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Christmas Puppy Chow is made with chex cereal, mini pretzels, and macadamia nuts all coated in creamy white chocolate, crushed candy cane pieces, and powdered sugar. It’s the easiest no-bake treat for the holiday season, & makes a sweet homemade gift!
Why you’ll love Christmas Puppy Chow:
- Peppermint White Chocolate Puppy Chow – This delicious treat is perfect for white chocolate lovers. It’s got white chocolate and peppermint in every bite – and it’s even better than reindeer food!
- Crunch Factor – The mini pretzels and macadamia nuts add extra crunch to this puppy chow, making it the perfect treat for crunch lovers, and salty sweet snack mix lovers.
- No-Bake Holiday Treat – This easy recipe is no bake, and uses simple ingredients, making it a complete breeze during holiday baking season.
Ingredient Overview:
- White Chocolate – Use melting wafers or baker’s bars rather than chocolate chips, as they melt easier and work better for recipes like this.
- Candy Canes – Use crushed mini or large candy canes.
- Chex – Use corn or rice chex, or a mixture of both.
- Pretzels – Use mini twists or mini sticks.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations:
- Dairy-free – Use dairy-free chocolate.
- Gluten-free – Use gluten-free pretzels and gluten-free chex.
- Nut Free – Omit the nuts if needed.
- Chocolate – Feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate of dark chocolate instead of the white, if desired. Or, drizzle milk chocolate over the cooled puppy chow for a mix!
- Mix-Ins – Try almonds, pecans, or cashews instead of macadamias if desired. M&ms would also be a great addition to this sweet treat! Add a splash of vanilla extract or peppermint extract to the white chocolate too.
How to Make Christmas Puppy Chow:
Step 1: Melt the White Chocolate. Melt white chocolate in a large bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring between each until completely smooth.
Step 2: Add the Mix-Ins. Add the chex, pretzels, macadamia nuts, and candy cane pieces. Stir until everything is combined and coated in the white chocolate.
Step 3: Add Powdered Sugar. Add the puppy chow mixture to a large plastic bag or a large container with a lid. Add the powdered sugar, secure the bag or the lid, and shake to coat well.
Sprinkle extra crushed candy canes and macadamia nuts over the coated cereal, and enjoy!
Serving + Storing this Recipe:
Enjoy immediately! No need to lay it out on parchment paper or a cookie sheet – it sets up pretty quickly! This Christmas Puppy Chow recipe is incredibly delicious, and is always a hit at christmas parties. It also makes a wonderful homemade gift.
Store this puppy chow in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks, or in the fridge longer.
Simply box or bag it up in a festive bag, add a label, and gift it! This is also a great treat to bring to holiday cookie exchanges at this time of year, along with my Peanut Butter Blossoms and my Thick & Chewy Gingerbread Cookies.
Expert Success Tips:
- Melting White Chocolate – Melt white chocolate gently, as it can seize up easier than regular chocolate. Use a double-boiler if desired, or be sure to do 20 second intervals in the microwave rather than 30, and when there are still some lumps left, use the residual heat in the bowl to melt the chocolate as you stir until it smooths out.
- Stir Gently – Stir things into the white chocolate gently, to avoid breaking the cereal pieces up too much.
FAQs:
Yes, absolutely! You can make it 1-2 days ahead and store in a tupperware container at room temperature. Or, make it up to 1 month ahead and freeze it. Enjoy from frozen – I hear it’s very good that way.
More Holiday Treats to Love:
- Bakery-Style Monster Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies
- Key Lime Slice & Bake Cookies
- Blueberry Lemon Cookies
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies
- Cherry Pie Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies
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Peppermint White Chocolate Christmas Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 5 and 1/2 cups corn chex
- 1 cup mini pretzel twists
- 16 ounces white chocolate, chopped, Use melts or bakers bars, not white chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped, optional
- 1 and 1/4 cups crushed candy canes
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Melt the Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl, in 20 second intervals, stirring between each until completely melted.
- Finish the Puppy Chow: Stir in the chex, pretzels, macadamia nuts, and candy cane pieces, until everything is combined and coated in the white chocolate. Add this mixture to a large ziploc bag or a large container with a lid. Add the powdered sugar, secure the bag or the lid, and shake to coat everything.
- Serve + Store: Serve with an extra sprinkle of crushed candy canes and macadamia nuts! Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks or so.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
