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Your favorite Chex Mix got a Christmas makeover--this Christmas Puppy Chow has the peppermint chocolate combo that the holidays are made of! Add some festive red and green M&M's to really get festive!

Christmas mint Puppy Chow in bowl with red and green M&Ms.

This recipe was originally published December 2017 and republished November 2020 to update photos and copy.

Ok, settle something for me.

Do you call it "puppy chow" or "muddy buddies"?

Quite honestly, it doesn't really matter, right? The chocolate and powdered sugar covered Chex are gonna get gobbled up no matter what we call them!

This Dark Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Puppy Chow (or Muddy Buddies or reindeer chow) is the perfect treat for a movie night in over the holidays, packaged up in a jar for a simple edible gift, or as the star of the dessert table at the party!

Mint and chocolate are my holiday love language. Try this Mint Chocolate Pretzel Bark, No Bake Peppermint Oreo Cheesecake and No Bake Mint Brownies too!

This holiday puppy chow/muddy buddies:

Is so simple to make.
Requires no baking. (try these Christmas Oreo Truffles for another no bake option!)
Tastes like the holidays with that perfect mint chocolate flavor.
With red and green mint M&Ms it is perfectly festive!

And if you show up to the party with a giant bowl, well then you will certainly be the life of the party. It's a guarantee.

Christmas Puppy Chow Ingredients:

chex cereal: doesn't have to be the name brand, rice squares of your choice!
dark chocolate chips: or chunks, you choose. I loved the look of adding the chunks that were not melted into the bowl, but the chips are just fine. No dark chocolate? Milk or even white chocolate chips will be great as well. Really any kind of chocolate that will melt should do the trick. Also now that I am typing this, I want to try it with white chocolate. Yum!
butter: this is completely optional. I have made this Christmas puppy chow with and without it and both have turned out great. I added it originally when developing the recipe but it's fine if you omit it.
peppermint extract: a little goes a loooooong way, trust me. I used ½ teaspoon and found it to be the perfect amount. If you really like your mint then add a bit more.
powdered sugar: this is what seals the deal--and I like lots of it!!
Holiday Mint M&Ms: I love the mint M&Ms and stalk the stores for them the second Halloween is over. You can use another flavor or the classic candy if preferred.

Chex, chocolate, powdered sugar and ingredients labeled on counter.

How to make this Christmas Puppy Chow:

Melt the chocolate in 20-25 second increments in the microwave. Stir after every cycle in the microwave. You don't want to scald the chocolate--there is no return if it is overcooked. When the chocolate is mostly smooth, but with a few lumps from chips, just stir to melt the rest of the way. Don't add anything else into the chocolate until melted. Stir in the peppermint, vanilla and butter (if using) (step 1)
Pour the chocolate over Chex and stir gently to combine. Chill for about 5-10 minutes. (steps 2-3)

Melted chocolate, Chex in mixing bowl being mixed.

Transfer the Christmas Chex Mix to a large ziploc bag and add the powdered sugar on top. Shake to fully coat all of the cereal. (steps 4-5)
Add in the mint M&Ms and extra chocolate chips if desired. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy right away or store in an airtight container until ready to serve. (step 6)

Christmas chex mix in plastic bag with powdered sugar.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

You can use a double boiler method to melt the chocolate for this Christmas puppy chow if you prefer instead of using the microwave.
If you prefer, you can use just the peppermint extract and omit the vanilla in this Christmas Chex Mix. I like the combination of the two.
These holiday muddy buddies are a great gift to have in holiday jars or mason jars with a big bow on top!
This recipe can certainly be a great option for St. Patrick's Day as well--Just add green and white M&Ms instead! Or if there isn't a special holiday around the corner, regular M&Ms are great as well!

Optional Add-Ins:

You can add other fun ingredients to this Christmas puppy chow to vary it and add some extra fun flavors. The following are a few ideas:

pretzels for a sweet and salty flavor
crushed Oreos or mint Oreos. I suggest adding these before the powdered sugar but it will still work if you toss in big chunks after.
holiday sprinkles, or whatever color you are going for!
miniature marshmallows
candy cane pieces

Overhead view of bowl with mint Puppy chow Christmas chex mix.

Other holiday treats:

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Christmas Puppy Chow in bowl with red and green candies.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

Your favorite Chex Mix got a Christmas makeover--this Christmas Puppy Chow has the peppermint chocolate combo that the holidays are made of! Add some festive red and green M&M's to really get festive!

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings: 12

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, add rice chex and set aside.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 25 second increments stirring well between heating. You will not want to overheat it. When it looks like most of the chips are melted, just keep stirring instead of heating more. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint as well as the butter (if desired).
Pour mixture over Chex and stir to combine and evenly coat cereal. Chill in the refrigerator for about 5-10 minutes.
Transfer the chocolate Chex mixture to a large ziploc bag and add powdered sugar. Shake well to coat.
Transfer back to bowl and allow to continue to cool until ready to serve.
Toss in the M&M's and extra chocolate chips if desired.
Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Notes

You can use a double boiler method to melt the chocolate if you prefer instead of using the microwave.
If you prefer, you can use just the peppermint extract and omit the vanilla in this Christmas Chex Mix. I like the combination of the two.
This makes for a great gift to have in holiday jars or mason jars with a big bow on top!
This recipe can certainly be a great option for St. Patrick's Day as well--Just add green and white M&Ms instead! Or if there isn't a special holiday around the corner, regular M&Ms are great as well!