Puppy Chow Recipe

By Maria Lichty

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Quick Summary

Puppy chow, also known as muddy buddies, is a popular no-bake snack mix made primarily with crispy rice or corn cereal (like Chex), coated in a mixture of melted chocolate, peanut butter, and butter, and then dusted with powdered sugar.

A bowl of puppy chow on a grey cloth, surrounded by scattered puppy chow and a spoon covered with peanut butter.

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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!

The ingredients to make homemade puppy chow.

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.
Overhead view of the corner of a metal pan filled with puppy chow next to a jar of peanut butter and a bowl of chocolate chips.

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!
A bowl of puppy chow on a grey cloth with a jar of peanut butter in the background.

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!

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A bowl of puppy chow on a grey cloth, surrounded by scattered puppy chow and a spoon covered with peanut butter.

Puppy Chow

Sweet and sugary, homemade Puppy Chow is easy to make and SO addicting. This recipe for chocolate peanut butter-coated Chex cereal is a perfect party snack, especially at the holidays!
4.43 from 456 votes

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Put the bowl back into the microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth when stirred. Add the vanilla extract and stir again.
  • Pour the cereal in a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate peanut butter mixture and gently stir until cereal is evenly coated. Pour the coated cereal into a large Ziploc bag. Add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake until the cereal is well coated. Spread on parchment paper or waxed paper. Let sit until cool and chocolate is set.
  • Store the puppy chow in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If it is warm in your kitchen, store the puppy chow in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 112mg, Potassium: 123mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 415IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 3.8mg
Keywords brown butter chocolate chip cookies, chex puppy chow, how to make puppy chow, muddy buddies, peanut butter

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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4.43 from 456 votes (438 ratings without comment)

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    1. Sunbutter is an amazing but almond will work also. Ive got a peanut butter allergy ao im ised ro finding alternatives

    2. 5 stars
      I make puppy chow every year around the holidays, and my family loves it! I have made it for at least 20+ years and it never gets old. I would like to comment about some that have children or adults that do not like peanut butter. One of my granddaughters does not like peanut butter. BUT, she LOVES puppy chow. I can’t say this will be the case for everyone, but maybe try making half of the recipe if you are concerned about making too much.
      I am going to the store today to get some ingredients to make it for my grown up puppies:))

    3. I hate peanut butter, but I LOVE Puppy Chow! I have loved puppy chow since I was a toddler! Try it out first and see what he says. He may not even notice the peanut butter in the mix.

  1. These are amazing frozen! When my kids were small we would make a giant batch, then freeze it in snack size bags. So good!

  2. 4 stars
    I make it every year, and certain people have come to expect it . I also put raisins and peanuts in with the cereal. Being from the South, we always called it White Trash.

  3. Our kids loved this growing up! We would make a giant batch and put in snack size ziplock bags and store in the freezer. If you have never tasted frozen Puppy Chow, you are missing out!

  4. 5 stars
    5 STARS!!! Best puppy chow recipe, directions were spot on!! Even used less than 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, usually have to add more than 2 cups to coat!

    Happy with the results!!

  5. If I don’t have a microwave, can I melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter on the stove? Want to make this for Super Bowl party this weekend!

  6. I actually prefer the stove top. Be sure to use the double boiler method so you don’t end up with burnt chocolate.

  7. Answering your March 28th post regarding movies, we just spent 2 nights watching The Ultimate Gift and The Ultimate Life which are both very good. We are looking forward to watching The Ultimate Legacy tonight to finish the series. They are the kind of movies with such a good, powerful message that every person on the planet should watch them.=)

  8. 5 stars
    Here In Quarantine …. This Was The EASIEST Most simple and Quickest Sweet Treat I have ever Made!! Thank you!

  9. 5 stars
    I loved the ratio of Chex cereal to coating in this recipe. My daughter and I substituted 1/4 cup of powdered peanut butter for 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar coating and it came out great! It really added a new element that worked well.

  10. Thanks for sharing! My daughter wanted Puppy Cow for her birthday party but is allergic to peanut protein so I substituted Gooey Cocoa Hazelnut spread (with cocoa powder added to the powdered sugar) for a chocolate variety and Creamy Almond Butter with Caramel (and white chocolate chips) for a white variety. She and her friends LOVED it!

  11. 5 stars
    Turned out amazing. Added more powdered sugar to make it how we like it. Will definitely be saving this recipe!

  12. 5 stars
    I loved puppy chow growing up, but haven’t had it in years. This recipe is perfect! It tastes exactly as I remember and was so easy to make with my toddler.

  13. 5 stars
    My daughter and I talking about variations. There are chocolate Rice Chex, Golden Grahms, and also the ever loved Bugels!

  14. “This Puppy Chow recipe is a total crowd-pleaser! The combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar is simply irresistible. It’s my go-to snack for parties and a must-have during the holiday season.”

  15. “This Puppy Chow recipe is a total winner! The combination of chocolate and peanut butter creates an irresistible treat that’s perfect for parties or holiday gatherings. I can’t wait to try making this addictive snack for my next get-together!”

  16. The original recipe for puppy chow called to use Crispix cereal not Rice Chex. It was a different cereal snack mix to compete with Chex mix which was a staple during the holidays. Crispix is half corn, half rice and was made by Kellogg’s. Chex mix developed their version “Muddy Buddies” later after the original puppy chow became popular.

  17. Do you think I could use a 1/2 cup of Reese’s pieces? My family loves peanut butter and I thought they would give the Puppy Chow more peanut butter flavor.