Reindeer Chow
Santa gets cookies, but his reindeer get hungry too. I made this little treat for the kids to set out on Christmas Eve. It’s super easy and super sweet! Check out the recipe below and use these ingredients:
Reindeer Chow
5 cups Crispix Cereal
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. package of semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 box confectioner’s sugar
1. Melt chocolate in microwave 1 minute at a time until melted.
2. Add peanut butter to melted chocolate and mix well.
3. In a large bowl (with a snap on lid), add melted chocolate and peanut butter to top of cereal and mix well.
4. Add confectioner’s sugar and cover bowl with lid. Shake well to coat thoroughly.
If you don’t have a bowl with a lid, you can place the coated cereal and confectioner’s sugar in a large ziploc bag and shake well.
Note: This recipe is also called Puppy Chow when not served during the holidays. It was originally given to me by a co-worker and now it’s a must have every Christmas.
















Yummy — great for reindeer, kids and adults alike.
December 30, 2007 03:48 PMBy the way, I love your pictures.
December 30, 2007 03:49 PMThanks puglyfeet! I enjoy taking pics almost as much as I do eating the subject matter.
December 31, 2007 08:43 PMI made these last week and they were GREAT !!
December 17, 2008 06:51 PMHi ME – They are great. I can hardly keep myself away from the bowl. Glad you liked it.
December 18, 2008 03:36 AMit looks yummy but puppy chow is a really bad name for it… chocolate is deadly if dogs eat it [including rasins, grapes, sugar free anything] people could be misloead with that name and feed it to their doggies
even a small amount of semi-sweet could kill a tiny dog
im just saying becuase i am a dog lover myself [ i have 3!!] so i dont want other dog owners to harm their pups
December 27, 2008 04:29 PMalso for anyone reading this they also cant have onions, avocado, or macadamia nut!
December 27, 2008 04:32 PMThanks slepre – I doubt anyone would make that mistake, since they are making it for themselves. Besides, I call it Reindeer Chow.
December 28, 2008 03:39 AMI used to make these, or something similar growing up… We called them Muddy Buddies :)
Love your site!
June 23, 2009 03:01 PMI LOVE YOUR BLOG!!!
July 20, 2009 10:27 AMI have one question, can i use any other cereal?? I don't have this particular one.
Thanx!
I say go for it. The great thing about this kind is that it has openings in it that the chocolate and pb can get stuck in. Yum!
July 21, 2009 03:08 AMI had heard of these made with Chex and called "Muddy Buddies" we made them years ago to take to the movies. My mom had THE LARGEST faux leather purses in the world.
July 29, 2009 08:29 PMI make something called Reindeer Chow that is a completely different recipe. Isn't it funny how that happens? This recipe looks wonderful and definitely worth a try! My recipe is corn chex, rice chex, cheerios, m&ms, pretzel sticks and white chocolate! Mmmmm…
August 27, 2009 02:26 PMOMG~my daughter made this last night, and we couldn't stop ourselves from eating it. My husband called it 'dangerous'. Soooo yummy! We're using it as a lunch box treat for school this week. Love it!
August 29, 2009 12:20 PMthese sound yummy…i’m a big fan of white chocolate too, Kanga, may i have the full recipe? Thanks.. :)
October 8, 2009 01:22 AMThat is called” Puppy Chow”!!! And it is amazing!
November 4, 2009 11:22 AMlol I always heard this referred to as ‘[Human] Puppy Chow’ but I think I might have to change what I call it… people get so hesitant when you offer them some Puppy Chow, perhaps Reindeer Chow is the better name for it… keep up the great work Bakerella, I love reading your blog and trying out your recipes on my family!
November 9, 2009 08:36 AMLynwyn webb – I only make this around Christmas. But if I made it any other time of the year I’d call it Puppy Chow, too.
November 11, 2009 08:37 PMI know this recipe post is old, so it might not matter much…but… a relly easy way to coat the cereal/choc. mixture with powdered sugar is to put the cereal (a cup or two at a time) in a brown paper bag and then add a little powdered sugar at a time to coat. It works really well. I love this stuff. I am really excited to try your red velvet cake balls and pb cookies. I am off to the store-just found your site-thanks so much!
