Posted Feb 21, 2018, Updated May 31, 2024 Listen carefully, my Puppy Chow Recipe is not for the faint of heart. You will never find weak puppy chow in my kitchen. You know what I mean? The stuff that is so thinly coated with chocolate and peanut butter that the powdered sugar barely sticks to it? Not on my watch. I want clumps, and globs, and hunks, and chunks of chocolate-peanut buttery goodness. Now the name of this treat can be controversial. I’m a midwesterner (born and raised) so I call this treat “Puppy Chow.” It has other names too, like muddy buddies, monkey munch, etc., but no matter what you call it, it’s delicious. I make this dessert more than any others on my website (except for our famous chocolate chip cookies). It’s my favorite and it’s so easy to make!
Puppy Chow Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
There are only 4 ingredients in this muddy buddies recipe! But there are a few ways you can adapt it if you’d like.
Chocolate. I recommend using a dark or semi-sweet variety. In my opinion, making this Puppy Chow Recipe with milk chocolate makes it too sweet. But if you have a serious sweet tooth by all means use whatever chocolate you prefer! If you need an allergy-friendly chocolate both Sunspire and Enjoy Life Foods make great options. Rice Cereal. Chex is my favorite cereal to use (or a generic equivalent). However many people love Crispex. Peanut Butter. You can substitute any nut or seed butter if you’re allergic to peanuts. Powdered sugar. There’s really no substitute for this. You can make your own refined sugar free variety.
How to Make Puppy Chow
This puppy chow recipe is very easy to make, however the method matters, a LOT. I consider myself a muddy buddies expert, so I devised the absolute perfect method to making the best puppy chow ever – no butter required.
Melt Chocolate and Peanut Butter
Melt equal parts of chocolate (semi-sweet or dark) and peanut butter together. Start by warming it for 60 seconds, stir and then warm in increments of 30 seconds so you don’t make it too hot!
Stir
The chocolate peanut butter mixture together until it’s smooth and glossy.
Assemble
Next, put some cereal in the bottom of a large bowl, pour some of the peanut butter/chocolate mixture on top, and continue to alternate cereal/chocolate/cereal, etc. until you’ve used up all the ingredients. The key here is to start VERY conservatively with the amount of cereal! You do not, I repeat, do not want to use too much cereal. It will ruin your puppy chow, and consequently, your day.
Chill
Next, mix it all together, making sure the cereal is thickly coated . Then put the muddy buddies somewhere to cool off (outside in the winter, or in the refrigerator) before adding any powdered sugar. This step is absolutely crucial. I am not into sickeningly sweet desserts, so I like to use as little powdered sugar as possible. If you add the powdered sugar while the mixture is still warm it will soak right in and won’t help separate the chunks at all. Making sure your mixture is slightly cooled will mean you can use less powdered sugar in the end.
Add Powdered Sugar
Once the mixture is at or just below room temperature, but not hard, add the powdered sugar until there is a thin coating and some of the pieces start separating. It’s helpful to use a bowl with a lid, so you can shake it to coat the cereal evenly.
Chill Again
Next, let the muddy buddies cool down even more (for about 15 or 20 more minutes) before adding a little more powdered sugar. You want to add just enough so that the puppy chow can be eaten without making your hands a chocolatey-mess.
Harden
Let the puppy chow sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until it’s hardened.
Serve
Serve this puppy chow recipe at room temperature or only slightly chilled. If it is in an environment that is too warm, it could start to melt, so be careful.
Store/Freeze
Store this puppy chow in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long) or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
