Puppy Chow

Whatever you call it—puppy chow, muddy buddies—one thing is for certain: This creation is one of the easiest, most satisfying party favors. With only a handful of ingredients, this peanut butter-chocolate dessert comes together in under 20 minutes, making it the easiest dessert or party snack for your holiday dinner celebration, game day dessert, or party potluck. Plus, it's fully customizable: Turn this snack sweet, savory, or anything in-between with whatever mix-ins your heart desires. Beware—it's so snackable, you might just be covered with confectioners' sugar when you're done with this. 😏

How To Make Puppy Chow

INGREDIENTS

• Chocolate Chips: I suggest using semisweet chocolate chips here—they’ll be just sweet enough without being overly rich.
• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is a signature player in puppy chow, but if you're allergic to peanut butter, no sweat. Almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter would all be great substitutes. Or, if you're feeling extra saucy, try adding in some Nutella.
• Vanilla Extract: A little bit of pure vanilla extract will tie all of our flavors together, and add another boost of sweet, floral, and warm goodness.
• Rice Chex Cereal: If it’s puppy chow, it has to be a snack mix of cereal. Rice Chex is my go-to choice, but you can use another brand if you prefer.
• Confectioners’ Sugar: Coating the puppy chow in confectioners’ sugar results in an admittedly messy treat, but one that's totally worth it.
  

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, add your peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter to a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave on high for around 1 minute, then stir with a wooden spoon to fully combine.

Once it has melted a bit, continue to microwave in 20 second increments, stirring between each session, until you have a melted and smooth chocolate mixture. Then, you can add in the vanilla and salt and stir until smooth and combined.

Pour your cereal into a large bowl, then add the chocolate mixture over the cereal, making sure to scrape the bowl. Toss with a wooden spoon until fully coated, making sure to be very gentle—you don’t want to break your cereal too much.

Once coated, add your cereal to a large resealable plastic bag. Add the confectioners’ sugar, then give the bag a good shake to coat every piece well. Don’t go crazy, but make sure to shake well so that every piece is well coated.

Once coated, add to a sheet pan or bowl, and get to serving! PSA: Don’t forget the napkins.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Puppy Chow Variations

When it comes to puppy chow, the options are endless. We love having a mix of sweet and savory in ours, so feel free to experiment with all the mix-ins to find your ideal combo. Here are some of our top suggestions:

• Add something salty. Pretzels, plain potato chips, or salted peanuts would all be delicious additions.
• Go for a sweeter route. M&M's, Reese's Pieces, or any of your favorite bite-sized candy would be delicious in this mix. Love Snickers? Our Snickers puppy chow is a sweet-salty winner.

Recipe Tips

• What is puppy chow? At its most basic, puppy chow is a snack mix of cereal (we use Rice Chex) coated in chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla before being coated in confectioners' sugar. The result is an admittedly messy treat, but one that's totally worth it.
• Why is it called puppy chow? It's simple: The chocolate-coated cereal looked so much like dog food, people began calling it just that—puppy chow!
  

Storage

Store puppy chow in an airtight container for around a week to a week and a half. If you somehow manage to not devour it all before then, store the rest of the leftovers in the fridge. If you want to keep puppy chow for the long haul, you can also freeze it! Store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months, then thaw when you're ready to enjoy.