NOTE: Just to clarify, this recipe is not intended for dogs—”puppy chow” is just the common name this snack goes by! This is for people, not animals! 🙂
This is a Christmasy snack mix that’s quick and easy to make! It’s basically white chocolate-and-powdered sugar-coated Rice Chex™ cereal with crushed candy canes mixed in, for a tasty peppermint-flavored treat! In addition to being a yummy snack, Peppermint Puppy Chow also makes a great food gift! If you’ve never had it, you’d be surprised how addicting this can be—it’s really hard to stop eating it!
You can add more than crushed candy canes to this snack mix if you want, although it’s great just with that! But you can also add Christmas sprinkles or mini holiday M&Ms to make the mix really colorful and festive! I made several batches—one just with crushed candy canes, one with crushed candy canes plus Christmas sprinkles, and one with crushed candy canes plus mini holiday M&Ms, just to have some variety! Whatever options you choose to add in, it’s a yummy sweet treat! 🙂
The different variations of the mix are shown in some dip bowls I have from maryandmartha.com, the Joy Hope Love Dip Bowl Set! This set is perfect for holiday entertaining! And there’s a coordinating wooden serving board that you can order separately. Together, they really make a nice presentation on your holiday table!
Peppermint Puppy Chow
PEPPERMINT PUPPY CHOW (a snack mix for people, not puppies!)
Makes about seven 1-cup servings
6 cups Rice Chex™ cereal
12 ounces white chocolate (use white chocolate baking bars—or melting chips, or almond bark—vanilla baking chips do not melt as well)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups crushed candy canes (about 17)
1 1/3 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Optional add-ins: 2/3 cup Christmas sprinkles or 1 1/2 cups mini holiday M&Ms®
Put 6 cups of Rice Chex™ cereal into a large bowl. Melt the white chocolate (if using bars, chop the chocolate or break into smaller pieces first) in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stopping and stirring after each time, until the white chocolate is melted (be careful not to overheat, or the chocolate will become too stiff).
Quickly stir the peppermint extract into the melted chocolate, then pour over the cereal in the large bowl, stirring gently until cereal is fully coated. Add in the crushed candy canes and stir again. If using the optional Christmas sprinkles, stir those in too.
Add the confectioners’ (powdered) sugar into an extra-large (2 gallon) zip-top bag; then add the cereal mixture, which will still be warm, and seal the bag. Shake the bag until the mixture is evenly coated with confectioners’ sugar. If using the optional mini M&M’s®, add those to the bag and shake to combine with the cereal mixture.
Let mixture cool for 20 to 30 minutes. For quicker cooling, you can spread mixture out on a cookie sheet. Serve in snack-size bowls or package in treat bags for giving! You can store this snack mix at room temperature in a zip-top bag or sealed airtight container for up to two weeks.
Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com
This type of “Puppy Chow” snack mix is also called “Muddy Buddies” and “Reindeer Munch,” but I’ve seen it most often as “Puppy Chow.” There are lots of seasonal variations on these snack mixes, but I really love this peppermint version for the holidays! Have you ever made a snack mix like this?
Sharing at Meal Plan Monday, Weekend Potluck, Farmhouse Friday, Fiesta Friday, Full Plate Thursday, Thursday Favorite Things, Grace at Home, Wow Me Wednesday, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party, Wonderful Wednesday, Create with Joy.
NancyC 
Compared to milk or dark chocolate, white chocolate is not nearly as toxic to dogs. … It is high in fat, which can cause similar symptoms to chocolate poisoning (like vomiting and diarrhea) and the high-fat content puts your dog at risk for pancreatitis
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing that—this is a snack mix for people, not dogs! I added a note to the beginning to clarify that! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for adding the Note for others. I would have made it for my dog until I saw the chocolate part then I was a little confused.
LikeLike
You’re welcome! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to know!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yum! I’m a huge fan of peppermint. I just printed the recipe so this yumminess should be coming to my kitchen very soon. Thank you!
LikeLike
You’re very welcome! 🙂
LikeLike
This looks delicious, but I think they should rename it, just to be on the safe side. People often don’t read instructions!
LikeLike
Yes, I didn’t think of that because I’ve seen it so much with that name! But for people who haven’t heard of it, it could be confusing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Recipe Goals.
LikeLike