Puppy Chow (aka Muddy Buddies)

This is a simple no-bake sweet treat, perfect for the holidays! A little cereal, a little chocolate, a lot of powdered sugar. . .and you’ve got a tasty treat for your guests!

What are Muddy Buddies?

These sweet treats go by several names: Puppy Chow, Christmas Crack, Muddy Buddies, Monkey Munch, and Reindeer Chow. There are many variations, but the idea is the same.

I believe the first recipe for Muddy Buddies came from the General Mills, the maker of Chex cereals. These tasty cereals are the base for this recipe, after all. The “crunch” at the center of the Muddy Buddies is a combination of rice, corn, or wheat Chex, (your choice).

Since that original recipe went viral, people have been improving on Puppy Chow. These days you’ll find folks tossing in everything but the kitchen sink!

No, really!

You’ll find Puppy Chow recipes with pretzels, M&Ms, sour candies, and all sorts of other things. (See the bottom of this post for a host of ideas!) The possibilities are endless, as long as you choose complementary flavors.

Puppy Chow Ingredients

For the full recipe, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. In the meantime, here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients but it’s likely you’re going to have to make a quick trip to the store to pick up a few of them.

• Corn Chex
• Rice Chex
• Chocolate chips (milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, your choice)
• Creamy peanut butter (or different nut butter, if you have allergies)
• butter
• vanilla extract
• powdered sugar
• M&Ms

How to Make Homemade Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

This is such a fun and easy recipe, perfect for kids and adults, alike. It’s a real crowd favorite because it’s a fun snack!

Every year I invite my local kids and grandkids over for a baking day. We always include Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies) in our plan. This a favorite because the kids can make it themselves without much help from me.

Start by measuring out your crunchy Chex cereal. Place in a (very) large bowl. I had a fun helper and we had a blast with this process. You’ll notice we used two bowls because we made such a big batch.

In a medium microwavable bowl combine chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter.

Microwave in 30-second intervals until fully melted, stirring in-between.

Once fully melted and smooth, stir vanilla into the chocolate mixture. Mix until completely smooth.

Pour the liquid over the cereal and stir well.

Add M&Ms to the bowl and mix in.

Scoop out a few cups of coated cereal into a gallon-sized baggie (or plastic bag) and add some powdered sugar.

Seal the large Ziplock bag and shake until the cereal is completely coated in sugar.

Dump Puppy Chow mix into an empty bowl and set aside. Continue coating the rest of the cereal with powdered sugar until you’ve got all of it coated.

Store in an airtight container. If you’re planning to give these away as treats, (on a cookie tray, for example), you’ll want to divide into treat bags and seal.

What to Expect from this Muddy Buddies Recipe

I hardly know where to begin! I truly believe this is the best recipe for Puppy Chow out there because it provides ample chocolate coating. It’s an easy dessert, and so much fun to make! (And let’s face it. . .people love those irresistible treats during the holidays!)

These treats are called “muddy” because they’re coated in rich, luscious chocolate. The coating provides the cereal with the right amount of creamy goodness.

And, all of that powdered sugar? Oh my! It adheres to the chocolate and adds exactly the kind of sweet coating that will make you swoon.

These treats have a lovely crunch, and the coating is delicious. The addition of M&Ms offers a pop of color. What a great recipe!

These are absolutely perfect to give away during the holidays. Purchase small treat bags and load ’em up with Puppy Chow to give to your friends and loved ones. You can call them doggy bags. Ha!

Variations on Puppy Chow Recipe

This is one of those delicious recipes you’re going to make again and again. And guess what? There are so many fun things you can add! Here are a few popular suggestions:

• Pretzels: salty and sweet, always lovely combination!
• Cookies and Cream: Use white chocolate chips and crushed Oreos.
• Crushed Peppermint: Smash up some peppermint candies and add them to the mix.
• Sprinkles: Choose colorful Christmas sprinkles (for holiday Puppy Chow) or red, pink, and white sprinkles for Valentines. You could even make Muddy Buddies for the 4th of July. Add red, white, and blue sprinkles!
• Peanut butter: Use peanut butter chips (or peanut butter M&Ms)
• Snickerdoodle: Add cinnamon to your powdered sugar mixture and toss in some Cinnamon Toast Crunch at the last minute (after the chocolate/powdered sugar have been added to the Chex).
• Fruit Loops and Cheerios: Why not load these sweet treats up with even more popular cereals!
• S’Mores: Use half powdered-sugar covered cereal. The other half: lightly drizzle chocolate over the pieces. Combine and add mini-marshmallows.

Other Cereal-Based Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies: These are absolutely delicious, y’all.
• Oatmeal Rice Krispie Cookies: Crisp and sweet, these are the perfect cookies to share with loved ones!
• Peanut Butter Ranger Cookies (with corn flakes): Talk about delicious!
• Bran Muffins: Make from quick oats, my favorite cereal.

That’s it for this Muddy Buddy recipe post, y’all! Thanks for stopping by!

This holiday season you’re going to have a blast making these delicious treats!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.