This Milky Way Puppy Chow is sweet and delicious! Chex tossed in a chocolate caramel sauce and powdered sugar is a no bake treat everyone will love. Waring: it’s highly addictive!
Chocolate Caramel Chex Mix
This is the best puppy chow recipe because it couldn’t be easier to make and it’s oh-so-delicious! Coated in chocolate and caramel, it tastes just like a Milky Way.
This easy treat is perfect for movie night whether you stay in or go out. Just store the puppy chow mix in a small plastic bag and transport it wherever and whenever. The whole family will love this delicious sweet treat!
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Puppy Chow Recipe:
- Easy: This simple Milky Way puppy chow recipe is all about mixing and waiting. That’s right, just mix gently, so you don’t crush the cereal, and let it set in the fridge!
- Tasty: This is a great snack if you love a crunchy texture but a sweet, chocolate and caramel taste.
Trademark Note: In the spirit of transparency, I want to note that some of these ingredients are trademarked products. General Mills, Kraft, and Mars are proprietary brands that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.
How to Make Milky Way Puppy Chow
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Pour Chex cereal in to a large bowl, then melt chocolate and caramel in the microwave to make the sauce.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and toss, then add the powdered sugar.
- Next, spread the mixture onto the baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle chocolate pieces on top.
- Keep the puppy chow mix in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or more until it hardens. Once it hardens, it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Cutting the butter into small cubes helps it melt faster in the microwave before the caramels start overheating.
Milky Way puppy chow is a take on classic puppy chow with the caramel and chocolate flavors of a Milky Way candy bar! Rice Chex gets mixed with chocolate chips, caramel squares, butter, powdered sugar, and a chopped Milky Way bar to create an irresistible snack mix!
The recipe gets its name because of its appearance. While it may look like the food you’d add to your dog’s bowl, it’s meant for human consumption, and this Milky Way Puppy Chow is absolutely delicious. Some people refer to this sweet treat as muddy buddies, reindeer chow, and muddy munch!
You’ll need plain rice Chex for this recipe. Don’t worry! Although you’re using plain rice Chex, it’ll have plenty of flavor by the time you’re done preparing this delicious and simple treat.
No, the squeezable caramel is too thin of a consistency to work in this recipe.
Honestly, there’s no rule as to how much powdered sugar goes into your puppy chow. While this recipe calls for 2 cups, you may need more than that as you toss your ingredients in the bag. You really want to make sure you have enough powdered sugar to cover every single piece of this mix, so don’t be afraid to add a little more as you go. The more sugar, the better, right?!
Serve up bowls of this sweet snack mix at parties, on movie night, or anytime you need a little treat.
Puppy Chow Variations
One of the great things about puppy chow is that there are a variety of combinations to make it perfectly unique. If there are any ingredients here you don’t care for, feel free to leave them out.
This chocolate and caramel mix is perfect if you love candy bars!
Make Ahead Instructions
This Milky Way puppy chow will keep for up to 1 week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so you can make it pretty far in advance of when you plan to serve it. I like to prep a big batch, then individually portion it into baggies to give as gifts!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover Milky Way puppy chow in an airtight container or Ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze Milky Way puppy chow, instead of placing the baking sheet in the refrigerator, place it in the freezer for 1-2 hours, until the mix is solid. Then, transfer the frozen puppy chow to an airtight container or Ziplock bag to store for up to 3 months. Enjoy frozen or let thaw on the counter.
Variations
You can easily switch up the ingredients to model this puppy chow after your favorite candy bar!
- Twix: Add chopped Twix bars instead of Milky Way! You could also add chopped shortbread cookies!
- Snickers: Add ½ cup peanuts and swap the Milky Way for a few Snickers bars.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Omit the caramel and add peanut butter or peanut butter baking chips! Swap the Milky Way for a few chopped Reese’s Cups.
- Mounds/Almond Joy: Omit the caramel and add shredded coconut (and ½ cup almonds for Almond Joy). Swap the Milky Way for chopped Mounds/Almond Joy!
- Take 5: Swap some of the rice Chex for mini pretzels, add ½ cup of peanuts, and add peanut butter or peanut butter baking chips. Swap the Milky Way for a few Take 5 bars!
Tips for Perfect Milky Way Puppy Chow
- You can use any kind of chocolate chips that you like, such as milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
- To make this chow saltier, use salted butter instead of unsalted.
- Cutting the butter into small cubes helps it melt faster in the microwave before the caramels start to overheat.
- Don’t be afraid to add more powdered sugar to ensure all of the cereal pieces are evenly coated.
- Do NOT overcook the microwaved ingredients! If it’s too hot, it will burn and not taste right. Additionally, it could melt and scald the Chex Mix, ruining the entire consistency of the mix.
I hope you enjoy this Milky Way Puppy Chow recipe! Are there changes you made that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear how it went!
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Milky Way Puppy Chow Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 cups Rice Chex cereal 210 grams
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 170 grams
- 20 Kraft caramel squares 189 grams
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 85 grams, cut into small cubes (¾ stick)
- 2 cups powdered sugar 240 grams
- 1 cup chopped Milky Way candy bar 170 grams (about 3 candy bars)
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place Rice Chex cereal in large bowl. Set aside.7 cups Rice Chex cereal
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, caramels, and butter on high for 1 minute. Stir well. If not fully melted, continue to heat and stir in 30-second intervals until fully melted.1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 20 Kraft caramel squares, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pour melted chocolate mixture into cereal. Stir well until all the cereal is coated in chocolate mixture. Stir gently so you don’t crush the cereal pieces.
- Pour the powdered sugar into the cereal mixture and toss well until all the cereal is coated in powdered sugar.2 cups powdered sugar
- Pour the cereal mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the candy bar pieces over top.1 cup chopped Milky Way candy bar
- Place the entire baking sheet of puppy chow in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so the chocolate sets and hardens a bit, then break up (if necessary) and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag.
Notes
- You can use any kind of chocolate chips that you like, such as milk, semisweet, dark, or even white chocolate!
- To make this chow saltier, use salted butter instead of unsalted.
- Cutting the butter into small cubes helps it melt faster in the microwave before the caramels start to overheat.
- Don’t be afraid to add more powdered sugar to ensure all of the cereal pieces are evenly coated.
- Do NOT overcook the microwaved ingredients! If it’s too hot, it will burn and not taste right. Additionally, it could melt and scald the Chex Mix, ruining the entire consistency of the mix.
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