Reindeer Chow
Reindeer Chow is the no-bake holiday snack mix my family starts asking about the minute the tree goes up. Sweet white chocolate, salty pretzels and popcorn, soft mini marshmallows and a shower of red and green — all of it stirred together in one bowl in under an hour. Moreover, it makes enough to fill the snack bowl and still have plenty left to bag up as gifts.
Equipment
- large stainless steel mixing bowl
- rimmed half sheet pan
- parchment paper sheets
- heat-resistant silicone spatula
- 4-cup glass measuring cup
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 4 cups lightly salted popped popcorn about 1 microwave bag
- 3 cups mini pretzels
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 cup holiday M&M's red and green
- 20 ounces white chocolate melting wafers about 2 bags
- 1/4 cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Line your pan. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or clear a stretch of counter and line that instead. Do this before anything else — once the chocolate is melted, you will not have time to go looking for parchment.
- Combine the dry mix. In your largest mixing bowl, gently toss together the Rice Chex, popcorn, pretzels, mini marshmallows and holiday M&M's. Use a bowl bigger than you think you need; the coating cannot reach the bottom layer if the mix is packed to the rim.
- Melt the white chocolate. Melt the wafers according to the package directions, stirring between short bursts until completely smooth. White chocolate scorches faster than dark, so stop while a few unmelted pieces remain and let the residual heat finish the job.
- Coat the mixture. Pour the melted white chocolate over the snack mixture and fold gently with a silicone spatula until everything is evenly coated. Fold rather than stir — the marshmallows and pretzels break down if you work it too hard.
- Add the sprinkles right away. Scatter the sprinkles over the mixture while the chocolate is still wet. This is a thirty-second window; once the coating starts to set, nothing else will stick to it.
- Spread and let it set. Turn the mixture out onto the parchment and spread it into an even layer. Let it cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes, until the chocolate is firm to the touch.
- Break into clusters. Break the slab into bite-sized clusters with your hands and serve. Aim for clusters, not crumbs — a few pieces holding together is what makes it feel like a treat rather than cereal.
Notes
Use melting wafers, not white chocolate chips. Wafers are made to set firm at room temperature. Chips hold their shape by design, so they resist melting smoothly and stay tacky once cooled. In essence, this one swap is the difference between clusters that snap and a bowl that never quite sets.
If the chocolate seizes. White chocolate turns grainy and stiff when it gets too hot or meets a drop of water. Make sure every bowl and spatula is bone dry, and stir in a teaspoon of neutral oil to loosen it if it starts to tighten. Melt in 20-second bursts rather than one long run.
Storage. Airtight at room temperature for up to one week. Do not refrigerate — the cold pulls moisture into the coating and softens the pretzels.
For gifting. One batch fills roughly eight cellophane treat bags or four small tins. Let it set completely first; any warmth left in the mixture fogs the bag.
Nutrition per serving (estimated): 491 kcal · 20g fat (16g saturated) · 76g carbohydrates · 2g fiber · 50g sugar · 5g protein · 316mg sodium · 9mg cholesterol. Calculated from the ingredients listed; treat as an estimate.
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