• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Kickass Baker
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes (Legacy)
  • Let's Work Together!
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About Me
  • Recipe Search
  • Recipe Index
  • Baking Resources
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Truffles & Candies

    Peppermint Puppy Chow

    4.80 from 5 votes
    6 Comments

    Dec 28, 2019

    (updated Apr 6, 2025)

    by Kimberlee Ho

    Jump to Recipe

    Peppermint Puppy Chow is one of my go-to recipes for the holidays. This is the perfect holiday treat for gifting and for snacking. It's a no-bake recipe, ready in about 10 minutes. This is Puppy Chow recipe without peanut butter, but certainly does not lack in flavor!

    I love to prepare a batch for gifting in large mason jars tied with holiday bows. I also leave a big bowl out for Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day so our guests can help themselves to a handful. But beware, this treat is super addictive!

    Jar of peppermint puppy chow spilling out on table with christmas tree behind

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Puppy Chow is also called Muddy Buddies

    This holiday treat goes by at least two names. Why? Probably because it's so damn good! Or, because like a lot of treats, what it's called depends on where you live. Where I live we call this Puppy Chow.

    That's not to be confused with the food we feed our dogs! This stuff is definitely not for our canine companions.

    Puppy Chow is essentially melted chocolate, Chex cereal, and powdered sugar all mixed together. For this version, we add in white chocolate peppermint chunks and crushed candy canes for a festive, holiday snack mix.

    Jar of peppermint puppy chow with christmas ribbon on it

    How to make Peppermint Puppy Chow

    This Christmas favorite is super easy to make. It requires no baking and is ready in about 10 minutes.

    Start by melting together the white baking chocolate and white chocolate peppermint chunks in a large microwave-safe bowl.

    Overhead of white chocolate and peppermint chocolate ready to be melted
    Overhead of melted white chocolate and peppermint white chocolate

    Next, add the Chex cereal and about ¾ of the crushed candy canes.

    Stir well to coat the cereal thoroughly and evenly with the melted chocolate. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the melted chocolate is incorporated.

    Overhead of Chex cereal in a bowl with peppermint candies
    overhead of mixing peppermint puppy chow

    Add in the powdered sugar and stir to coat all the cereal.

    Mixing powdered sugar to make peppermint puppy chow

    Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes over top and give a quick stir.

    Allow the melted chocolate to harden by leaving the puppy chow at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before eating.

    I love grabbing for the big chunks of cereal coated in chocolate and powdered sugar that form when the chocolate has cooled! So delicious to bite into and snack on all day while I'm baking more holiday desserts.

    Overhead of peppermint puppy chow being made

    Tips for Making This Recipe

    • Grab the largest bowl you can find. Be sure it's microwave-safe, too. For this recipe, you'll be melting the two types of chocolate together in this large bowl, then adding the cereal and crushed candy canes. So, the good news is you really only need one bowl to make this recipe. It must be a large bowl to fit 12 cups of cereal as well as fit in your microwave. I use one like this.
    • Allowing the puppy chow to rest at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes after it's all mixed will allow the melted chocolate to harden, creating big chunks of puppy chow. These are my favorite to grab and snack on.
    • Peppermint Puppy Chow keeps really well at room temperature for at least a week. It'll keep even longer in the fridge. Store in a tightly sealed ziptop bag to keep it fresh.
    • This holiday recipe is perfect for gifting. It makes a large quantity, so you can divide evenly among several large mason jars or festive holiday tins. Affix a holiday bow and you've got yourself the perfect DIY food gift for the holiday season!
    Dish of Peppermint Puppy Chow

    FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!

    Useful Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

    Large Microwave Safe Bowl

    Large Silicone Mixing Spoon

    Ziptop Storage Bags

    Overhead of peppermint puppy chow in a rose gold dish with festive holiday ornaments around

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.

    For more Holiday dessert recipes, check these out:

    • These chocolate sandwich cookies are the perfect vessel for the peppermint marshmallow creme.
      Hot Cocoa Peppermint Moon Pies
    • These chocolate cookies are rolled in colored sugar and topped with peppermint filling.
      Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Peppermint Filling
    • Each layer of these homemade peppermint bark brownies is delicious and makes the perfect bite.
      Peppermint Bark Brownies
    • Overhead of puff pastry Christmas tree with red and black bow and two hands grabbing for the pastry
      Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
    Peppermint Puppy Chow spilled from a mason jar

    Did you enjoy a KICKASS BAKER recipe? Please share a comment and leave a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating on this recipe! We appreciate you sharing your feedback!