November 15, 2009 07:03 PMThis looks so good and really easy! Every year I make cookies and sweets etc. around the holidays i will definitively have to try this!
November 19, 2009 07:24 PMI grew up calling this Puppy Chow, and I Love the idea of it as Reindeer Chow instead! I see a new Christmas Eve Goodie Tradition in the making!
Thanks!
November 22, 2009 09:11 PMI know it was a while ago that you did this, but I’ve only just found it…
I’m from the UK, so just wanting to check what size your “box of confectioners sugar” is
November 25, 2009 05:21 AMStewart – it’s a pound or almost four cups
November 25, 2009 06:50 PMWhen I was in grade school there was this one Mom that made these for every school party and I LOVED them! I have tried and tried to make them(with out a recipe) over the years without any success. Ummm I can’t wait to make them for my son and I, he may have to fight me over them..lol
November 27, 2009 04:40 PMThanks!!
just made them with my daughter!! hey are truly yummy!!! My husband said i do it on purpose to make him gain weight, cause he eats all the treats i make… he love pb andchocolate!
November 29, 2009 04:29 PM: )
Hi there – long time read, first time commenter :)
These are so adorable! I think I’ll give them a go with my son this year.
My partner, however, is allergic to peanuts (I know, what a bummer!). Do you know of anything to substitute the peanut butter?
xx
December 5, 2009 09:49 AMI was so excited when i found this! We used to make this in high school and i ate so much of it! Were in our first apt and getting ready to make this as our first snack here! thank you for reminding me of the ingredients! lol!
Ps. we all called it puppy chow too, but we werent dumb enough to give it to our dogs….
December 5, 2009 01:32 PMalso, i have a friend how uses I.M. Healthy soy nut butter instead of regular peanut butter… not amazing he says, but close enough to bluff. good luck!
December 5, 2009 01:36 PMThis is awesome! It reminds me of the “Reindeer Droppings” that I like to make. And I just realized why I’m so attracted to your site! As a kid I came up with this yummy treat: rice krispy treats rolled into bite-sized balls, dipped in chocolate, dipped in powdered sugar. Simple I know but as a kid I felt proud. I think this year they might be filled with cake and actually look pretty on the outside :-D
December 11, 2009 11:24 AMLou Lou- my daughter had a peanut allergy. We often substituted either cashew butter, soy nut butter and sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter. No one could tell the difference when it was mixed with other things like chocolate.
December 12, 2009 10:34 AMMade this today and it was fabulous! My daughter loves that it’s called “Reindeer Chow”. We will be leaving some for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve. Thanks for sharing. :)
December 19, 2009 09:41 PMMy daughter made this for her Middle School Friends this year and refused to call it “People Puppy Chow”. “Reindeer Chow” is brilliant! We ended up calling it “Snow Candy” although we recently moved from MD to TX and rarely see snow. Amazing photographs! Merry Christmas!
December 22, 2009 04:37 PMLou Lou,
December 22, 2009 06:12 PMAlmond butter would be a nice choice; I think I’m going to make it that way.
Soy is bad for the thyroid, so it is out for me.
I LOVE Puppy Chow. SO much so that I cannot make it b/c hubs won’t eat it and I will inhale it all in one serving. Very very bad but oh so good!
December 22, 2009 07:08 PMDelicious! Should have made a double batch! Have to make some to take to a New Years Eve Party!
December 22, 2009 07:13 PMI’ve had this before only called Werewolf Kibble for those twilight lovers out there! Delish!!
December 22, 2009 07:18 PMI just made this again yesterday and I am ashamed to admit I NEVER thought of using a bowl with a lid. So much simpler especially since my bag wouldn’t close properly.
December 22, 2009 08:11 PMA friend brought me some of this today – it’s yummy!!
December 22, 2009 08:29 PMI am so excited to make this with my daughter (4) she is going to be so excited, we were going to leave some carrotts for the reindeer but this is way way way better! Thanks!
December 23, 2009 09:34 AMI love this stuff!! we make it all the time.
December 23, 2009 10:02 AMCool…plan on making the Christmas Crunch real soon. Just finished baking some macaroons..and my son and Grandson want to sample them…all…..
