Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow {aka: Muddy Buddies} is the the best easy dessert recipe to feed a crowd! This version is loaded with chocolate & peanut butter, and tossed in a mixture of cocoa powder & powdered sugar to cut down on the sweetness and give it an even richer chocolate taste!

This week marks two years since I began blogging. I am so grateful for where this journey has brought me, and I cannot wait to see where it leads! So, what better way to celebrate two years together than with chocolate and peanut butter?! 

Because if you like hanging out with me, and have stuck around for the past two years, then you must love all things chocolate and peanut butter. {But if you don’t it’s ok, that just means more for yours truly…}! 😉 This Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow recipe {aka: Muddy Buddies} is one of my all-time favorite treats, and is the dessert that is impossible for me to stop eating. Seriously, once I start, the bowl has to be physically removed from my sight in order for me to call it quits.

But how is it different than this classic Puppy Chow recipe? {Which, by the way, is one of the most-loved recipes by all of you, and was the first to really take off (thank you Pinterest)}. Well, this Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow is tossed in a mixture of both cocoa powder & powdered sugar. This cuts down on the sweetness and give it an even richer chocolate taste! This treat is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, so it’s great to make for a crowd!

How to Make Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow

I know what you might be thinking, “how hard can it be to coat cereal in chocolate and peanut butter then toss it with some powdered sugar?!” Well, you’re right on one account, it’s totally not hard at all. However, I believe that following the method laid out in this recipe takes this classic treat from “good” to “WOW.” The two main things to note are…

1. The ratio is key. I know I’m not the only one who, when it comes to puppy chow, lives for the clumps. I’m talking hunks of cereal stuck together with loads of peanut butter and chocolate. The key to ensuring this kind of hunky clumpiness is being super careful about the amount of cereal you use. You want to ensure that every, single piece is thickly coated in the chocolate and peanut butter mixture.
2. Chill. Chilling is a crucial step to creating the Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow of your dreams. After coating the cereal with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture, toss it in the refrigerator and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes until it has reached room temperature or just below it. Getting it cold {but not so hard that it can’t be stirred} will mean that the powdered sugar/cocoa powder mixture won’t just absorb into the warm chocolate, so you will be able to use less and still achieve a nice coating!

Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow: Substitutions 

This recipe is made with only 5 ingredients, and it’s absolute perfection in dessert form, so I do not recommend making any substitutions. However, as always, I will list a few possibilities.

• Peanut Butter. Any nut or seed butter should work well in this recipe, however I’m team peanut butter always and forever. xoxo
• Chocolate Chips. I recommend semi-sweet or bittersweet chips. My favorite are 60% cocoa or higher. However you can use your favorite variety!
• Powdered sugar. This is not a health food, I use real powdered sugar and don’t think twice about it {treat yo self}. However, if you’d like to make it a little healthier, you could use this recipe for Paleo Powdered Sugar and make your own!

IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING FROM JOYFOODSUNSHINE I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS! DON’T FORGET TO RATE THIS RECIPE AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW! ALSO, FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR MORE RECIPE INSPIRATION AND A GLIMPSE INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIFE!

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5 from 3 votes

Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow

Dark Chocolate Puppy Chow {aka: Muddy Buddies} is the the best easy dessert recipe to feed a crowd! This version is loaded with chocolate & peanut butter, and tossed in a mixture of cocoa powder & powdered sugar to cut down on the sweetness and give it an even richer chocolate taste! 

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten-free dessert, gluten-free dessert for a crowd, muddy buddies, puppy chow recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Chilling time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 20 Servings

Calories 183.7kcal

Author Laura

Ingredients

• 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 6 cups Rice Chex Cereal
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
• Melt peanut butter and chocolate together. On the stovetop stir over low heat or a double boiler until mixture is smooth. In the microwave; warm on high for 60 seconds and stir. Then warm for increments of 30 seconds, stirring after each, until mixture is melted and homogenous.
• Add 3 cups of cereal to a large bowl. Pour 1 cup of the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the cereal.
• Add 3 more cups of cereal to the bowl and then pour the rest of the chocolate/peanut butter mixture on top.
• Stir until the cereal is evenly coated. If there are pools of chocolate/peanut butter at the bottom of your bowl, add more cereal 1/4 cup at a time until all that deliciousness is coating your cereal. Remember we WANT clumps, so do NOT add too much cereal!
• Let the mixture cool slightly (Put the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes or outside on the porch on a cold day). Be sure to check it, as you do not want it to harden completely!
• Once your mixture is at or slightly below room temperature, add 1 cup of the powdered sugar/cocoa powder mixture. Mix until combined.
• Let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Add more powdered sugar/cocoa powder 1/4 cup at a time until your cereal is coated to your satisfaction. Let it sit at room temperature to harden before serving (or toss it in the refrigerator to speed up the process)!
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 183.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.6g | Protein: 4.8g | Fat: 9.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1g | Sodium: 73.2mg | Potassium: 60.8mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 14.8g | Vitamin A: 3% | Vitamin C: 3% | Calcium: 3.4% | Iron: 17.4%

Time to get sentimental! Two years ago I never would’ve thought I’d start my own business, have the chance to work with and for amazing companies, and I would’ve laughed in your face if you told me that I’d become a freelance photographer!

It’s amazing how life can throw unexpected yet exciting curveballs your way. Now, two years later, you all check out my site three quarters of a million times every month. You make my recipes, take pictures and tell me all about your experiences! You ask me about raising kids, being a mommy and staying healthy through it all! I seriously love what I do and am grateful to all of you for allowing me to do it for another year!

Peace. Love. & Peanut Butter.

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