best ever 15-minute puppy chow

Puppy Chow (aka Muddy Buddies) is one of the easiest no-bake treats to make! All you need are 5 simple ingredients – chocolate, peanut butter, butter, chex cereal, and powdered sugar. It makes a great edible gift, and you can dress it up with any mix-ins you like!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Puppy Chow:

• Chocolate + Peanut Butter – Has there ever been a more perfect match? This homemade puppy chow includes a classic mixture of salted butter (it has the besttt flavor), semi-sweet chocolate chips, and creamy peanut butter. But, I go a little heavier on the chocolate peanut butter mixture for extra chocolatey goodness!
• Easy Treat – This recipe comes together in literally no time, with basic ingredients that you probably have on hand already! It’s perfect when you’re squeezed for time.
• No-Bake Dessert – Homemade muddy buddies come together in only 15 minutes, with no baking required. Just melt some chocolate, mix in goodies, let set and dig in (the same steps as my Homemade Chocolate Bark!)

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Chocolate Chips – I use semi-sweet chips for a delicious balance of sweetness in this best puppy chow recipe. But you can use whatever variety of chocolate chips you like!
• Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
• Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter is nice and smooth, but you could use crunchy if you like. I recommend using “regular” PB vs a natural variety, which can tend to be a bit goopy and doesn’t melt well.
• Corn Chex Mix – Use any brand of a corn chex cereal that you like.
• Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is essential for coating the cereal!
• Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract for best results.

Recipe Variations:

• Dairy-free – Use your preferred plant-based nondairy chocolate chips and butter.
• Gluten-free – Corn chex is gluten-free, so this recipe is naturally gluten-free! You can also use rice chex (gluten-free, too!)
• Mix-Ins – Add some festive m&ms to give this a fun flair for any holiday! Add in some chocolate chips too, if you want it to be a complete chocolate overload. You can even mix in other flavors of chips like dark chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips. Add any mix-ins after you’ve coated the mix in powdered sugar. (Extra peanut butter chips? Use them in my Bakery-Style Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies!)
• Nut Butters – Swap peanut butter with smooth and creamy almond butter or cashew butter. Or make this a nut-free recipe and use sunflower seed butter!
• Powdered Sugar – Adjust the powdered sugar up or down a smidge, depending on how thickly you want the cereal to be coated.

How to Make Homemade Puppy Chow:

Step 1: Make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Coating. Add the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter to a large bowl. Melt this in the microwave until completely smooth, using 30 second intervals and stirring between each.

Step 2: Coat the Cereal. Add the chex cereal to the bowl and toss with a spatula to coat in the chocolate. Add the chocolate-coated cereal mix and the powdered sugar to a large tupperware container with a lid. Close the lid tightly, and gently shake the container to coat the mix in powdered sugar. Add a little more powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup more) until it’s coated to your liking.

Step 3: Finish the Muddy Buddies. Once you’ve dusted it in powdered sugar, pour the puppy chow mix onto a lined baking sheet to let the chocolate solidify. Once it’s set, dig in! (Or, before, really haha.) Just don’t store it before you’ve given the chocolate a chance to set up.

Serving + Storing:

Make a big batch (or two!) for after school snacks, movie and game nights, and parties. This makes a great superbowl snack, too! You can also package servings of homemade muddy buddies in small mason jars or gift bags to give as holiday gifts.

Store your puppy chow in an airtight container at room temp for a week, or freeze for 1-2 months. Enjoy frozen, or thaw on the counter for a few hours. Try my Sweet & Salty Maple Chex or my Easy Homemade Chocolate Bark next!

Expert Baking Tips:

• Tupperware vs Bag – I HIGHLY recommend using a tupperware rather than the traditional paper grocery bag to shake up your puppy chow – it’s less messy, doesn’t waste a bag, and coats everything nicely without you accidentally breaking the cereal into a bunch of tiny pieces by handling the bag too much. You’ll get nicer clumps this way! (Also, am I a germaphobe for not wanting to shake food inside of a bag that I don’t know how many people touched at the store? Lol.)
• Double the Recipe – Easily double the recipe ingredients if you want a bigger batch – I just recommend tossing it in the powdered sugar in two batches.

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Tupperware – Toss the puppy chow mix and powdered sugar in a container with a lid to get an even coating without any mess. Then use the same container to store the finished muddy buddies! (I personally am trying to transition away from plastic containers, so I’ve linked a glass set with lids!)
• Baking Sheet – The puppy chow sets faster if the pieces are spread out a bit. Doing this on a lined cookie sheet makes the process quick and easy to clean up.

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More No-Bake Treats to Love:

• Chocolate Cookie Dough Cups
• Brown Butter Fruity Pebbles Treats
• 5-Ingredient Homemade Chocolate Bark
• Brown Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
• No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

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