Description
Reindeer Chow is a festive and crunchy holiday snack mix made with Rice Chex cereal coated in a chocolate and peanut butter mixture, dusted with cocoa powder and powdered sugar, and studded with red and green M&M’s for a colorful, sweet treat perfect for parties or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips (divided)
- 1 ½ cups red and green M&M’s
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional
- Edible glitter spray
Instructions
- Prepare the cereal: Place the Rice Chex cereal in a large mixing bowl and set it aside to be coated later.
- Mix dry coating: In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder, mixing thoroughly to create an even dry chocolate mixture.
- Melt chocolate and peanut butter: In a microwave-safe bowl, add ¾ cup of semisweet chocolate chips together with the creamy peanut butter. Heat in the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds intervals, stirring well after each interval until the mixture is smooth and fully melted. Stir in the vanilla extract to enhance the flavor.
- Coat the cereal: Pour the melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture over the cereal in the large bowl and stir well to ensure every piece is evenly coated.
- Add dry coating: Sprinkle the powdered sugar and cocoa powder mixture over the chocolate-coated cereal and gently stir until the cereal is fully coated with the dry mixture. Place the coated cereal into the freezer for 15 minutes to set the coating.
- Add mix-ins: After freezing, remove the cereal mixture and stir in the red and green M&M’s along with the remaining ½ cup of semisweet chocolate chips evenly throughout the mixture.
- Set and decorate: Spread the finished mix evenly on a large baking sheet or a piece of parchment/wax paper to cool and set. Optionally, spray with edible glitter spray for a festive touch until you achieve your desired sparkle effect.
Notes
- Freezing helps the coating set and keeps the cereal crunchy.
- You can store Reindeer Chow in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- For a nut-free version, substitute the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
- Edible glitter spray is optional but adds a festive appearance perfect for holiday gatherings.
- Stir gently after adding powdered sugar mixture to avoid breaking the cereal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Reindeer Chow, holiday snack, sweet snack mix, peanut butter chocolate cereal, M&M's snack, Christmas treat, festive snack
