White Chocolate Reindeer Chow

It's not just the reindeer who love White Chocolate Reindeer Chow! Super easy to make and loaded with that sweet-and-salty combo we love, Reindeer Chow is a must-have holiday treat that EVERYone will love. Enjoy it for Christmastime snacking, lunch box packing, or holiday gifting from the kitchen.

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White Chocolate Reindeer Chow snack mix is one of those must-have holiday treats that everyone enjoys. I mean, with its crunchy Chex cereal base, salty peanuts and pretzels, and sweet M&Ms and white chocolate coating, what's not to love? It's just loaded with that delicious sweet-and-salty combo we adore.

But not only is this stuff loved, it's super easy to make, too. 

Simply measure out the ingredients, melt some white chocolate almond bark coating, mix it all together, and you're done. -- That's truly all it takes. A big batch of Reindeer Chow comes together in all of about 20 minutes, flat. And perhaps even faster if you're a fast measurer!

Super easy to make and loaded with that sweet-and-salty combo we love, Reindeer Chow is a must-have holiday treat.

Whip up a batch for any Christmas occasion. Because Reindeer Chow makes for a wonderfully festive holiday snack, whether that be just for the family at home, as a fun party nibble, or as a tasty gift from the kitchen. 

Or hey, like in the case of our daughter, Reindeer Chow makes for a fun and festive lunchbox treat, too. Lunchbox packing deserves some holiday cheer, too, don't you think?

But a word of warning -- Do be careful when Reindeer Chow's around ... because this stuff's truly addictive, for sure.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Super easy to make - Measure, melt, and mix is all this Reindeer Chow takes! Measure out the ingredients, melt some almond bark coating, and mix it all together to coat -- and you're done.
• Sweet-and-salty combo we love - Sweet from the M&Ms and white chocolate coating, and salty from the pretzels and peanuts make this one very tasty little mix.
• Fabulous for snacking or lunch box packing - This stuff's just fabulous for holiday snacking. Or, got kids? -- If they're like my kid, they'll love having a little bag of Reindeer Chow in their lunch box at Christmastime. 
• Great gift from the kitchen - Package a little up in a cute container or baggie for a perfect gift from the kitchen. 

White Chocolate Reindeer Chow Ingredients:

To whip up a batch of this tasty white chocolate-coated Reindeer Chow, you'll need:

• Corn Chex & Rice Chex cereals - Makes the crunchy base of the Reindeer Chow. The mix of both cereals is nice and tasty, but you can use all Corn or all Rice Chex if you prefer.

• Cheerios - Partners with the Chex cereals to create the mix's base.

• Miniature pretzel twists - Brings a salty element to the mix to create that beloved sweet-and-salty combo.

• Dry-roasted peanuts - Salted peanuts also work just fine.

• Red & green holiday M&Ms - Brings in the Christmas color! Regular-colored or other holiday-themed M&Ms can be used if you'd like to enjoy the mix at other times of the year.

• Vanilla almond bark coating - A 24-ounce package of vanilla almond bark coating serves as the Chow's white chocolate coating. Two 12-ounce packages of white or vanilla candy melts can be substituted. We do not recommend substituting white chocolate chips, as they are too difficult to melt without seizing up and turning "gloppy."

• Canola (or vegetable) oil - Stirred in with the melted almond bark coating, a small touch of oil thins the white chocolate a bit and helps it more easily coat the Reindeer Chow pieces.

How to Make White Chocolate Reindeer Chow:

This easy little mix takes practically no time at all to make. To get started, measure out the cereals, pretzels, and peanuts and place them in a large bowl. Add in half of the M&Ms and give the ingredients a little gentle stir to get them combined.

And when we say measure out the ingredients in a "large bowl," we mean it. Use a very large bowl if you have one. -- Because you need plenty of room for stirring the mix around when coating it with the melted white chocolate.

Then coarsely chop the almond bark coating, place it in a bowl along with a small touch of canola oil, and melt it in the microwave. The oil thins the white chocolate a bit and helps it more easily coat the Reindeer Chow pieces.

Pour the melted white chocolate coating over the cereal mixture. Stir the mix very gently to get all the pieces coated. 

