This quick and easy to make homemade sweet Christmas Chex Mix will be your next go-to holiday snack for any party or get together. Made with white chocolate, crushed peppermint candy canes, powdered sugar and your favorite cereal combo, this recipe is a Christmas spin on original Muddy Buddies (or Puppy chow/Dog Chow). A fun white chocolate peppermint treat to make for the whole family!
Make this for a neighbor treat, put it in a jar as a cute gift, or make it for Christmas Eve as festivities begin. This Gluten Free dessert is perfect for the holiday season. This peppermint trail mix is made without nuts, a Christmas version of white trash Chex Mix.
Be sure to check out our amazing quick and easy Christmas desserts perfect for any party, cozy night by the fire, or family get together. Peppermint Brownies, Christmas Rice Krispie Treats, Crockpot Christmas Crack, and Christmas Popcorn.
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What You'll Love About This Recipe
- Quick & Easy- a super fast Christmas dessert ready in less than 20 minutes.
- Kid Friendly - a great treat to let your kids help make with you to make memories and traditions, but also a snack your kids will love!
- Festive - a holiday spin on chocolate peanut butter muddy buddies/puppy chow, this is a festive dessert you can make all holiday season.
- Traditional - Making this dog chow into a festive peppermint white chocolate party mix, you can make a traditional treat into a festive hit.
- Easy to Make With Food Allergies - Use the substitutions below in order to make this fit your family and friends dietary needs like Gluten Free, Dairy Free, or even vegan!
- Party Friendly - perfect for any work, school, or friend and family get together that everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
- Rice Chex- Rice Chex are the preferred cereal when making this recipe. It compliments the white chocolate and peppermint. You can also use Corn Chex for similar results.
- White Chocolate- we have found using brand name white chocolate has better melting properties and is easier to work with.
- Powdered Sugar
- Candy Canes-use crushed peppermint candy canes for this recipe. Use both the chunks and also the peppermint powder for extra flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Crush candy cans in a plastic bag until there are varying sizes of bite size pieces.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate in 30 second intervals. Stir in between each interval until fully melted.
3. Pour Chex cereal into a large bowl. Pour the melted white chocolate onto the cereal and gently mix until well coated. Add the crushed peppermint and gently mix.
4. Toss with powdered sugar until well coated. Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let set before serving.
Hint: Use brand name white chocolate for best melting results. We have found that off-brand white chocolate does not melt as well, making it hard to work with.
Substitutions
Use these substitutions in order for this recipe to help better fit your needs.
- Gluten Free- This dessert is Gluten Free when using brand Chex cereal. If you use off-brand, be sure to check and see if it is gluten free if necessary.
- Almond Bark/Dairy Free - use dairy free white chocolate in order to make this a dairy free dessert. A great option for dairy free and lactose free chocolate is using Almond bark. This can be found in the baking isle of most grocery stores.
- Milk Chocolate- For a milk chocolate peppermint experience, you can use milk chocolate instead of white chocolate at a 1:1 ratio.
Variations
Try these fun ideas to spice up this Christmas Chex Mix and make it your own.
- Christmas M&Ms- use red and green candies to add a festive look and extra chocolate. Add ½-1 cup.
- Marshmallows- add 1 cup of mini marshmallows when you add the crushed peppermint.
- Pretzels- Mix in 1 cup of mini pretzel sticks or twist with the cereal before adding the melted white chocolate.
- Cheerios - Mix in 1 cup of original Cheerios with the Rice Chex to add a different texture.
- Nuts- this is a nut-free dessert but you can add a cup of your favorite nuts before adding the white chocolate. Use peanuts, or cashews for tasty results.
- Golden Grahams- Add another element of flavor by substituting one cup of Chex cereal for 1 cup of Golden Grahams.
Equipment
Use the equipment listed below for the best recipe results.
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Microwave Safe Glass Bowl
- Mixing Spoon
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
Storage
Store prepared White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow in a large bowl with plastic wrap or tin foil over the top or in a gallon ziplock bag.
This recipe freezes well. Put in an air tight container or galloon ziplock bag and freeze up to 1 month. Eaten as a frozen treat or thaw to enjoy.
Top tip
Double the recipe when making to feed a larger crowd. In our experience this treat goes fast and you'll want to have extras!
Make sure to gently stir the Chex each time ingredients are added in order to not crush the cereal. Rice Chex and delicate in nature, especially when being mixed with white chocolate.
FAQ
Yes! Put this recipe in an air tight bag and freeze for up to a month. Enjoy cold or thaw and eat.
Place whole candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush with mason jar, or rolling pin. You can place broken candy cane pieces into a mini food processor and pulse until the desired size.
Recipe
Christmas Chex Mix
Equipment
- 1 Small microwave safe bowl
- 1 sheet pan
Ingredients
- 5 cups rice chex
- 1 cup white chocolate melting chips or wafers
- ½ cup crush candy cane about 4- 5 candy canes
- ½ cup powder sugar
Instructions
- Start by crushing 4-5 candy canes. You should end up with around ½ cup. (see note). Crush the candy cane into tiny bite sized pieces. If there's powder, that's great! It adds to the flavor. Set aside.
- Add rice Chex to a large mixing bowl.
- Melt white chocolate melting wafers or chips in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. Make sure to stir every 20-30 seconds so the chocolate doesn't begin to burn.
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the rice Chex. Gently fold the chocolate onto the rice Chex with a mixing spoon. Coat the Rice Chex.
- Next, pour the crushed candy cane over the chocolate coated Chex. Gently fold the candy cane onto the Chex with a mixing spoon.
- Pour powder sugar onto the white chocolate, candy cane, and Rice Chex. Again, gently fold the powder sugar into the mixture.
- On a parchment paper lined sheet pan, pour the coated Rice Chex evenly on the sheet pan and let sit for 10 minutes, or until chocolate hardens.
- This recipe easily doubles
Notes
- You can do more or less depending on how much peppermint flavor you want in your puppy chow. Remember if you do too much peppermint, the excess will fall to the bottom of the bowl instead of sticking on the white chocolate and Chex.
- To crush candy cane, put the unwrapped candy cane in a ziplock bag. Smash the candy canes with a rolling pin or heavy object until the desired consistency of small pieces and candy cane powder.
- You can easily freeze puppy chow. Freeze in an air tight container. Either thaw before enjoying or try a tasty frozen treat!
Jacob
YUMMM This is a good fun take on regular muddy buddies.
Jed
This will quickly become a Christmas tradition in my house!
Beth
We made this for our Christmas open house and it was a great hit! Thanks for making us look good! 🙂
Andrea
This Christmas Chex mix is so delicious. I love this peppermint spin on Muddy Buddies. We made this party mix for our Christmas Party and it was a hit!