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Easy Reindeer Food snack mix made with Chex cereal, white chocolate, and pantry staples. A quick, homemade Christmas treat that’s perfect for gifting.
This Reindeer Food recipe is one of those Christmas treats that has been around forever, often called by different names, and for years I kept meaning to try it. This season I finally did, and I immediately understood why it’s so popular. It comes together in just a few minutes using simple ingredients, and the combination of crunchy cereal, salty pretzels, and sweet white chocolate is hard to resist. Packaged in a jar or cellophane bag, it makes a thoughtful, last-minute homemade gift for neighbors, friends, or anyone who could use a small Christmas treat.
Why This Works for Gifting
Reindeer Food is an ideal homemade gift because it’s quick to make, easy to package, and feels festive without being complicated. The ingredients are simple and easy to find, and the recipe makes a generous batch, which is helpful when you need several gifts at once. Once it’s mixed and set, it stores well and travels easily, making it a good option for neighbors, teachers, co-workers, or anyone on your list who would appreciate a small Christmas treat.
Ingredients Needed
- Rice Chex
- Honey Nut Cheerios
- Mini pretzels
- Roasted peanuts (lightly salted)
- Holiday Blend M&M’s
- White chocolate melting wafers
Substitutions
Substitutions are completely flexible with this recipe, which is part of what makes it so helpful during the busy Christmas season. Any combination of dry ingredients works well as long as the total stays close to 7 cups, not counting the M&M’s, and is paired with 10 ounces of white chocolate. Swap in different cereals, nuts, or pretzels based on what you have on hand. The one ingredient I would not skip is the bag of M&M’s. That extra sweetness balances the salty ingredients, and the added color gives the snack mix its festive look.
The Easy Steps
- Prepare a large baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add the Rice Chex, Honey Nut Cheerios, pretzels, peanuts, and M&M’s.
- Into a smaller bowl that’s microwave-safe, pour the white chocolate melting wafers.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions. Stir until very smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the dry ingredients.
- Gently stir until all the dry ingredients are covered with chocolate.
- Pour out onto the parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Spread out into an even layer.
- Let set for 30 minutes.
- Gently break apart and place into airtight containers.
Packaging Ideas
For packaging, I used quart-sized mason jars tied with ribbon or twine, along with the free printable gift tags you can get by filling out the form below. There are two tag styles. One includes the ingredients, one does not. Most recipes for this snack mix make huge amounts. One batch of this Reindeer Food fills four quart jars nicely, so it’s a manageable amount, while also making it easy to create several gifts at once. Cellophane bags work just as well and are a good option if you don’t have jars on hand. Once everything is tied up with ribbon, the snack mix looks festive and gift-ready with very little effort. Here are some handy links to the supplies pictured in this post:
- Quart mason jars
- Cellophane bags
- Red striped ribbon
- Red and white twine
- Gold bells
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
(If you’re looking for additional handmade gifts, my Gifts in a Jar Collection features a few more ideas that are quick to assemble and very thoughtful.)
REINDEER FOOD TAGS
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Reindeer Food printable gift tags.
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Reindeer Food: Easy Christmas Snack Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice Chex
- 2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 10 oz. Christmas M&M's
- 10 oz. white chocolate melting wafers
Instructions
- Prepare a large baking sheet by covering it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Into a large bowl, add the Rice Chex, Honey Nut Cheerios, pretzels, peanuts, and M&M's.
- Into a smaller bowl that's microwave-safe, pour the white chocolate melting wafers.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions. Stir until very smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the dry ingredients.
- Gently stir until all the dry ingredients are covered with chocolate.
- Pour out onto the parchment-covered baking sheet.
- Spread out into an even layer.
- Let set for 30 minutes.
- Gently break apart and place into airtight containers.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
This is the best stuff ever! I made a quick trip to the store for the ingredients out of a last desperate effort for a little something for my neighbors. I usually spend days making cookies and mini loaves but I couldn’t pull it together this year. This idea from your email today was a glimmer of hope that I could provide something unusual and delicious without much effort! I printed the reindeer food tags on some medium card stock that I had and they are the perfect whimsical touch. Thank you so much for sharing your easy yet thoughtful ideas. I love getting your emails. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
This is so addictive!!!
How should I store extra’s?