Puppy chow (Muddy Buddies) is one of my all-time favorite sweet snacks. And I promise I’m not talking about dog food! The puppy chow we’re making today is a delicious and decadent homemade snack mix loaded with chocolate and peanut butter. It’s a bit like dessert Chex Mix, with a whole lot of YUM!

We’re taking Chex cereal, coating it in melted chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and powdered sugar. I grew up making and eating puppy chow, and it’s always been a staple at our house, especially during the holidays.

It’s the perfect treat for parties, movie nights, game day, or any day! It also makes a great homemade gift during the holidays. Put it in a cute jar or bag and share with your family and friends. It’s an EASY recipe that everyone loves! So nostalgic!

Puppy Chow Ingredients & Substitutions

The ingredients are simple, you probably have most of them in in your kitchen right now!

• Chex Cereal – Chex Cereal is the classic ingredient in puppy chow. I prefer Rice Chex Cereal, but Corn Chex will work too. Crispix is another cereal that is commonly used to make puppy chow, just note that the shape of your puppy chow will just be a little different.
• Chocolate Chips – I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, I think milk chocolate chips are too sweet for this recipe, but if they are your favorite and you like things super sweet, you can use them. Dark chocolate chips are a good option too.
• Peanut Butter – Conventional peanut butter like JIF or Skippy works best for this puppy chow recipe! I highly recommend using creamy peanut butter and not crunchy peanut butter. For allergy-friendly, peanut butter-free puppy chow, the peanut butter in this recipe can be substituted with cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter (like SunButter).
• Butter – I like to use salted butter for a little salty kick! If you use unsalted butter, you can add a pinch of salt, if you wish!
• Vanilla Extract – A little vanilla extract goes a long way in terms of flavor!
• Powdered Sugar – a.k.a. Confectioners’ sugar. Powdered sugar gives the puppy chow the perfect sweet finish, along with its signature sugar-dusted look.

How to Make Puppy Chow

Did I mention that puppy chow is a no-bake dessert? That’s just one more reason to love it. Your fingers will be covered with powdered sugar by the end of it and you’ll be buzzing from the smells of peanut butter and chocolate! Not really a bad thing.

Here’s how to whip up a big batch of puppy chow in no time:

• Prepare your chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Use a medium, microwave-safe bowl to melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter together. Start with 1 minute on high, stir, and heat again in bursts, stirring in between until the mixture is smooth. Lastly, add in the vanilla extract.
• Place your Chex Cereal in a large bowl. You will need six cups of Rice Chex. A lot of recipes I’ve seen call for nine cups, but a friend once taught me that six is the magic number. It really maximizes the chocolate peanut butter flavor. I’m officially converted!

• Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the cereal. Stir the mixture GENTLY with a spatula or large spoon, making sure to not crush the cereal. You want it to stay in whole, grabbable pieces! When the cereal is evenly coated, transfer it to a large Ziploc bag.

• Add the powdered sugar. You will need 1½ to 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar, depending on how well-coated you like your puppy chow. Make sure to seal the bag before you give it a good shake! Kids love helping with this part. Shake until all of the cereal is evenly coated in white.
• Let It Cool. Spread the puppy chow onto a large baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Let it sit until the chocolate is completely hardened, about 2 hours at room temperature. To speed up the process, you can pop it in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes.

How to Store Puppy Chow

• Storing on the Counter: Homemade puppy chow will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
• Storing in the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Freezing: My preferred way to store puppy chow. Puppy chow is SO good frozen, trust me! Place the sweet snack in a freezer-safe bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Enjoy frozen, right out of the freezer!

Tasty Variations

• Make S’mores Puppy Chow. If you’re looking to change things up, I have an absolutely amazing recipe for S’mores Puppy Chow for you to try. It brings Graham crackers, mini marshmallows, and chunks of chocolate into the mix, and the results are DELICIOUS.
• Try Sweet & Salty Puppy Chow. This version has pretzels and mini peanut butter sandwich cookies. The sweet and salty combo is DELICIOUS!
• Add coconut. Try Chocolate Coconut Chex Mix for another variation of puppy chow, made with Chex cereal coated in chocolate and shredded coconut.
• Puppy Chow Cookies. YES! You can even make COOKIES with puppy chow! They are SO good!

Puppy Chow vs. Muddy Buddies: Are They the Same Snack? 

There’s sort of an ongoing debate about the name of this chocolate-covered cereal treat. Some people call it puppy chow, while others know it by different names: muddy buddies, muddy munch, or monkey munch.

Muddy Buddies is actually the official name of the recipe marketed by General Mills, the maker of Chex cereal. Names like “puppy chow” and others have become layman’s terms for homemade versions like this one. 

I grew up calling this recipe puppy chow, I am from the Midwest. Whatever you call it, it will always be delicious!

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• No Bake Cookies
• Rolo Pretzels
• Oreo Balls
• Ritz Cookies
• S’mores Clusters