Christmas Puppy Chow

The Three Steps That Matter

Puppy chow has only a handful of steps, and three of them decide whether it turns out crisp and snowy or soggy and patchy.

1. Melt the chocolate gently. Short microwave bursts keep it smooth. Overheated chocolate seizes into a thick, grainy paste that won't coat.
2. Let the coating cool for a minute. Scalding chocolate soaks into the cereal and softens it.
3. Add the mix-ins last. M&Ms and pretzels go in after the sugar coating sets, so the candy shells stay bright and the pretzels stay crunchy.

What You'll Need

• Chex cereal. Rice Chex is the classic, and Corn Chex works too. Both are gluten-free. Wheat Chex is not.
• Semisweet chocolate chips. They balance the sweet sugar coating. Milk chocolate makes it sweeter.
• Creamy peanut butter. Regular, not natural, which can separate and turn oily.
• Butter and vanilla. Butter thins the coating so it spreads evenly. Vanilla rounds it out.
• Powdered sugar. Keep a little extra for a second shake.
• Christmas mix-ins. Red and green M&Ms (sold as holiday blends in winter), mini pretzel twists, and sprinkles.

How to Make It

Measure the cereal into your biggest bowl and line two baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter for 1 minute, stir, then keep going in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and let it sit for a minute.

Pour the chocolate over the cereal and fold gently with a spatula, reaching to the bottom, until every piece is coated. Put the powdered sugar in a 2-gallon zip-top bag, add the cereal, seal, and shake until it's all white. Use two batches if your bag is smaller.

Spread it on the baking sheets and let it set for 15 minutes. Then toss with the M&Ms, pretzels, and sprinkles.

Troubleshooting

• Too sweet. Stick with semisweet chocolate, use salted pretzels, and cut the powdered sugar to 1 cup.
• Soggy cereal. The chocolate was too hot, or it was stored before it set. Cool the coating briefly and let the finished mix dry on the sheets.
• Sugar disappeared. Warm chocolate absorbs the first layer. Once it's set, shake it again with an extra ¼ cup of powdered sugar.
• Sticky clumps. Uneven coating makes wet patches that grab sugar. Fold thoroughly before shaking.
• Seized chocolate. Too much heat at once. Start over with short bursts. A teaspoon of neutral oil can sometimes loosen slightly thick chocolate, but fully seized chocolate won't recover.

Holiday Variations

• White Christmas. Use white chocolate chips (heat in 15-second bursts; they scorch easily) and fold in crushed candy canes.
• Peppermint. Stir ½ teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate.
• Gingerbread. Whisk 1 teaspoon ground ginger and ½ teaspoon cinnamon into the powdered sugar.
• Nut-free. Use sunflower seed butter or cookie butter, and check the candy and pretzel labels.
• Grinch mix. Coat with green candy melts and add red heart sprinkles.

Packing It as a Gift

A pint jar holds about 2 cups, so one batch fills about six. Cellophane bags tied with twine are easy for teachers, neighbors, and coworkers, and parchment-lined tins travel well. Make the coated cereal up to 5 days ahead and stir in the M&Ms and pretzels right before packing.

For more treats that skip the oven, pair it with no bake cookies or a jar of stovetop candied pecans. If you're planning a full cookie day, the Christmas baking day ideas guide lays out a timeline, and easy dessert recipes has more quick options for the rest of the year.

Storing

• Room temperature. Up to 1 week in an airtight container, away from the stove or a sunny window.
• Fridge. Up to 2 weeks. The chocolate stays firmer.
• Freezer. Up to 3 months in a freezer bag. Eat it straight from the freezer or let it sit 10 minutes.

Cook's Tips

• Use a bowl bigger than you think. Nine cups of cereal need room to fold without crushing.
• Fold, don't stir. Scrape up from the bottom and turn the cereal over. Stirring breaks the squares.
• Measure the mix-ins by eye. Keep the candy and pretzels to about a third of the finished mix, so every handful still tastes like puppy chow.
• Let it cool completely before sealing. Even slightly warm puppy chow sweats in a closed container and goes soft.