December 23, 2009 03:48 PMI plan on making the Christmas Crunch real soon. Seems as it willbe a fav in our home.Thanks for the recipe.
The reindeer food I’ve made before,aka Muddy Buddies. Actually made them last year for our Super Bowl party. Found the recipe on a Chex box and now, Chex Mix is selling it all ready made but that’s not any fun!
Bakerella..All the best wishes to you and yours for a most wonderful Christmas! The same for everyone out there in baking land. ~ Holly
I need tips to make this without peanut butter, since my kiddos are allergic.
December 23, 2009 04:22 PMAshley and others with nut allergies, try sun butter.
To those making this for friends with nut allergies, please don’t use any other nut butters as peanut & other nut allergies often go hand in hand.
Also don’t be offended if they politely decline. Home baked goods are some of the most dangerous items for people with nut allergies. Allergic reactions also tend to get worse with each exposure, so what may have been swelling & wheezing one time could be anaphylactic shock next time.
Until you are told differently, treat any nut allergy as life threatening. This means THOROUGHLY cleaning all utensils used between recipes.
December 23, 2009 04:46 PMI have made this before and tastes really good when served cold from the freezer. I made a huge batch and froze it in hopes to have some for the holidays last year but my husband found it…so yummy it didn’t last very long.
December 23, 2009 08:15 PMI make this with Chex (and add butter and vanilla to the chocolate/pb)…and call them muddy buddies OR for the season…snowman poop. yum.
December 25, 2009 12:08 AMCraziest thing….somone actuall fed this to their pet because it was called “puppy chow” the pet died and they sued…now it is called Muddy buddies or People chow.
December 25, 2009 09:50 PMCrazy people…seriously how could you think that was for a pet!
spending a lazy day inside and gave this a go…amazing!! My son prefers to call it Reindeer Poop (he’s 7, so fitting). Delicious and easy. thanks!
December 27, 2009 02:44 PMThis year, I made reindeer chow with two of the grandkids – ages 4 and 6. However, to distinguish it from puppy chow, we added a cup of red and green M&Ms.
January 4, 2010 06:29 PMI just found your website early this morning and decided to make this recipe as my first of many of yours. Let me just say, this is going to be the death of me!
It’s so delicious and easy, I have a feeling I’m going to be making this often!
Thanks for being awesome!
Kirra
January 9, 2010 11:37 PMI have seen this recipe before – but the one I have says to use butter and vanilla with the PB and chocolate. Any idea how the difference effects the taste/texture?
January 17, 2010 09:10 PMThis made me laugh because my friend and I make this with white melting candy and call it snow man poop. Our kids get a great kick outta it and so do “most” adults.
February 5, 2010 07:21 PMI make this with Cheerios and call it People Chow. Have given it in Dollar Store Dog Dish to friends who love my big (100 lb) black lab Ellie Bear.
February 7, 2010 01:38 PMEnjoying your blog.
Peggy
we call this puppy chow and it’s soo good!!!
February 23, 2010 11:00 PMI love this stuff! We call it puppy chow all the time, but reindeer chow is cute! It has always only been a Christmas time treat for us too. In fact, I am only allowed to have it at Christmas because I am addicted and could eat the whole batch if I tried, so it is a once a year sort of treat. I have no self control when it comes to puppy chow!
March 24, 2010 12:45 AMI loce the peanut butter-chocolate combo and I feel like I could practically smell this already. Can’t wait till CHristmas to make these.
March 29, 2010 04:48 PMMy family in Seattle make this all the time. I love it! It is very addicting! They make it with Cherrios instead of Chex cereal. I love it both way. Delish!
April 18, 2010 10:05 PMAlso known as “People Chow”. Very good recipe :)
April 26, 2010 04:14 PMdelicious!! y family calls it “muddy buddies” =D
May 12, 2010 09:35 PMI have made these (with Chex cereal or Rice Krispies) for years! I started calling them “PMS Pillows.” Because what else do you want besides chocolate and peanut butter during that time of the month??
These are also fantastic chilled in the refrigerator and eaten like cereal with cold milk in a bowl!
