If you love Cinnamon Toast Crunch you’ve definitely come to the right place. In this post we’re going to learn how to make Puppy Chow (also known as Reindeer Chow during the holidays) out of your favorite breakfast cereal.
Can I Make Candy from Breakfast Cereal?
Why, yes. Yes you can! And best of all, this is an easy recipe you can make with the kids.
I don’t know about you but I’m crazy about Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It’s one of my very favorite cereals. So, when I found myself with a full cup of melted chocolate after making my Peanut Butter Snowballs I came up with a fun idea: Make some Cinnamon Toast Crunch Puppy Chow.
Stick with me here.
My original Puppy Chow Recipe (also know as Muddy Buddy recipe) called for semi-sweet chocolate and Chex cereal but I wanted to work with what I have on hand. And I had to scale down my recipe a bit to accommodate what I had on hand. But I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would love this recipe because I’m crazy about cinnamon.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Puppy Chow Ingredients
Ready for a peek at the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe? You’ll find a full recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick look at what you’ll need:
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
- almond bark
- vegetable oil
- creamy peanut butter
- powdered sugar
- cinnamon
How to Make this Yummy Reindeer Chow
This east dessert is perfect for Christmas or any time of year! Best of all it’s a simple recipe.
Have a cookie sheet nearby. Place a sheet of parchment paper on it and set aside.
Place almond bark and vegetable oil in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second increments until fully melted. Mine took a minute and a half.
Add peanut butter and stir well. You want it to be completely smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir well. The chocolate coating will be gooey but that’s half the fun! The mixture of peanut butter with white chocolate is simply luscious!
Place powdered sugar and cinnamon into a gallon-size baggie (ziplock bag).
Take a couple large spoonfuls of the coated cereal and drop it into the confectioners sugar mixture. Zip the bag and shake, thoroughly coating the cereal pieces.
Remove the pieces and place them on the cookie sheet.
Continue the process until all of the cereal is covered in powdered sugar.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay fresh for 10 – 12 days. Do not attempt to refrigerate or freeze.
What to Expect from this Delicious Treat
Cinnamon Toast Crunch is somewhat reminiscent of Chex cereals, but with a spicy twist. It’s the perfect base for this tasty candy.
I absolutely loved the sweetness and the addition of cinnamon to the powdered sugar was pure perfection. (I use a wonderful Vietnamese cinnamon and I’ve fallen absolutely in love with it. The cinnamon flavors are divine in combination with the powdered sugar.)
Though this recipe is similar to my original Puppy Chow, the addition of the cinnamon really sets it apart. It’s absolutely perfect for the holidays! I can’t wait to make it to add to my Christmas Cookie Exchange tray! You might even call this a snickerdoodle puppy chow recipe since it has the same flavors as my Snickerdoodles.
Variations on this Reindeer Chow Recipe
M&Ms: It’s always fun to throw in colorful M&Ms. If you’re making these for Christmas, then go with red and green ones.
Pretzels: I think salty pretzels would be a good complement to the sweetness in these candies. Use the small ones.
Peanuts: A cup of peanuts would be terrific added to this recipe. (Note: this is not a recipe for those with peanut allergies, obviously!)
Sprinkles: You can always add a half cup of sprinkles to add color and texture to your Reindeer Chow. Talk about a fun snack!
White Chocolate Chips: If you don’t have almond bark white chocolate chips will work just fine. They’re a great option, in fact.
Milk Chocolate Chips: You can use these in place of white chocolate if you like. Talk about a crowd pleaser!
Give as Christmas gifts in mason jars with pretty, festive ribbons around the top.
Other Christmas Favorites Kids Will Love
This is a kid-friendly sweet treat but it’s only one of many here at Out of the Box Baking. Here are some of our favorite kid-friendly Christmas dishes:
- Easy Grinch Cupcakes: These colorful cupcakes are definitely high on the list for kiddos. They’re going to love them!
- 12 Easy Holiday Treats to Make with Kids: This is our master list. We’re offering a dozen sweet treats, perfect for the Christmas season.
- Nutter Butter Snowman Cookies: These are easy and delicious. The kids will have a blast making them!
- Edible Christmas Trees: These trees are a perfect project to do with the kids in your world. They’re fun and tasty, too! Use your imagination to make edible Christmas centerpieces together.
- Churro Nutella Christmas Tree: If you love the rich flavor of Nutella and the crisp flakiness of puff pastry, have I got a treat for you!
- 23 Christmas Cupcake Ideas for 2023: These are good for any year, not just 2023!
- 23 No Bake Christmas Treats: There are so many great choices in this post, friends!
That’s it for this Christmas Puppy Chow Recipe post, friends! Talk about a giftable holiday snack! I hope you enjoyed this sweet and spicy treat, perfect for the Christmas season!
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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Puppy Chow
If you love Cinnamon Toast Crunch you've definitely come to the right place. In this post we're going to learn how to make Puppy Chow (also known as Reindeer Chow during the holidays) out of your favorite breakfast cereal.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
- 12 ounces (Half package) almond bark
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Have a cookie sheet nearby. Place a sheet of parchment paper on it and set aside.
- Place almond bark and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Heat in microwave in 30-second increments until fully melted. Mine took a minute and a half.
- Add peanut butter and stir well. You want it to be completely smooth.
- Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal and stir well.
- Place powdered sugar and cinnamon into a gallon-size baggie.
- Take a couple large spoonfuls of the coated cereal and drop it into the powdered sugar mixture. Zip the bag and shake, thoroughly coating the cereal pieces.
- Remove the pieces and place them on the cookie sheet.
- Continue the process until all of the cereal is covered in powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay fresh for 10 - 12 days. Do not attempt to refrigerate or freeze.
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