Make sure you add Christmas muddy buddies to your holiday baking list this holiday season. Ready in just 10 minutes, this no-bake treat is the perfect sweet treat to bring joy and excitement to any holiday party.

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One of my all-time favorite Christmas baking recipes is this Christmas puppy chow recipe. This recipe makes a big batch. I've been known to hide it in the freezer to make it last longer. 🙂
You might also like this Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix or Puppy Chow Cookies. And if it's almost Valentine's Day, make my Valentine's Puppy Chow.
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Why You'll Love It
- Simple Ingredients: You can easily find everything at your local grocery store.
- Quick & Easy: Ready in just 10 minutes, with no baking required.
- Festive: Red and green M&Ms make it perfect for Christmas parties.
- Great for Gifting: Pack it in a mason jar with a bow for a fun teacher gift.
Christmas Muddy Buddies Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Rice Chex. I used gluten-free Rice Chex, but you can use any Chex cereal.
- Chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips, or a combination.
- Peanut butter. I used smooth peanut butter. I haven't tried it with crunchy peanut butter, but I bet it would be delicious!
- Christmas M&Ms. I used red and green M&Ms. You could also use mini marshmallows, pretzels, or peanuts.

How To Make Christmas Muddy Buddies

Step 1
Pour the entire box of Rice Chex (about 9-10 cups) into a large mixing bowl.

Step 2
Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. You can also use the air fryer or a saucepan on the stove over low-medium heat. Add vanilla extract and stir until combined.

Step 3
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the Chex and quickly stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, being careful not to break up the cereal.

Step 4
Add ¾ cup of powdered sugar to a large Ziploc bag. Add half of the chocolate-coated cereal and half of the M&Ms. Seal the bag and shake until coated. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Step 5
Transfer to a large cookie sheet covered in wax paper or parchment paper to cool.

Step 6
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. I actually like to store it in a Ziplock bag and keep it in my freezer. Anytime I feel like a sweet treat, I grab a handful and chow down!
Top Tips
- Melt Slowly: Stir the chocolate often while melting to avoid burning.
- Mix Quickly: Use a large spoon or spatula to mix the melted chocolate mixture into the cereal quickly, scooping up from the bottom.
- Freeze for Convenience: Store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for easy snacking.
Christmas Muddy Buddies FAQs
Yes, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze them for an hour, and then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months.
Yes, they can. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
They can be made up to a week ahead and stored in an airtight container.
Yes, they are the same treat with different names.
The name comes from its resemblance to dog food. The snack was originally created in the 1950s as a way to use up stale cereal.


More Christmas Baking Recipes To Love
- Old Fashioned Ginger Snap Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Crack
- 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge
- Easy Christmas Fudge
- Cinnamon Sugar Puff Pastry Christmas Trees
- Smoked Chex Mix
Did you make this Puppy Chow recipe? If you did, can you do me a big favor and leave a rating and review letting me know how you liked it? This helps my website grow so I can continue to publish free recipes. Thank you! 😊
Recipe
Christmas Muddy Buddies
Equipment
- Mixing bowl large
- Wooden spoon
- Baking Sheet
- Ziploc bags
Ingredients
- 9-10 cups Rice Chex cereal 1 box
- 1½ cups chocolate chips
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup mini Christmas M&Ms red and green
Instructions
- Step 1: Pour the entire box of Rice Chex (about 9 cups) into a large mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter. Either do this by heating it in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments in the microwave and stirring until smooth. You can also melt it in the air fryer on the reheat setting at 360 degrees F for 3 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals. You can also melt it in a medium saucepan on the stove over low-medium heat, constantly stirring until smooth and velvety. Add vanilla extract and stir until combined.
- Step 3: Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex. Working quickly, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon, being careful not to break up the cereal.
- Step 4: Add ¾ cup of powdered sugar to a large Ziploc bag. Add half of the Chex mixture and half of the M&Ms. Zip up the bag and shake it gently to coat all of the cereal.
- Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Repeat with the remaining Chex mixture, powdered sugar, and M&Ms.
- Step 6: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Notes
- Melt Slowly: Stir the chocolate often to avoid burning.
- Mix Quickly: Use a large spoon or spatula to mix the melted chocolate mixture into the cereal quickly.
- Freeze for Convenience: Store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for easy snacking.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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