Then immediately while the white chocolate is still warm and sticky, sprinkle in the remaining M&Ms and gently stir them into the mix, leaving them not fully coated so their color shows.

Spread the coated mix onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and allow it to cool to set the coating. Once it's cooled, break the coated mix apart with your hands and store it in an airtight container.

Then you're good to go with enjoying the Reindeer Chow deliciousness throughout the holiday season! Though if you're like us, a batch of this sweet-and-salty goodness won't last long at all.

Recipe FAQs:

• Can I use white chocolate chips instead of almond bark coating to make Reindeer Chow? - You can certainly try making Reindeer Chow with white chocolate chips, but we've never been real successful with it. White chocolate chips have always proven to be too difficult to melt without seizing up and turning "gloppy." If you do use white chocolate chips, be sure to melt them over extremely low heat to reduce the risk of seizing.

• Can I substitute different nuts for the peanuts? - Yes, of course you can substitute different nuts for the peanuts in Reindeer Chow! One of the beauties of cooking is to tweak recipes to make them your own, or to suit your own personal taste.

• Can I replace the peanuts with something that is tree nut-free? - If you're dealing with a tree nut allergy or just don't like nuts, absolutely you can replace the peanuts with something tree nut-free. Consider replacing them with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or perhaps soy nuts. Or, just increase the amount of Chex or Cheerios cereal to account for their omission.

• How long will White Chocolate Reindeer Chow keep? - If stored in an airtight, tightly sealed container, White Chocolate Reindeer Chow will keep for up to three or four weeks. 

• Should I store Reindeer Chow in the refrigerator? Reindeer Chow can be stored in an airtight container at either room temperature or in the refrigerator -- either way works just fine! If your kitchen is on the warm side, consider storing it in the refrigerator to prevent softening or melting of the white chocolate coating. 

Check out these other tasty white chocolate treats:

• Christmas White Chocolate-Dipped Sugar Wafers
• Christmas White Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods
• White Chocolate-Peppermint Popcorn
• White Chocolate-Peppermint Potato Chips
• Grinch White Chocolate Sugar Wafers
• White Chocolate Marshmallow Pops
• White Chocolate Peppermint-Pretzel Bark
• More cookie, bar & candy recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

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Snacks

American

Yield: about 18 cups

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

White Chocolate Reindeer Chow

It's not just the reindeer who love White Chocolate Reindeer Chow! Super easy to make and loaded with that sweet-and-salty combo we love, Reindeer Chow is a must-have holiday treat that EVERYone will love.

Prep time: 20 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

• 4 c. miniature pretzel twists
• 4 c. Corn Chex cereal
• 4 c. Rice Chex cereal
• 3 c. Cheerios cereal
• 2 c. dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 (12 oz. or 16 oz.) package red & green holiday M&Ms
• 1 (24 oz.) package vanilla almond bark coating
• 1 T. canola or vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, place pretzels, Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Cheerios, peanuts, and half of the M&Ms. Stir gently to combine.
3. Coarsely chop almond bark coating. Place chopped almond bark and oil together in a bowl. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until coating is fully melted.
4. Pour melted coating over the cereal mixture. Stir very gently to get all pieces coated. Immediately sprinkle with remaining M&Ms and gently stir them into the mix, leaving them not fully coated so their color shows.
5. Spread onto wax paper-lined baking sheet and allow to cool to set the coating.
6. Once cooled, break apart and store in an airtight container.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. Use a very large bowl. -- You need plenty of room for stirring the mix when coating it with the melted white chocolate.
2. Be careful to not overheat the almond bark coating when melting it, as it can scorch. To prevent scorching, keep heating it for a short amount of time, stirring in between, until it's fully melted.
3. Two (12 oz.) packages vanilla candy melts can be substituted for the almond bark coating. Combine the candy melts with the 1 tablespoon of oil, melt in the microwave according to the package instructions, and proceed with the recipe. We do not recommend substituting white chocolate chips for the mix's coating. They are too difficult to melt without seizing up and turning "gloppy."
4. Pop the pan of Reindeer Chow in the refrigerator and chill for about 10 minutes to more quickly cool and set the coating.

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