    Jar of peppermint puppy chow spilling out on table with christmas tree behind

    Peppermint Puppy Chow

    Peppermint Puppy Chow, also known as Muddy Buddies, is a no-bake holiday recipe, ready in about 10 minutes, perfect for gifting and for snacking!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Dessert, Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cookie exchange recipe, holiday baking recipe, holiday cookie recipe, holiday cookies, holiday dessert, muddy buddies recipe, peppermint puppy chow, puppy chow recipe
    Servings: 12 cups
    Calories: 87kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho
    US Customary - Metric

    Equipment

    • large microwave-safe bowl

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces white baking chocolate, vanilla candy coating or vanilla almond bark
    • 10 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
    • 12 ounces Rice Chex cereal
    • ½ cup Peppermint candies or about 6 candy canes, crushed
    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • In a very large microwave-safe bowl, place vanilla candy coating and peppermint crunch baking chips. Melt in microwave by heating on high in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval. This should take about 1 ½ - 2 minutes total. Stir chocolate until smooth.
      16 ounces white baking chocolate, vanilla candy coating or vanilla almond bark, 10 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
    • Add cereal and ¾ of crushed candy canes to bowl with melted chocolate. Stir well to coat cereal, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure all chocolate has been mixed and all the cereal is coated.
      12 ounces Rice Chex cereal, ½ cup Peppermint candies
    • Add powdered sugar to cereal and chocolate mixture and stir until fully coated. Sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes.
      1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ½ cup Peppermint candies
    • Allow to sit at room temperature until chocolate has hardened, about 20-30 minutes.

    Notes

    • Be sure to use white baking chocolate, vanilla candy coating, or vanilla almond bark for this recipe. I do not recommend using white chocolate chips, as they do not melt well.
    • Puppy Chow will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for longer. Store in tightly sealed container or ziptop bag.
    • Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction and Shugary Sweets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.7g | Protein: 0.9g | Fat: 0.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 110.8mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 9.4g
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!
    Peppermint Puppy Chow | kickassbaker.com pin for pinterest

    Filed Under

    Truffles & CandiesNo BakeUnder 30 MinutesBeginnerHolidaysWinterChocolatePeppermint
    « Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
    Pink Champagne Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream »

    Reader Interactions

      4.80 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

      Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

      I am honored you made this recipe from kickassbaker.com! Your star rating and comment will help others looking for recipes like this one. Please take a moment to share a star rating and offer a helpful comment or tip for other bakers. Thank you!

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Comments

    1. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

      December 29, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      Can you believe I have never made this kind of treat?? It sounds and looks so addictive!! I still need to make treats for my neighbors this year too, so I foresee this in my future!

      Reply
      • Kim

        December 30, 2019 at 3:40 pm

        I think it's in the cards for you to make up a batch for yourself and your neighbors, for sure!

        Reply
    2. Jennifer Smith

      December 30, 2019 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely my new go to for Holiday gifting AND snacking!! ❤💚 Thanks Kim XO

      Reply
      • Kim

        December 30, 2019 at 3:40 pm

        I'm so glad to hear that! It's so so good! And addictive 🙂

        Reply
    3. Thuy

      December 22, 2020 at 8:26 pm

      4 stars
      Made some for gifting. Brought it in to work. A coworker called it peppermint crack! 👍

      Easy and quick recipe.

      Reply
      • Kim

        December 22, 2020 at 8:31 pm

        awesome! this is probably one of my favorite holiday treats!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey there!  Thank you so much for visiting Kickass Baker!  I’m Kim, the working mom and home baker behind this blog.  I know how crazy life can be.  Too often, we can beat ourselves up and give up things we enjoy because we think we aren’t great at them.  But you are kicking ass everyday and I’m here to help you bake up some crazy-good recipes and embrace your Kickass Baker!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Jumbo double chocolate chip muffin with a bite taken out.
      Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

    • serving a slice of dalgona coffee chocolate cake
      Dalgona Coffee Chocolate Cake

    • Challah braided bread slices ready to be eaten.
      Fluffy Challah Bread

    • Close-up image of easy homemade cinnamon sticky bun fresh out of the oven
      One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

    • Brioche Doughnuts | kickassbaker.com #brioche #donuts #doughnuts #vanilla #cream #creme #filled #dessert #nutfree #recipes #kickassbaker #fried #breakfast
      Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream Filling

    • Challah Rolls recipe is great for the holidays.
      Challah Rolls

    Web Stories

    For step-by-step recipe instructions check out my web stories archive.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Best in Breads

    • Condensed milk bread
    • Semolina bread
    • Challah recipe
    • Pita bread
    • Irish soda bread
    • Brioche buns
    • English muffins

    Classic Cookies

    • Classic chocolate chip cookies
    • M&M chocolate chip cookies
    • Snickerdoodle cookies
    • Brown butter cookies
    • Skillet cookie
    • Red velvet cookies
    • Sugar cookies

    Homemade Cakes

    • Banana cake
    • Olive oil cake
    • Applesauce cake
    • Angel food cake
    • Lemon bundt cake
    • Chocolate sheet cake
    • Lemon pound cake

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Editorial Policies | Privacy Policy
    Copyright © 2025 Kickass Baker

    Peppermint Puppy Chow | kickassbaker.com pin for pinterest
    Peppermint Puppy Chow | kickassbaker.com pin for pinterest
    Peppermint Puppy Chow | kickassbaker.com pin for pinterest

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.