Reindeer Food Christmas Puppy Chow
The chocolate starts to thicken around the cereal almost as soon as it hits the bowl, and a quick, gentle fold is what keeps the squares crisp instead of crushed.…
By Ava
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Reading time: 8 min
Tip: save now, make later.
The chocolate starts to thicken around the cereal almost as soon as it hits the bowl, and a quick, gentle fold is what keeps the squares crisp instead of crushed. I learned to have the powdered sugar bag ready before I pour: once the cereal is coated, you want to move straight into the shake. Reindeer Food Christmas Puppy Chow gets its snowy finish from powdered sugar, with red and green candies and sprinkles folded in at the end.
For an even coating, I use a large bowl for the cereal and a roomy zip-top bag for the powdered sugar. The cereal needs space to tumble, not a hard shake that breaks the squares. After it’s coated, spreading it on a baking sheet gives the chocolate time to set before the colorful mix-ins go in. The result is a crisp, sweet snack with a powdery coating and little pops of chocolate candy.
Kitchen Note
Use the full 2-gallon bag for the powdered sugar shake. That extra room lets the coated cereal tumble around instead of getting squeezed into clumps, and you can stop as soon as the squares look evenly dusted.
Save Reindeer Food Christmas Puppy Chow for a festive snack with a snowy sugar coating, chocolate candies, and holiday sprinkles.
Why the Powdered Sugar Coat Goes Patchy
Uneven sugar usually starts before the cereal ever reaches the bag. If some squares are barely coated with chocolate and others are dripping, the powdered sugar can’t cover them consistently. Fold the chocolate mixture through the cereal until the coating looks even across the bowl; the sugar can finish the job, but it can’t correct bare spots underneath.
The other common trouble is treating the shake like a workout. Rice Chex is light and crisp, so forceful shaking can break the squares and leave you with crumbs mixed through the finished snack. A roomy bag lets the cereal roll gently as you shake, distributing the sugar without pressing the pieces together. Check the coating through the bag as you go, and stop once the pieces look evenly dusted.
That balance—enough chocolate to cling, enough room for the cereal to move—is what gives this mix a distinct coating on each square rather than one sticky mass at the bottom of the bowl. Keep the cereal in a large bowl while you fold, then transfer it to the bag for the sugar. Each container has a job, and using both keeps the handling gentle.
What the Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Cereal Each Bring
- Rice Chex — Its crisp, airy squares give the coating plenty of edges and ridges to cling to. Keep the cereal pieces intact when folding; crushed cereal takes on a denser, less crisp texture.
- Semisweet chocolate chips — They provide the main chocolate flavor without making the mix as sweet as milk chocolate would. A fresh bag melts more smoothly than chips that have been sitting open and picked up moisture.
- Creamy peanut butter — It softens the melted chocolate and helps it spread over the cereal. Conventional creamy peanut butter gives the mixture a consistent texture; natural peanut butter with separated oil can make the coating greasy or uneven.
- Unsalted butter — Butter helps the chocolate mixture melt into a pourable coating. Unsalted butter lets the chocolate and peanut butter stay in the foreground, and it melts right along with them in the microwave-safe bowl.
- Powdered sugar — Its fine texture makes the signature snowy coating, unlike granulated sugar, which would stay gritty. Keep it dry until it goes into the bag with the coated cereal.
- Red and green chocolate candies and holiday sprinkles — These are folded in after the cereal cools, so their colors and shapes remain visible against the white sugar coating. Choose candies with a firm chocolate shell so they hold up when mixed in.
From Melted Chocolate to Crisp, Coated Squares
Set Up the Cereal and Melt the Coating
Measure the Rice Chex into a large bowl before starting the chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the semisweet chips, creamy peanut butter, and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total, until the mixture is smooth. If a few chips remain, stir before adding more microwave time; the mixture should be smooth enough to pour over the cereal.
Fold Until the Cereal Is Coated
Stir the vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture, then pour it over the cereal. Use a gentle folding motion to bring cereal from the bottom of the bowl up through the chocolate. Keep going until the squares are coated throughout, rather than stirring quickly and breaking them. The chocolate should cling to the cereal without pooling in a thick layer at the bottom.
Shake on the Powdered Sugar
Transfer the coated cereal and powdered sugar to a 2-gallon zip-top bag, then seal it. Shake until the cereal is evenly coated, checking the pieces through the bag as the sugar distributes. If the bag is packed tightly, the cereal can’t move freely and the coating will be less even. Stop once the squares have a visible, snowy layer.
Cool Before Adding the Holiday Mix-Ins
Spread the coated cereal on a parchment-lined 18×13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Let it cool for about 20 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl. Fold in the red and green chocolate candies and holiday sprinkles at the end. The cooled coating keeps the mix-ins distinct instead of burying their colors in the chocolate.
Easy Ways to Change the Chocolate or Make It Peanut-Free
Use Dark Chocolate for a Less-Sweet Batch
Swap the semisweet chocolate chips for the same amount of dark chocolate chips. The coating will taste more intense and a little less sweet, while the powdered sugar and candies still give each bite plenty of sweetness.
Make a Peanut-Free Version with Sunflower Seed Butter
Replace the creamy peanut butter with creamy sunflower seed butter in the same amount. It gives the melted chocolate a similar creamy consistency, though the finished coating will have a mild sunflower-seed flavor instead of the familiar peanut note.
Storage and Serving
- Room temperature: Store the cooled mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry spot for up to 1 week. The sugar coating may soften a little over time, especially in a humid kitchen.
- Freezer: Freeze it in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it while still sealed so condensation forms on the container rather than on the cereal.
- Serving: Serve at room temperature; reheating isn’t needed and would soften the cereal and chocolate coating.
Questions That Come Up While Making Reindeer Food Puppy Chow
Reindeer Food Christmas Puppy Chow
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Measure the Rice Chex cereal into a large bowl.
- Combine the semisweet chocolate chips, creamy peanut butter, and unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes total, until smooth.
- Stir the vanilla extract into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal.
- Gently fold until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Transfer the coated cereal and powdered sugar to a 2-gallon zip-top bag.
- Seal the bag.
- Shake until evenly coated.
- Spread the cereal on a parchment-lined 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl.
- Fold in the red and green chocolate candies and holiday sprinkles.