Reindeer Chow
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Reindeer chow is a fun holiday snack made colorful candy coated chex cereal tossed with pretzels, Reese’s cups, M&M’s and Snocaps candies!
This easy reindeer chow recipe comes together quickly and is the perfect holiday grab and go snack for the kids or your next holiday party! We like to snack on this on the weekend with a few appetizers like corn fritters and bang bang cauliflower.
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Reindeer Chow
Reindeer Chow
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Why you’ll love this recipe!
📌 The festive holiday colors that make it perfect for gift giving!
📌 Versatile! Customize it with your favorite candy or snacks.
📌 Comes together quickly for an easy last minute treat!
Reindeer Chow Ingredients
- Cereal – Chex cereal. We used rice chex but corn or wheat will also work.
- Candy melts – Red, white and green candy melts.
- Powdered sugar – Also called confectioners sugar.
- Pretzels – We like mini twists but you could also use pretzel sticks.
- Reese’s cups – Mini Reese’s cups.
- M&M’s – Red and green.
- Chocolate candy – Snocaps candies (chocolate chips are a good substitute).
How do you make reindeer chow? (step-by-step directions)
⭐ First, melt candy melts using your preferred method.
⭐ Next, combine chex and candy melts and stir gently, coating each piece of cereal. Repeat for each color.
⭐ Then, coat chex mixtures in powdered sugar.
⭐ Finally, combine the sugar coated chex with the remaining ingredients.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions.
Preparation
Can you make reindeer chow ahead of time?
Yes, this recipe will keep in an airtight container for up to a week so it is a great make ahead recipe.
What is the best way to melt the colored chocolate?
My preferred method for melting the colored candy melts is in short increments in the microwave, but we have provided microwave, stove top, and slow cooker directions in the recipe card.
Leftovers and storage
How long will reindeer chow last?
Keep reindeer chow in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Can you freeze reindeer chow?
Absolutely! Freeze in an airtight container for 2 – 3 months. When fully defrosted you will probably want to dust them with a little extra powdered sugar to bring them back to their former glory.
Tips and tricks
✅ Make sure to coat the chex cereal in powdered sugar right away or the chocolate will begin to set and the powdered sugar won’t stick.
✅ Timing tip! Add the powdered sugar to the ziploc bags ahead of time or while the chocolate is melting so everything is ready to go.
✅ When tossing the chex cereal in the powdered sugar, feel around the bag for any big pieces that are sticking together and gently force them apart and continue to shake for an even coat.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a box of Chex cereal?
A 12 ounce box of rice Chex contains roughly 11 cups of cereal.
Where is the best place to find colored candy melts?
You can find them at most craft stores, in the wedding/baking aisle at Walmart, and online at Amazon.
Can I add other snacks or treats to reindeer chow?
You bet! This is such a versatile recipe, you can add or eliminate any ingredient to your liking. Try throwing in cheerio cereal, nuts, chocolate chips or even some Rolos!
What to enjoy with homemade reindeer chow (serving suggestions)
We love to have this fun holiday snack on hand for weekend munching during the holidays. We also like to whip up crock pot chex mix, microwave peanut brittle, and stuffed celery.
Other great chex mix chow recipes
More of our favorite holiday recipes
- Christmas tree brownies
- M&M Christmas cookies
- Christmas tree cupcakes
- Christmas tree cookies
- Grinch brownies
- Reindeer cookie cake
- Crockpot candy
Tools we love
- Reusable gallon zip bags – These are great if you hate the idea of using a storage bag just for the few minutes it takes to cover everything with powdered sugar.
- Spatula – This is my favorite spatula for mixing all of my ingredients together. Sturdy and just downright pretty.
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How to Make Reindeer Chow
Reindeer Chow
Ingredients
- 9 cups chex cereal we used rice, but corn and wheat work too
- 1½ cups white candy melts
- 1½ cups red candy melts
- 1½ cups green candy melts
- 3 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1 bag mini reese's cups (7.6 ounces)
- 1½ cups red and green M&Ms
- 2 boxes Snocaps candies (3.1 ounces each)
Instructions
- Melt each of the candy melt colors using your desired method (see next step).
- MELTING INSTRUCTIONS:Microwave: use a microwave safe bowl and heat candy melts in 20 second increments, stirring between heat cycles.Stovetop: melt candies over low heat, stirring constantly, remove from heat as soon as candies are melted; double boiler can be used if desired.Slow Cooker: add candy melts to oven safe dishes or a crock pot divider and place in slow cooker (mason jars work well for this); cover, set to low for 1 - 2 hours, stir before using. You can melt multiple colors at once using this method.
- Add 3 cups of chex cereal to each bowl of melted candy melts, stir to coat cereal completely.
- Before the melts set, toss each bowl of chex mixture with 1 cup of powdered sugar. This can be done (carefully) in the individual bowls, or you can use a gallon ziploc bags. Allow powder and candy melts to set.(You can place in the fridge for a few minutes to accelerate the process if desired, but not too long or they may sweat when removed).
- Combine the three chex mix colors with the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.
Notes
Nutrition
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So fun & festive!! This is filled with everything my kids love!! It makes the perfect little gift for friends & tastes so good!
My kids had so much fun making this and of course, loved to snack on it as a treat after.
This is such a fun mix!! I never thought about combining of couple of these things… and it turns out they’re my favorite combos in a snack mix. Thank you!