Grinch Puppy Chow Recipe
This Grinch Puppy Chow Recipe is crunchy corn Chex coated in melted almond bark and peanut butter, tinted Grinch green, tossed in powdered sugar and finished with little red hearts. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time, needs no oven, and makes a big batch for movie night, cookie trays and Christmas parties. It is one of our favorite Grinchmas ideas every December.
If you have made classic puppy chow before, this is the same easy method with two twists. The coating is dyed green, and only part of the cereal goes into the powdered sugar, so you end up with that green and white Grinch look. Sweet, salty, and gone faster than anyone will admit to.
Below you will find what each ingredient does, how to keep the green bright and the coating from clumping, a few easy variations, and how long it keeps. The printable recipe card is at the bottom of the post.
Grinch Puppy Chow Ingredients
Everything here is easy to find at the grocery store in December. Here is why each one is in the bowl and what you can swap.
- Corn Chex cereal: the squares hold a thick coating without going soggy. Rice Chex works exactly the same way. Just do not grab Chex Mix, which is the salty snack mix.
- Vanilla almond bark: it melts smoothly in the microwave and sets firm, which is why it beats chocolate chips here. White chocolate chips or white candy melts will also work.
- Creamy peanut butter and butter: the peanut butter brings the salty side and keeps the coating from setting rock hard. The butter keeps it smooth and easy to stir.
- Green food coloring: gel coloring gives a brighter green with fewer drops. A gel like Chefmaster Leaf Green does the job without thinning the coating.
- Powdered sugar: the snowy part. If yours is lumpy, sift it first so the coating stays even.
- Red heart sprinkles: the Grinch heart, and the whole point. Mini red heart sprinkles are the right size. Red and green jimmies or holiday M&Ms are fine extras.
How to Make Grinch Puppy Chow
The full measurements and steps are in the recipe card below. The short version: melt the almond bark, peanut butter and butter together in a large glass mixing bowl, stir in the green, then fold in the cereal. Shake about two thirds of the green cereal with powdered sugar in two gallon-size zip-top bags, leave the rest uncoated, then toss it all together on a baking sheet. That split is what gives it the two-tone Grinch look instead of plain pale green.
Tips for the Best Grinch Puppy Chow
- Keep the green bright. Add the color to the melted coating before the cereal goes in, a few drops at a time. The powdered sugar will lighten it, so aim a shade darker than you want.
- Melt low and slow. Heat in short bursts and stir every time. Overheated almond bark turns thick and grainy, and that is where clumps start.
- Keep everything dry. A wet spatula or a lot of liquid food coloring can make the coating seize. Gel coloring avoids most of that.
- Do not overfill the bags. Shake in batches so every piece gets covered instead of sticking together in one big lump.
- Sprinkles go on early. Add the hearts right after spreading the mix on the pan, while the coating is still tacky. Once it sets, they just roll off.
- Spread it out to set. A single layer on a baking sheet sets faster and breaks apart easily. Any clusters can be broken up by hand after 30 minutes.
Grinch Puppy Chow Variations
- Peppermint: toss in a handful of crushed candy canes with the sprinkles.
- Extra salty: stir in mini pretzels or a few cups of popcorn after the mix sets.
- Whoville snack mix: add red and green M&Ms and mini marshmallows for a bigger party bowl.
- Gift bags: pack it into cellophane treat bags or mason jars for neighbors, teachers, or a cookie exchange.
How to Store Grinch Puppy Chow
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Humidity is the enemy here, since it makes the sugar coating sticky, so keep the lid tight. You can make it two or three days ahead of a party with no problem. For longer storage, freeze it in a freezer bag for up to two months and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Make it a Meal:
Meal planning is not hard, as you can see from my simple sample menu below. Pair this sweet snack with a cozy dinner and dessert is already handled.
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Main Dish: Easy Italian Hamburger Soup Recipe
Vegetable Side: Bacon and Broccoli Salad Recipe
Starch Side: Bacon Baked Beans
Refreshing Drink: 20+ Festive Holiday Mocktails You’ll Love
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about getting the color right, making it peanut free, and where the name comes from.
More Puppy Chow Recipes
Once you have the method down, you can make a different version for every holiday on the calendar.
- Christmas Puppy Chow is the red and green version for the rest of the cookie tray.
- Andes Mint Puppy Chow is chocolate and mint, and very hard to stop eating.
- Cookie Butter Puppy Chow tastes like a spiced holiday cookie.
- Caramel Puppy Chow for the caramel people in your house.
- Pink Puppy Chow is perfect for a birthday celebration or a baby shower.
- This Fall Chex Mix is a little less sweet and still delicious.
- This Candy Corn Puppy Chow is a fun fall treat.
More Grinch Recipes
- 25+ Adorably Green Grinch Recipes
- Festive Easy Grinch Popcorn Recipe
- Perfectly Festive Grinch Bark Recipe
- Easy Grinch Pretzel Sticks Recipe
- Easy Grinch Heart Cookies Recipe
- Grinch Cake Mix Crinkle Cookies
Who are you going to share this sweet Grinch snack mix with?
Grinch Puppy Chow
Equipment
- Glass Mixing Bowls large, microwave-safe
- 2 Baggie gallon-size zip-top bags
- Airtight Food Storage Containers (Set of 6) for storing
Ingredients
- 16 ounces vanilla almond bark or white chocolate chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons butter
- green gel food coloring add until bright green
- 9 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 2 cups powdered sugar divided
- red heart sprinkles plus red and green sprinkles or candies if you like
Instructions
- Put the almond bark, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute, stir, then keep heating in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth.
- Stir in the green food coloring a little at a time until the coating is a bright Grinch green.
- Add the Chex cereal and gently fold with a spatula until every piece is coated.
- Put 1 cup of powdered sugar in each of two gallon-size zip-top bags. Add about one third of the green cereal to each bag, seal, and shake until coated.
- Spread the remaining green cereal on a large baking sheet. Pour the sugar-coated cereal over the top and toss everything together.
- Scatter the heart sprinkles (and any other sprinkles or candies) over the mix while the coating is still tacky so they stick.
- Let it set for at least 30 minutes, then break up any clumps and serve or store.
Notes
Nutrition
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The grinch candies and theme are so cute!!! Thank you so much for sharing my Halloween Nutella Puppy Show recipe, too! Happy Holidays!