White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow (AKA, Muddy Buddies) is a delicious holiday snack mix made with Chex cereal, perfect for serving at parties and giving as a gift to neighbors and friends!

The holidays are upon us, and every time I turn around, it seems like there’s a party to attend or a gift to put together requiring an easy, delicious snack. What I love about this White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow recipe is that it’s festive, yummy…and a jumbo batch takes mere minutes to assemble! There are lots of variations of this type of snack mix, but candy canes render this one particularly festive around the holidays.

Whether you refer to it as Puppy Chow, Muddy Buddies, or some other colorful descriptor, this treat typically starts with Chex cereal and ends with a coating of powdered sugar. In between, however, today’s variation gets coated in creamy white chocolate and showered with crushed candy canes. Additional candy canes are finely ground and then incorporated with the powdered sugar, meaning that this Puppy Chow delivers an extra hit of peppermint goodness!

A big bowl of White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow will keep ‘em coming back for more at your next holiday party. It’s the perfect, portable snack to enjoy alongside a thermos of hot cocoa as your family drives around looking at Christmas lights. And it’s ideal for munching while snuggled up on the couch watching Christmas movies. No matter the occasion, it’s a recipe to carry you straight on through December!

And have I mentioned that it makes a fabulous homemade food gift? Not only does this Puppy Chow taste great, but it looks festive as well, with its snowy white cereal and bright pops of red striped candy. As a bonus, one batch is large enough to divide between multiple gifts. Just scoop into a Mason jar or clear cellophane bag, decorate with ribbon and a cute tag, and surprise your neighbors, friends, teachers, bus driver, mailman, pediatrician, hair dresser (…and more!) with a fun, tasty treat.

But what if, by the time you read this post, you’ve already made and passed out all of your holiday gifts? What if you’ve already thrown your last party and driven around to see your last lights and viewed your last Christmas movie of the holiday season? Well, allow me to let you in on a little secret. You know all of those candy canes that are sure to be overrunning your pantry by the end of December? This treat is a great way to use them up! And better yet, you can always pin or bookmark this recipe now for next year.

So add this White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow to your repertoire of sweets to enjoy (or share!) this December! It’s crunchy and sweet, creamy and minty, and the perfect way to put a little Ho Ho Ho in your holiday snacking.

Print White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

White Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow (AKA, Muddy Buddies) is a delicious holiday snack mix made with Chex cereal, perfect for serving at parties, giving as a gift to neighbors and friends, and using up those extra candy canes!

Ingredients

1¼ cups crushed candy canes (approximately 7½ ounces, or 50 mini candy canes), divided
6 cups Rice Chex cereal
12 ounces white chocolate baking bar (such as Baker's) or white melting chocolate
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

To crush candy canes, place in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Use the flat side of a meat mallet (or a rolling pin) to pound into small pieces. Measure out ¼ cup of these crushed candy canes into a food processor and pulse until a fine powder is formed. Set aside.
Pour Chex cereal in a very large bowl or container with a tight-fitting lid. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Immediately pour melted white chocolate over Chex and gently stir until all cereal is coated. Fold in 1 cup crushed candy canes. Sprinkle powdered sugar and remaining ¼ cup candy cane powder over Chex mixture. Cover bowl with lid and gently shake and turn bowl until all ingredients are coated in powdered sugar. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Tips, Tricks, & Variations

If you don't have a large bowl with a lid, you may combine the Chex, melted white chocolate, and crushed candy canes in a large bowl as directed. Then immediately transfer the Chex mixture to a large plastic bag that already has the powdered sugar and candy cane powder measured into it; seal and shake.

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