Puppy Chow Recipe
on Oct 05, 2019, Updated Mar 21, 2024
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This easy Puppy Chow recipe is perfect for after-school snacks and is also a fun party food idea! Made with peanut butter, chocolate, Chex, and powdered sugar is one of the most fun sweet treats ever. And it comes together quickly for a crunchy dessert, easy goody bag, or delicious snack!
This homemade puppy chow recipe is one of the simplest and most fun treats to make. I love getting the kids involved because it’s so straightforward and a great way to get them interested in cooking and baking!
Puppy Chow with Chex Recipe
Do you have any foods that you inexplicably crave from time to time? This puppy chow recipe is one of mine (also known as monkey munch, muddy buddies, muddy munch, or reindeer chow). It’s crunchy. It’s sweet. It’s got chocolate and peanut butter. What more could you ask for?!
I think puppy chow might just be one of the most underrated sweet treats ever. It’s so simple to make — you just microwave the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter to coat the Chex with, and then toss it in a bag with powdered sugar. And the end result is big-time satisfying.
My kids love to snack on this after school, on movie nights, or for dessert, and it’s a great way for them to get their feet wet with cooking using a no-fuss, impossible-to-mess-up recipe that they enjoy eating as much as making. All around, this is a win-win treat for the entire family. You’re going to love it to bring to parties, or throw some into goody bags the next time you host! It’s a sweet staple you’ll want to have in your back pocket.
Why is puppy chow called puppy chow?
It’s called puppy chow because the little bites of Chex cereal coated with a chocolate-peanut butter mixture resemble dog food. (But definitely do NOT feed this to your dog — just your human pups around the house!)
Does puppy chow need to be refrigerated?
I prefer storing my puppy chow in the fridge so it doesn’t get melty sitting out on particularly warm days. Plus, there’s something about the extra crunch from being chilled that makes it heavenly! You can keep it in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Can you freeze puppy chow?
Yes, it’ll last for a long while in the freezer! Seal it in a freezer-safe baggie, and store for up to 4 months frozen.
What’s in puppy chow?
Puppy chow is so simple — it’s just Chex cereal, butter, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar. You can add other bites of goodness to it and include pretzels, M&M’s, or other types of cereal (like corn flakes) to make it even more fun.
Puppy Chow Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the Chex cereal and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Do this until the mixture is fully melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal, and mix well to combine.
- Add the powdered sugar to a large (1 or 2 gallon size) zipper-topped bag.
- Add the chocolate coated cereal to the bag, seal the top, and toss to combine well.
- Spread the coated cereal out on a cookie sheet until the chocolate has set, about 15 minutes.
Notes
- You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe — it doesn’t matter which one.
- I didn’t have great luck using natural peanut butter for this recipe, it seemed to get grainy when heated.
- You can use a double-boiler method to melt the chocolate instead of the microwave if you wish.
Nutrition
Other easy dessert recipes:
- Gooey Marshmallow Popcorn with Chocolate
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 9 DIY Trail Mix Everyone Will Love
- Candy Corn Snack Mix
- 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars (no bake)
- 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Easy Meringue Cookies
Chex Muddy Buddies is a treat you need to make ASAP if you’ve never had it — it’s crunchy and sweet and just a tad salty for the most satisfying snack ever that anyone can make, promise!
I am looking for a recipe that doesn’t call for peanut butter, because I can’t stand chocolate and peanut butter!! I knew a lady that used white chocolate, and I did not taste any peanut butter!!!!!!!!! I need some help finding this puppy chow mix. Thanks!!
https://thetoastykitchen.com/snickerdoodle-puppy-chow-snack-mix/ That recipe looks close to what you are asking for! I bet you could leave out the cinnamon too, so it would be puppy chow without the peanut butter and with powdered sugar!