This crunchy and sweet dark chocolate peppermint puppy chow mix is perfect for the Christmas. It only takes a few minutes to make and has the perfect mix of candy canes and chocolate.

Chocolate and peppermint are a classic holiday flavor combination. This chocolate peppermint Chex mix is a fun way to get that yummy flavor in a no bake and super fun snack mix.
Make some as part of your holiday treat making, you won’t be sorry. This recipe is a super quick and easy way to add a little more chocolate mint goodness to the menu.
The resulting candy cane muddy buddies perfect for munching on and will remind you a bit of Thin Mints. It is hard to stop eating it once you get started, so be warned!
This Puppy Chow is for Humans
First of all, let me start off by saying you should not feed this to reindeer or puppies. I have gotten very concerned comments on past puppy chow posts about how dangerous it is to feed chocolate to your animals.

That is just the name we grew up calling this snack mix. It basically refers to chocolate covered cereal that is usually dusted in powdered sugar.
Supposedly the name comes from the fact that a bowl of puppy chow looks similar to a bowl of kibble. It may not be the most attractive food, but is sure is good.
What is the difference between Muddy Buddies and puppy chow?
Nothing. The terms Muddy Buddies, puppy chow and chocolate Chex mix all refer to cereal coated in chocolate and then dusted in powdered sugar. The name you call it might depend on the region you grew up in or where you first encountered this tasty snack.
Have Fun Changing Up the Flavors
In our family, puppy chow is a perfect holiday treat. While we love the original chocolate and peanut butter version, we also love to change it up.
The brownie batter puppy chow I shared early in this blog’s life was one of the first recipes that really got noticed on Pinterest. It is still popular to this day.

Then I made some red velvet puppy chow last year for Valentine’s Day and it was fun as well. It had sprinkles, pretzels and hint of red to make it fun and festive.
This version might rank among my new favorites though. I love the added crunch the bits of candy cane give and it just feels like Christmas.
Of course if you don’t like dark chocolate, you can opt for something else. Semi-sweet chips or milk chocolate would be wonderful as well.
Using white chocolate would e delicious too. But there is something about the dark chocolate and candy cane mix that really called to me.

You are welcome to unwrap and crush candy canes if you’d like. You could also pulse them in your food processor a bit to make it easier.
However, if you check out the Christmas candy section of your grocery store there is likely a bag of candy cane bits there. That saves you the hassle and mess of unwrapping and breaking them up yourself!
This batch of reindeer chow went to work with me. Now I need to whip up some more for home. I know that batch won’t last long either.
Have you tried any fun variations of puppy chow? What are your favorite sweet snack mixes?
Candy Cane Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow

This crunchy and sweet dark chocolate peppermint puppy chow mix is perfect for the Christmas. It only takes a few minutes to make and has the perfect mix of candy canes and chocolate.
Ingredients
- 7 cups chex cereal, we used the rice version
- 10 oz. dark chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup crushed candy canes
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Put the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of candy cane bits in a gallon zippered plastic bag and set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in 30 seconds at a time. Stir between each trip to the microwave and continue cooking a bit at a time until it is smooth. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Stir in 3/4 cup of candy canes and the cereal until coated. Put chocolate coated cereal in the bag with powdered sugar. Zip tightly and shake to coat.
- Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 345Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 124mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 2gSugar: 42gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information is estimated and will depend on the exact ingredients you use.

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies
Friday 28th of December 2018
I haven't made puppy chow in years, and I have to say that I love the idea of adding dark chocolate to the mix! You always know how to tempt my sweet tooth! Hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Carlee
Monday 24th of December 2018
It's a fun one, isn't it? Merry Christmas!
Frugal Hausfrau
Friday 21st of December 2018
You are so creative wiht the puppy chow! I love how you have changed it up so it was great of you to include the different varieties!. Love the original, too!
Carlee
Monday 24th of December 2018
Thank you! I still need to make hubby a batch of the original!
Carlee
Monday 24th of December 2018
Thank you! I still need to make my husband a batch of the original. Maybe today!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Wednesday 19th of December 2018
Hello, new favorite Christmas snack! This sounds amazing, Carlee! You just can't go wrong with chocolate and mint.
Carlee
Monday 24th of December 2018
I agree!
Andrea Nine
Wednesday 19th of December 2018
I love a new puppy chow recipe and this is perfect for the Holiday, Love that you used dark Chocolate! Have a wonderful, festive day!
Carlee
Monday 24th of December 2018
It was so good with the sweet peppermint candy canes. Thank you!