The Best Puppy Chow Recipe (AKA: Muddy Buddies) EVER! Only 4 ingredients (no butter) and a few minutes results in an irresistible dessert loaded with chocolate and peanut butter! The perfect sweet treat to feed a crowd!
Listen carefully, my Puppy Chow Recipe is not for the faint of heart. You will never find weak puppy chow in my kitchen. You know what I mean? The stuff that is so thinly coated with chocolate and peanut butter that the powdered sugar barely sticks to it? Not on my watch. I want clumps, and globs, and hunks, and chunks of chocolate-peanut buttery goodness.
Now the name of this treat can be controversial. I’m a midwesterner (born and raised) so I call this treat “Puppy Chow.” It has other names too, like muddy buddies, monkey munch, etc., but no matter what you call it, it’s delicious.
How to make puppy chow
This puppy chow recipe is very easy to make, however the method matters, a LOT. I consider myself a muddy buddies expert, so I devised the absolute perfect method to making the best puppy chow ever – no butter required.
Melt Chocolate and Peanut Butter
Melt equal parts of chocolate (semi-sweet or dark) and peanut butter together. Start by warming it for 60 seconds, stir and then warm in increments of 30 seconds so you don’t make it too hot!
Stir until combined
The chocolate peanut butter mixture together until it’s smooth and glossy.
Combine cereal and chocolate/peanut butter mixture
Next, put some cereal in the bottom of a large bowl, pour some of the peanut butter/chocolate mixture on top, and continue to alternate cereal/chocolate/cereal, etc. until you’ve used up all the ingredients.
The key here is to start VERY conservatively with the amount of cereal! You do not, I repeat, do not want to use too much cereal. It will ruin your puppy chow, and consequently, your day.
Chill
Next, mix it all together, making sure the cereal is thickly coated . Then put the muddy buddies somewhere to cool off (outside in the winter, or in the refrigerator) before adding any powdered sugar.
This step is absolutely crucial. I am not into sickeningly sweet desserts, so I like to use as little powdered sugar as possible. If you add the powdered sugar while the mixture is still warm it will soak right in and won’t help separate the chunks at all.
Making sure your mixture is slightly cooled will mean you can use less powdered sugar in the end.
Add powdered sugar
Once the mixture is at or just below room temperature, but not hard, add the powdered sugar until there is a thin coating and some of the pieces start separating. It’s helpful to use a bowl with a lid, so you can shake it to coat the cereal evenly.
Chill Again!
Next, let the muddy buddies cool down even more (for about 15 or 20 more minutes) before adding a little more powdered sugar. You want to add just enough so that the puppy chow can be eaten without making your hands a chocolatey-mess.
Let harden
Let the puppy chow sit at room temperature for about 2 hours until it’s hardened. This process can be expedited in the refrigerator. Just be sure to serve it at room temperature!
Store
Store this puppy chow in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long)!
Puppy Chow Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
There are only 4 ingredients in this muddy buddies recipe! But there are a few ways you can adapt it if you’d like.
- Chocolate. I recommend using a dark or semi-sweet variety. In my opinion, making this Puppy Chow Recipe with milk chocolate makes it too sweet. But if you have a serious sweet tooth by all means use whatever chocolate you prefer! If you need an allergy-friendly chocolate both Sunspire and Enjoy Life Foods make great options!
- Rice Cereal. Chex is my favorite cereal to use (or a generic equivalent)! However many people love Crispex!
- Peanut Butter. You can substitute any nut or seed butter if you’re allergic to peanuts!
- Powdered sugar. There’s really no substitute for this. You could make your own refined sugar free variety but it will NOT be white. So if you’re OK with that then go for it! 😉
FAQs about puppy chow
Can you freeze puppy chow?
Yes! this puppy chow recipe can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months!
How long is puppy chow good for?
This puppy chow stays fresh for up to 1 week stored in an airtight container (but it usually gets eaten way faster)!
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Puppy Chow Recipe (Muddy Buddies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips*
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter**
- 6-7 cups Rice Chex Cereal***
- 1-2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Melt peanut butter and chocolate together, either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Next, add 3 cups of cereal to a large bowl. Pour 1 cup of your 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 (I throw mine in the fridge or outside on my porch if it's cold out). You do not want it to harden!
- Once your mixture is at or below room temperature, add 1 cup of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes.
- Add more powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until your cereal is coated to your satisfaction.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature, if it lasts more than 0.3 seconds.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Chocolate. I recommend using a dark or semi-sweet variety. In my opinion, making this Puppy Chow Recipe with milk chocolate makes it too sweet. But if you have a serious sweet tooth by all means use whatever chocolate you prefer! If you need an allergy-friendly chocolate both Sunspire and Enjoy Life Foods make great options!
- Rice Cereal. Chex is my favorite cereal to use (or a generic equivalent)! However many people love Crispex!
- Peanut Butter. You can substitute any nut or seed butter if you're allergic to peanuts!
- Powdered sugar. There's really no substitute for this. You could make your own refined sugar free variety but it will NOT be white. So if you're OK with that then go for it! 😉
Chilling
- Just a note that chilling the cereal/peanut butter/chocolate mixture before adding any powdered sugar is critical to making sure you have delicious clumpy, not overly sweet, puppy chow!
Nutrition
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Nicole I.
Slightly off-topic questions: where did you get your beautiful mixing bowl? and does it have a lid?
🙂
Megan
I haven’t even made this yet, but this Wisconsin girl is so happy this recipe makes REAL, hard core puppy chow!!! This is the stuff I grew up with! If you can see the cereal, you are using too much! 😁
Jamie
This gives the perfect clumps which is my favoriote part! And love that there isn’t ten tons of powdered sugar.
Morgan
Delicious! My 3 year old and I had so much fun making this today after playing in the snow. It was my first time making it and her first time ever eating it. We both loved it! Thanks for sharing such an easy and wonderful recipe.
Ashley
I made this recipe twice now in the last two weeks 🙂 I like this one better than any other that I’ve tried. Why?? Because there was a point where I was addicted to this stuff after having my first baby and I never chilled it before coating it in powdered sugar so I used wayyyy too much looking back!! I like this much better this way..it’s sweet but not over taken by the sugar!! I’m definitely a fan!!
Yessica James
If you chill it it will not come apart and powered sugar doesn’t help
Laura
You can’t chill it completely. You have to remove it when it’s slightly chilled.
Jen
Can someone give me a better idea of how many boxes of cereal I’ll need to make this?
Laura
Just one!
Megan
Seriously is the BEST puppy chow!!! Just try it and find out! 🥳