Homemade Puppy Chow made with plenty of dark chocolate, peanut butter, and of course a heavy dusting of powdered sugar. This easy to make treat is the perfect snack.

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The Best Holiday (or Anytime) Treat: Puppy Chow!

I don’t have many holiday traditions but one my favorites includes making puppy chow every December and snacking on it all month long.

Puppy chow, often called Muddy Buddies as well, is the perfect combination of creamy peanut butter, chocolate, Chex cereal, and powdered sugar. It’s easy to make, easy to customize, and the perfect treat to snack on while watching those holiday movies.

This homemade puppy chow recipe comes together pretty quickly and I include some easy ways to switch up and make it your own. I hope you love this recipe as much everyone around here does!

Watch How to Make Homemade Puppy Chow

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Puppy Chow Ingredients

Bittersweet Chocolate: we’re using bittersweet chocolate in this recipe to ensure that the puppy chow is not overly sweet.

Peanut Butter: for this recipe you’ll need to use a creamy peanut butter that’s nice and smooth.

Unsalted Butter: this helps the chocolate and peanut butter mixture melt well together so that it becomes smooth, creamy, and coats each and every bite of cereal.

Vanilla Extract: a must-have in any good puppy chow recipe! be sure to use a real vanilla extract and not an imitation vanilla for the best flavor.

Salt: I like to add a bit of salt to the chocolate peanut butter mixture but you could also leave it out if you prefer.

Espresso Powder: this is another optional ingredient, but if you’re coffee lover, like myself, then it can be a delicious addition.

Rice Chex Cereal: for this recipe you’ll need rice Chex cereal. It’s light, crisp, crunchy, and gluten free!

Powdered Sugar: last but not least you’ll need a good amount of powdered sugar to coat the puppy chow.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make Puppy Chow

Step One: Add your cereal to a large mixing bowl and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.

Step Two: Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter to a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted, stirring between each interval. Once the mixture is melted, stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and espresso powder (if using).

Step Three: Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and then use a silicone spatula to gently toss the cereal in the chocolate mixture until well coated, being sure not to crush the cereal.

Step Four: Next, pour half of the powdered sugar into a gallon sized food-safe storage bag and then add half the cereal mixture. Shake the bag to gently toss until all of the cereal is well coated with powdered sugar (add more powdered sugar if needed) and then transfer to the lined sheet pan and spread in an even layer. Repeat until all of the cereal has been coated.

Step Five: Let the puppy chow sit until it is completely cooled and set. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry area or in the fridge or freezer!

Puppy Chow Recipe Variations

When it comes down to customizable recipes, puppy chow is one of them! You can really do whatever you want here so feel free to make it your own. Add more chocolate, use less peanut butter, add an extra dusting of powdered sugar – the choice is yours! Here are few fun variations if you need some inspiration!

Use a sweeter chocolate – instead of bittersweet chocolate feel free to use a sweeter chocolate like milk or even white chocolate for a sweeter version of puppy chow or just to switch things up a bit.
Swap the peanut butter – if you have a peanut allergy, or just want to try something different, you can swap the peanut butter for another nut butter of your choice like almond, cashew butter, or a mix of nut butters. You could also swap it for Nutella if you like!
Skip the butter – need to keep this dairy-free? You can leave out the butter and swap it for coconut oil or vegan butter instead.
Add mix-ins – once your puppy chow has set you can add in your favorite mix-ins like pretzels, nuts, or chocolate candies.

How to Store

The best way to store puppy chow is either in the fridge or freezer to ensure the chocolate and peanut butter coating doesn’t melt. If you’re not storing the mix in the fridge or freezer, then be sure to store it in a cool, dark place.

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes

I hope you give this Puppy Chow recipe a try! It’s easy to make and so fun to snack on!

If you do give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews and ratings help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you trust and love.