This homemade puppy chow recipe was lovingly passed down from my mom, who used to make this for me all the time when I was a kid. Made with crunchy Chex cereal, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and a powdered sugar coating, this muddy buddies snack mix is totally addictive. It has the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors, and it’s easy to make with just 6 ingredients in 15 minutes!
Top Reader Review
I am 63 years old and have made baked goods for Christmas since I was a young girl. I received this recipe and can honestly say, I’d never heard of it. This surprised me because as I said I’ve been baking for a long time. This recipe looked interesting and easy. So, I made it. And without any hesitation, I will say this is so good. Very addicting! I could not keep my husband out of it, while it was cooling and drying on the cookie sheets. I put it in the freezer as soon as possible. I think the grandkids will love it! Thank you for this recipe. I look forward to making more of your recipes in the future.
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Muddy Buddies Snack Mix
As much as I love savory Chex mix, sometimes my sweet tooth is just aching for some good ole’ fashioned puppy chow (aka muddy buddies). The combination of melty chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and fluffy powdered sugar is just so good! My mom adds a little butter and vanilla extract to this recipe for extra flavor, and it really makes a huge difference.
I like Rice Chex best, but you can make this homemade puppy chow recipe with any kind of Chex cereal. Corn or chocolate are great choices too. My only suggestion is to avoid Wheat Chex because they have a denser, chewier texture and don’t turn out crunchy enough.
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Avoid Clumps!
During the coating process, I noticed that my puppy chow was turning out kind of clumpy. After testing a few different factors, I found that if I let the chocolate-coated cereal pieces cool for just a few minutes, they got a much more even coating of powdered sugar with fewer awkward clumps. So I recommend waiting just a minute or two before adding the cereal to the bag. Don’t wait too long though, or the chocolate will harden and the sugar won’t stick.
Homemade Puppy Chow Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 2-Gallon Ziplock Bag
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 9 cups Rice Chex cereal *
- ¼ cup salted butter (½ stick)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips **
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the cereal in a large bowl.9 cups Rice Chex cereal
- In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Stir frequently. Then add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.¼ cup salted butter, 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the cereal, and gently fold until all cereal is well coated.
- Place the powdered sugar into a 2-gallon resealable bag.1½ cups powdered sugar
- Transfer the coated cereal into the bag.
- Shake, toss, and turn to fully coat cereal with powdered sugar.
- Pour the coated mixture onto a lined baking sheet to cool completely. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To make your puppy chow sweeter and less salty, use unsalted butter instead of salted.
- Honestly, there’s no rule as to how much powdered sugar to use. While I call for 1½ 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?!
- If your snack mix is soggy, it is likely that it was overcrowded on the baking sheet. You may need to spread it out over two baking sheets to allow it enough space to cool down fully.
Variations to Try
There are so many ways to change up the flavor of this classic puppy chow snack mix. Try some of these fun swaps!
- Chocolate: You can use any kind of chocolate chips that you like, such as milk, dark, or even white chocolate! Or try out a flavored baking chip, like caramel, peanut butter, cream cheese, or mint.
- Peanut Butter: You can swap out the peanut butter for a different nut or seed butter, like almond butter, Nutella, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
- Mix-Ins: You can add a wide variety of mix-ins to this party mix, like pretzels, colored sprinkles, chopped candy bars, M&Ms, peanuts, or coconut flakes. The possibilities are endless!
How to Make Puppy Chow Step-by-Step
Prep: Gather the short list of ingredients for this puppy chow recipe. Place 9 cups of Rice Chex cereal in a large bowl.
Melt the Chocolate: In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of salted butter and 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips. Stir frequently until it creates a smooth mixture. Then add ½ cup of creamy peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Pour the Chocolate: Pour the warm peanut butter chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl, directly over the Chex cereal.
Coat the Cereal: Then gently fold until all cereal is well coated in chocolate. Give it just a minute or two to cool before adding it to the bag.
Add the Powdered Sugar: Grab a 2-gallon sized resealable bag, and fill it with 1½ cups of powdered sugar. You may end up needing a little more, but you can add in extra after mixing.
Add the Cereal: Transfer the chocolate-coated Chex cereal into the bag of powdered sugar.
Toss the Cereal: Seal the bag tightly, then shake, toss, and turn until all cereal pieces are coated in powdered sugar. Add a bit more sugar if needed, and shake again.
Cool: Once coated to your liking, pour the muddy buddies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool. The chocolate will harden and the powdered sugar will cling nicely to the cereal.
Serve: Once cooled, get to snacking on your homemade puppy chow! I love it most while it’s still fresh and slightly warm, but it’s a little less messy after fully cooling.
How to Store
Store leftover puppy chow mix in an airtight container or resealable bag. It will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3 months.
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