the bag dry for a few minutes, then you can crinkle up the bag to remove the candy melts and make it ready for the next color.
- Repeat the process with the red candy melts next, using 1 cup of Chex cereal and fresh powdered sugar.
- Repeat the process with the green candy melts next, using 1 cup of Chex cereal and fresh powdered sugar.
- Mix the colors together, or keep separate, and serve. The puppy chow can be stored in a container or bag for up to 2 days.
The vibrant red and green accents make it not only delicious but also visually delightful – a perfect addition to your holiday celebrations.
This Puppy Chow recipe is awesome! it makes a great snack to make you feel energized, Thank you for this!
Wow, this is so amazing! Treats for xmassss!