Christmas Puppy Chow.

My Aunt Katie’s Christmas Puppy Chow is the easiest dessert to mix up, with zero baking required! Chex cereal, tossed with salty pretzels and coated in melted peanutty chocolate and sweet powdered sugar. And to make this puppy chow extra special, mix in some holiday M&Ms. Fun to make and so DELICIOUS to eat. This sweet Christmas snack mix is addicting. Serve this all week long and through to New Year’s, or package up for gifting to friends and family. Everyone is obsessed.

We’re down to the final days before Christmas. It’s hard to believe we’re less than a week away! I’m so excited!

It’s CRUNCH time! And, of course, I have lots to do. So now is the time for our easiest recipes—the ones we make every single year that require almost no thought.

My Aunt Katie’s puppy chow is one of those recipes. It’s crazy that it’s taken me all these years to share this. But after making it for so long, I finally realized that it has to happen this Christmas season.

Her recipe is so old school, written on a single-lined index card with plenty of smudges all around. My only two tweaks are the addition of salty pretzels and Christmas M&M’s. I couldn’t resist.

I know if she were here today, she would fully approve!

Here are the details

Step 1: melt the chocolate

This is easy. Melt one stick of butter with 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter and one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Do this in the microwave and stir after every 30 seconds until very melty and smooth.

Step 2: mix in the cereal

Next, combine the cereal with the pretzels and pour the chocolate overtop. Mix together using a spatula – preferably a Christmas spatula – ‘Tis the season!

Step 3: shake it!

Ok, now the fun part. Transfer the puppy chow to a big Ziploc bag and add powdered sugar. Shake the bag until the puppy chow is fully coated and white all over.

It should look like snow. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of powdered sugar here. Again, ’tis the season.

Step 4: make it festive…and even sweeter!

Add the Christmas M&M’s and gently mix.

At this point, you can package up your puppy chow for gifting or simply keep it stored in that very same bag you shook it up in. Nothing too difficult and very little fuss.

What is Christmas Puppy Chow great for?

Honestly, this is great for all occasions, but personally, I’m really excited to serve this up over the holidays.

I have plans to make a couple of batches for snacking on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Then, we’ll enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. You could definitely include this Christmas Puppy Chow in your cookie boxes too! The options for this sweet snack are endless.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy gift, this is perfect to package up in a cute box, tin, or bag. It’s certain to cheer up just about anyone’s day. This would also be a great gift to give to friends and family that you might not be able to see over the holidays.

Here’s my suggestion: make a batch for yourself tonight, plus a batch to gift to a friend! This will become your new go-to easy holiday treat, so YUMMY!

Looking for other easy desserts? Here are my favorites: 

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

5 Ingredient Triple Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lastly, if you make this Christmas Puppy Chow, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!