Puppy Chow is a snacking favorite that has been passed down for years in my family (and many others!). It is a simple recipe that everyone absolutely loves! Using peanut butter, chocolate, and rice cereal you can create an easy, no fuss, handheld snack that everyone will rave about! {This is human food.}
Puppy chow, otherwise known as “Muddy Buddies” is a simple 4 ingredient treat that is ready in just a few short minutes. The homemade version is SO much better than the store-bought version. Every single bite is filled with an amazing combination of peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar.
Puppy Chow Recipe
With six simple ingredients, this recipe is one you will not easily forget. To get started, here is what you will need:
Chocolate: Semi-Sweet was the chocolate of choice for this recipe. You could use milk chocolate too, but that might be too sweet and not have much depth of flavor.
Peanut Butter: The great debate, creamy versus chunky. When it comes to puppy chow, creamy peanut butter is the only way to go.
Butter: The unsalted version is best but to be perfectly fair, you likely won’t notice a huge difference either way.
Vanilla: The vanilla really rounds out the flavor, giving it a smooth and creamy taste.
Rice Cereal: I use Rice Chex, but any waffle shaped cereal will do. This is just the vessel that holds all of the chocolatey goodness together.
Confectioners Sugar: This is the glue that keeps our hands from being completely smeared in chocolate and peanut butter. If I am being honest though, you will still want to lick your fingers clean either way.
How to Make Puppy Chow
Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals and stir after each session. (It’s usually fully melted in about a minute and a half.)
Continue until the mixture is smooth when stirred. (This is where I pause to get a shot for Instagram, who doesn’t love creamy chocolate pictures?!?) Then mix in the vanilla extract.
Pour the cereal into a large mixing bowl. (Bigger than you think you need, this gets messy.) Add the chocolate mixture and gently stir until cereal is evenly coated. Don’t miss all the crumbly bits at the bottom! Now, pour the coated cereal into a large Ziploc bag and add the confectioner’s sugar. You may need to work in batches. Seal the bag and shake until the cereal is well coated. Let the kids help with this part! (just make sure the bag is closed!)
Spread on parchment paper or waxed paper. Let sit until cool and chocolate is set. You can store the puppy chow in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but I doubt it will last that long!
Over the years there have been a few brave souls who have decided to mess with a good thing. It is a good thing they did because we are the lucky recipients of these amazing spins on traditional puppy chow!
Ingredients
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals and stir after each session. Continue until the mixture is smooth when stirred.
- Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Pour the cereal into a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate 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 on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