May 15, 2010 07:26 PMmmmmm i want to try these really badly. a friend of mine had them and they were delicious and i’ve been looking for the recipe since then. thanks!!
June 3, 2010 05:28 PMI love this, its the best thing to munch on(:
July 8, 2010 09:28 PMBakerella, I was actually wondering, i come from australia, how much are those chocolate morsels and where can you buy them from?
August 9, 2010 02:38 AMCan you also add other things like peanuts and pretzels?
October 29, 2010 11:01 AMthis may be a daft question, but for those of you who have made this with cheerios (i live in the uk so cant get crispix or chex) do they stick together in clumps or stay seperate once the sugar is on? I may try cinnamon grahams ? thanks cant wait to try this one with my kids at christmas, in fact i may have to do a trial run ……..
November 2, 2010 11:06 AMMy aunt makes this for every family occasion. Love it!
November 11, 2010 03:05 AMi understand you have admitted this is called puppy chow but you shouldn’t take credit … it belongs to kellogs… you should definetly give credit to Kellogs!
December 1, 2010 05:55 PMAnnika
December 1, 2010 05:57 PMyou can purcahse choclate morsales at any grocery store here in the US.. for us they are located on the baking isle and a common brand is Tollhouse
We call this crack in our house! LOL
December 14, 2010 01:25 AMJust finished making this!! It’s sooooo goood!!!!! Love it! Thank you soooo much Bakerella!!!!
December 22, 2010 08:52 PMI just today made this wonderful raindeer chow for the very first time thanks to me finding you and your blog in your beautiful book “cake pops”. I am about to make my first cake pops too. Thank you. I love this book. Recieved it from my husband for Christmas. Happy Mew Year!!
December 29, 2010 06:14 PMI meant “new”. My fingers are to big for the iPhone keypad.
December 29, 2010 06:16 PMI didn’t found the Crispix in Québec (Canada), but I did this recipe with Golden Grahams… It’s very good and my boyfriend told me: “Hide them, because I will eat them all” :)
December 30, 2010 09:30 PM(I’m sorry for my poor English :$)
I will never leave this post.
May 14, 2011 05:07 PMMy mom used to make these when I was a kid! But she called them “Muddy Buddies!”
July 28, 2011 04:09 PMI always thought this was called “Puppy Chow”?
August 22, 2011 12:38 AMGreat recipe! Can this be frozen? I was thinking of making a large batch and keeping some in the freezer for future use.
August 26, 2011 10:48 AMI love adding pretzels in the mix. The salty sweetness is soo good! You think I could put dark chocolate instead? I feel semi-sweet is too sweet for me, especially because of the powdered sugar.
October 3, 2011 08:19 PM1 cup ? how many ml of peanut butter ?
December 24, 2011 11:45 PMIf I wasn’t on a Daniel Fast I would make this RIGHT NOW! haha
January 11, 2012 04:43 PMBakerella, I followed this recipe over the Christmas holiday. It is true what everyone says, it’s incredibly delicious and addicting. I do have a problem though. About half the amount of chow I made was broken and crumbly (still delicious). I was wondering if you had any suggestions on mixing the ingredients so that there is less breakage?
January 18, 2012 05:36 PMI plan on making this for my Daugters Bridal Shower. I’ll be putting it in small bowls oneach guest table with a small sign that reads, “Chubby Hubby Chow” or
September 3, 2012 12:35 AMChubbie Hubbie Munchies
I love this recipe an decided to teach my 5/6 grade students how to make it. I tweaked it just a little because we are peanut free and I wanted to reduce the sugar. So, I substituted the peanut butter with sunflower butter, added 3 TBS of milled flax seed and 2 tsp of cinnamon to the chocolate mixture. Then, I reduced the confectioner’s sugar by half and replaced it with unsweetened coconut. The kids loved it!!
December 8, 2012 09:52 AM*WARNING* this is addictive! Thanks for the recipe! My daughter came home with a bag of this and im not kidding when I say I could not stop eating it. Im abit afraid to make it and have so much in the house. I agree that a name change is in order… it should be called *reindeer crack*
January 4, 2013 05:24 PMcan’t wait to make it…but how many grams or oz. is ONE box of confectioner’s sugar?
January 20, 2013 07:45 PM