Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

by Sabrina Snyder

Published on

21 Comments

5 from 9 votes
24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
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Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) is the PERFECT sweet and crunchy party snack, made with only 4 ingredients and ready in under under 10 minutes!

This fun party snack is as kid-friendly and crowd-pleasing as other popular party foods like Pressed Pepperoni Pizza Party Rolls, Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers, and Cocktail Meatballs!

Puppy Chow in serving bowl

Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) is the ULTIMATE party food, made from rice chex, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar. It’s sweet, crunchy, and only takes about 10 minutes to throw together. You can easily keep these 4 ingredients stocked in your pantry to pull out at a moment’s notice for guests, or just for a quick snack when the kids get home from school.

You’ll want to use regular peanut butter for this instead of the natural kind because it has a longer shelf life, and can be kept at room temperature for longer. Plus, the texture makes it easier to work with. You can add some flavor to this Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) recipe with a ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract. Try mixing the melted chocolate with other types of candy to add more fun flavors.

You can also double the chocolate peanut butter mixture to use up the whole box of rice Chex instead of having leftovers. When it comes to puppy chow, I don’t think you can ever have enough. The next time you host a game day gathering or a kids’ party, put out a big bowl of this super easy homemade snack and see how quickly it disappears!

What is Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)?

Puppy Chow is not actually for dogs! In fact, the chocolate would be very bad for your furry friend. This fun peanut buttery snack got its name because it looks like doggy kibble, but it’s actually rice chex cereal coated in a combination of creamy peanut butter, melted chocolate, and powdered sugar. It’s an easy homemade candy that party guests will gobble up.

More Peanut Butter and Chocolate Recipes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Brookies sliced on cutting board with bite taken on one

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make Puppy Chow ahead?

Puppy chow is great for making ahead. In fact, I’ll make 2-3 times this recipe when I make this, and freeze most of it. Then when I have company over, or need a quick snack for the kids, I just take this out of the freezer and serve. You can thaw them on the counter, or just eat them cold. It’s also great to make a large batch a few days before a party, so you have one less thing to do on the day of!

What other flavors can be used in Muddy Buddies?

You can use dark, milk, or white chocolate for this recipe. Mix some instant espresso powder with the chocolate and coat the puppy chow with cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar for a mocha version. Add flavorings like peppermint to the chocolate mixture, then add some crushed candies (like leftover candy canes) to the powdered sugar bag. Use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips for an all-peanut butter version, or mix in some butterscotch or caramel chips for more flavors! It’s also fun to add some extra mini chocolate chips, Reese’s, sprinkles, or other candies to the bowl when serving for some pops of color. 

What cereal is used to make Puppy Chow?

You can really do this with any bland cereal, Rice Chex is good because it has a bland somewhat nutty flavor and crunchy texture that goes well with the peanut butter and chocolate.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies in serving bowl

Key Ingredients in Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

  • Chex Cereal: Make sure you start with fresh cereal, not an opened box that went unfinished. This will ensure your Muddy Buddies stay crunchy and don’t taste stale.
  • Peanut Butter: Use regular peanut butter and avoid the natural kind. It will have a better consistency and longer shelf life.
  • Chocolate: Buy good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips. They will melt more smoothly and give you the best flavor.
  • Powdered Sugar: If your powdered sugar is clumpy, sift it or shake it through a mesh sieve before tossing the Puppy Chow in it. This will help it more evenly coat the cereal.

More Party Food Ideas

Variations on Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

  • Cereal: You can change the flavor profile for Puppy Chow by selecting a different flavor of Chex cereal. Try making it with corn, wheat, honey nut, cinnamon or chocolate Chex.
  • Chocolate: Instead of semi-sweet chocolate  chips, use white, dark, or milk chocolate chips, or a combination of your favorites to suit your taste.
  • Decorations: Mix some colorful sanding sugar or fine sprinkles into your powdered sugar to give your Muddy Buddies a festive look for holidays or special themed parties.
  • Nut Butters: Use your favorite nut butter or nut alternative butter such as almond, cashew, or sunflower. Make sure the texture is stabilized and similar to a traditional peanut butter, not the type with oil on the top that requires stirring.
  • Spices: Mix warm ground spices like cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, ginger and cloves into the chocolate peanut butter mixture to give Puppy Chow a gingerbread or pumpkin spice flavor.

Tips for Making Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

  • Make sure you stir thoroughly (and carefully!) to completely coat the cereal in the chocolate and peanut butter mixture. This is what makes the powdered sugar stick, giving it a really decorative look! If it’s not completely coated, make more of the peanut butter/chocolate mixture.
  • If your chocolate and peanut butter is too thick, try adding a few drops of coconut oil to thin it out enough to work with.
  • You can lay the puppy chow on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and dust them with powdered sugar that way if you don’t have a ziplock bag, stirring to get both sides. If your powdered sugar isn’t coating the puppy chow (muddy buddies) evenly, try using a sifter to spread the sugar out more.
  • Once it’s coated, stick in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate and peanut butter again.
  • Place some Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) in decorative little plastic bags or jars with some ribbon to give as gifts during the holidays!

How to Store Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

  • Serve: Puppy Chow can be kept at room temperature.
  • Store: Store the muddy buddies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks. Honestly though, the bowl will seem to empty itself the day you make it!
  • Freeze: Freeze Puppy Chow in a freezer safe plastic bag for up to 2 months. 
Puppy Chow in serving bowl

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Dinner, then Dessert

Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) is the PERFECT sweet and crunchy party snack, made with only 4 ingredients and ready in under under 10 minutes!
Yield 24 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
Puppy Chow
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave in 30 secondincrements in the microwave in a large glass bowl (90 seconds total).
  • Stir well until mixed then add in the cereal and mix well until coated before adding the cereal to a large ziploc bag with the powdered sugar and shaking until fully coated.

Video

Notes

Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 215IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4.8mg
Keyword: Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

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Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) Collage

Photo used in a previous version of this post.

Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. Hi Sabrina —
    I had a quick question: do I need to let the chocolatey treats cool any before tossing them in the powdered sugar??

    Reply

  2. I would suggest using the more expensive higher quality chis. The cheap ones don’t melt-even microwaving on lower microwave power and frequently stirring

    Reply

  4. I know our recipes differ slightly but shouldn’t there be a Step 3?
    In mine, after shaking the Puppy Chow up in the powdered sugar you dump it out onto parchment paper in a thin layer to let it dry. After the chocolate has dried, then you can put it in an airtight container if you haven’t eaten it all by now.

    Reply

  10. I make it once a month in my home….my daughter loves it!!!….my honey and i sit up at night snacking on this with a cold bottle of water!!! lol……five stars!!

    Reply