This post first appeared on Yellow Bliss Road where I am a contributor.
No matter whether you call them Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies, this classic sweet treat is always fun to make and eat for kids and adults alike!
Any chocolate treat is going to be great in my opinion, but Puppy Chow is so easy and delicious it’s one of my favorites! (Along with anything that doesn’t require baking, like my absolute favorite no-bake dessert, Chocolate Lasagna.) This fun party dessert is a hit with my whole family and I know you’ll love it too.
Why We Love Puppy Chow
- This is a crunchy, sweet snack that everyone loves. Chocolate + peanut butter = YUM!!
- You can easily make a large batch of Muddy Buddies to give as gifts or to feed a large group.
- By adding in M&M’s, sprinkles, peanut butter cups, or other candies you can make your own unique flavor combinations in a snap.
Puppy Chow Ingredients
CHEX CEREAL: You can use whichever variety of Chex Cereal you want for your puppy chow, if you need Gluten Free they have some great choices. In my opinion, Chex muddy buddies are way better than the Crispix version, but some people like that too.
COATING: The cereal gets tossed in a combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and butter all melted together. I would suggest creamy peanut butter, but you can use chunky if you like pieces of peanut in your Muddy Buddies. Semi-sweet chocolate is perfect for this recipe, but if you don’t have any in the pantry you can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate can be used instead.
POWDERED SUGAR: When you finish up the dessert recipe you will use powdered sugar. It adds sweetness and seals in the chocolate so it doesn’t melt all over your hands.
How to Make Puppy Chow
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Add the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter together in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute and then stir. Heat for 30 seconds at a time until everything is melted and combined. Add the vanilla and stir it into the chocolate.
STEP 2 Pour the cereal into a LARGE mixing bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over top. Mix until the cereal is coated.
STEP 3 Transfer the cereal to a gallon-sized ziploc bag and add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake until all the cereal is coated in sugar. Pour into a serving bowl and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Use rubber or silicone spatulas to do all the mixing. Then give your spatual a little spritz of non-stick cooking spray before mixing in the cereal. This will help keep the chocolate from sticking.
- Leave a some air in the ziploc bag so the cereal and sugar have room to toss around.
- Quadruple check that the seal is firm with your bag before shaking! No one like a powdered sugar explosion in the kitchen.
Puppy Chow FAQ
Why is this snack called Puppy Chow and Muddy Buddies?
The original Puppy Chow name came from the Purina company since they introduced Chex cereal to the market. They took the term “chow” from their animal feed lines. When General Mills acquired the Chex line or cereals, they came up with a new recipe called Muddy Buddies instead. When you really look at it, the brownish square pieces look like dog food or muddy little rocks, so the names stuck to the treats (no pun intended) and they now have multiple names.
How do I store Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies?
You can store your treats in airtight containers/bags for up to 1 week either at room temp or refrigerated, it melts and gets sticky easily. You can also freeze your treats for up to 4 months, just make sure the container is freezer safe and airtight
How many boxes of Chex is 9 cups?
A standard 12-ounce box of Chex cereal has about 11 cups of cereal in it. So one box would be enough to match almost two batches. You don’t have to perfectly measure the cereal. Some of my cups are heaping and some are even to the cup… as long as you have about 6 cups you’ll be good.
Muddy Buddies Variations
- Add M&M candies to add a seasonal pop of color to your Puppy Chow.
- After tossing with powdered sugar toss in some bite-sized peanut butter cups to boost the chocolate/peanut butter goodness.
- Use white chocolate, vanilla pudding mix instead of peanut butter, and crushed Oreos for a Cookies and Cream flavor combination.
- White chocolate instead and add Red Hots candies after tossing in sugar for a fun option for Valentine’s Day.
- Use white chocolate and add in some Lucky Charms marshmallows after tossing in sugar to make a fun St. Patricks Day version. You can even add green M&Ms or add green food coloring to the white chocolate before mixing.
- For a S’mores option use Golden Grahams cereal in place of Chex and add tiny marshmallows from the hot chcolate aisle after tossing in sugar.
Other Recipes You May like
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
- Crockpot Maple Bourbon Candied Pecans
- Christmas Crack Recipe (Saltine Cracker Toffee)
- Buckeye Candy Recipe
- Irish Cream Pistachio Fudge
Puppy Chow | Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Measure the Chex cereal into a large mixing bowl. You don't need perfectly full cups, a little over is fine.
- To a microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. Microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Heat for another 30 seconds and stir. Repeat until smooth.
- Pour in vanilla and stir to combine. Pour the chocolate-peanut butter mixture over the cereal.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir cereal until it's completely coated in chocolate. Transfer the cereal to a gallon-sized ziploc bag.
- Pour the powdered sugar into the bag and seal. (Double-check your seal, trust me.) Shake bag until cereal is completely coated in sugar.
- Transfer the puppy chow to a mixing bowl and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
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