The BEST Muddy Buddies Recipe
Whether you call it muddy buddies or puppy chow, this classic is always guaranteed to be a crowd favorite. Rice Chex cereal is coated with a combination of melted chocolate and peanut butter, then tossed in powdered sugar for the ultimate easy sweet snack.
The first time I heard about this recipe, it was referred to as “puppy chow” and I absolutely thought that people were talking about a homemade dog food snack. I soon found out that it was an alternative (and sometimes regional) name for what is more commonly known as Muddy Buddies – a super quick recipe made with Rice Chex cereal. Traditionally, the cereal is coated with a melted mixture of chocolate chips, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, then dusted with powdered sugar. Basically, it’s one of the most addicting snacks you’ll ever make. The fact that it can be thrown together in just 15 minutes is both wonderful and dangerous. If you ask me, it’s all sorts of wonderful.
I’ve tinkered with the recipe over the years, eliminating the butter from the chocolate and peanut butter coating, upping the peanut butter, and adjusting the powdered sugar and cereal amounts to make the most chocolatey and peanut buttery version that clumps up wonderfully (aren’t those clumps the best?!) and is coated in a nice thick layer of powdered sugar without using too much.
Basically, this version is muddy buddy perfection and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
It’s great for parties, snacks and even to give as a gift. Fill some canning jars, tie a ribbon or some twine with a nice tag and you have a perfect gift for a hostess, a teacher, or anyone in need of a pick-me-up.
What ARE muddy buddies?
Such a crazy name, right?!
Muddy buddies can go by a lot of alternate names; you may have heard them referred to as puppy chow, monkey munch, reindeer chow, or doggy bag. They get the crazy names from their appearance, sometimes looking like dog food or animal treats.
No matter the name, the delicious sweet snack remains the same – a rice cereal is coated with a melted combination of chocolate and peanut butter, and then tossed in powdered sugar. To say it is addicting is an understatement!
Cereals and substitutions
The most common cereal used for muddy buddies is Rice Chex, but sometimes Crispix is used.
If you need a gluten-free option, choose the Rice Chex (Crispix is wheat-free, but not gluten-free).
Peanut butter options and substitutions
Creamy peanut butter is the number one option for muddy buddies. I prefer brands like Jif and Skippy; avoid natural-style peanut butter that has oil separation, as it will be too oily for this recipe. You can use chunky peanut butter, as well, for an extra, well, crunch.
If you need a peanut-free substitution, these will work:
- Almond butter
- Cashew butter
- Sunbutter
- Nutella for extra chocolate!
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Chocolate tips
My preferred chocolate to use is simply semisweet chocolate chips – they’re easy and most likely to already be in your pantry!
However, if you like your muddy buddies extra sweet, you can use milk chocolate; or, for those of you in the dark chocolate camp, you can totally substitute dark chocolate. Even white chocolate is fair game! Use chips or, if using a block or bar of chocolate, finely chop it before melting.
My preferred melting method is in the microwave (see instructions in the recipe below), but if you do not have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth.
Variations and mix-in ideas
I absolutely adore muddy buddies as-is, but there are a million different variations you could try. Some ideas for you:
- Toss sprinkles in the powdered sugar before coating the muddy buddies.
- Stir in M&Ms – use plain ones or different flavors – or Reese’s Pieces.
- Stir in crushed candy canes (and maybe red and green M&Ms!) for some festive flavor.
- Cookies and cream with crushed Oreos and white chocolate.
- Add chopped nuts – peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.
- Add whole chips – chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, mint chips, etc.
- Adjust the flavoring by using different extracts.
- See more muddy buddy versions below under “More Sweet Snacks”.
Storing Suggestions
Once the coating is set, you can store muddy buddies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
However! I highly, highly recommend keeping it in the refrigerator or freezer – having it cold and extra crunchy is just phenomenal! If stored this way, you can easily keep them in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More sweet snacks:
- Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies
- Cinnamon-Sugar Candied Chex Mix with Pecans and Pretzels
- Malted Pretzel Crunch
- Poppy Chow (Chocolate & Peanut Butter-Covered Popcorn)
- Reindeer Chow
Watch the Recipe Video Below:
If you make this muddies buddies recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
The BEST Muddy Buddies Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 cups (243 g) Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (129 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a medium bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals on 50% power, stirring after each, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Pour a little bit of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of a large bowl. Add about a third of the cereal, a third of the remaining chocolate mixture, and repeat two more times. Using a rubber spatula, gently mix it all together until all of the cereal is completely coated. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
- Place ½ cup of the powdered sugar in a gallon-size zip-top bag, top with half of the cereal mixture, another ½ cup of the powdered sugar, the rest of the cereal mixture, then the remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar. Seal the bag, then shake it very well until all of the cereal is coated with powdered sugar.
- Spread the mixture out onto a wax-paper lined sheet pan to cool and set, about 30 minutes, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned]
Why is “1 teaspoon” in parentheses after “1/2 teaspoon”? This is confusing.
Thanks for sharing the best muddy buddies recipe. http://www.fooddoz.com
You are correct…these are AMAZING cold!!!! Thank you❤️ Praying for your family😘
This is the BEST!!!
Yes!!!! This is the variation I’ve been searching for! Lately randomly I’ve been picking up a small snack size bag of these from the gas station and I always choose the peanut butter ones! I can’t wait to make them and use your recipe, I like mine with that extra kick of peanut butter!! It’s perfect!! Thank you!! So delicious!!
I love this recipe… I just want to use crunchy peanut butter instead… And add different flavors of m& M’s
It is very yummy
I tried this recipe for New Year’s Eve! Everyone loved it and I can’t wait to make it again!
Is it 1 cup of peanut butter or 129g? I cup of peanut butter weights about 240g. Also, you listed vanilla as 1/2 AND 1tsp. Which is it? Thanks for the recipe.
I liked the tips on preparing this and I really wanted to love the recipe but… after a lifetime of having the Chex Muddy Buddies recipe, this was too heavy on the peanut butter for me. Still good, just not as good. If you had nothing to compare it to, especially if looking for butter free, it’s a good choice.
Puppy chow? Dogs can’t eat chocolate. What kind of a monster would say such a thing?
o,my. i hope you’re joking with that comment! don’t take everything so seriously.
It’s because it resembles an old
time bog food called puppy chow. Besides this isn’t for dogs so I
Guess it can be called anything.
I had a dog eat 4 bags of chocolate chips and lived for many years afterwards! She was really sick for a few days tho….upchucked all over my mom’s just finished hand sewn quilt…LOL It’s called puppy chow after the purina puppy chow….IYNYK
I use a 2.5 gallon plastic zipper bag to shake the cereal mixture in the powdered sugar, after it’s coated with the chocolate and peanut butter. Before I add the cereal to the bag, I put 2-3 tablespoons of powdered sugar in the bag first, shake it to coat the inside of the bag. This helps to prevent the chocolate from sticking to the bag, works like a charm.
Omg its sooooooo good buuut I’m not waiting two weeks I’m eating them tonight :D yum
SO YUMMY! Love the simplicity of this easy-to-make treat and it got eaten in minutes! I used cinnamon chex cereal instead, just because that’s what we had on hand. I was a bit worried, but it ended out delicious and the cinnamon actually gave a nice flavour profile! As for measurements, I completely eyeballed it, which is yet another reason I am truly obsessed with this recipe. We didn’t even have to add in any more goodies, like M&M’s or sprinkles, cause it was already so scrumptious! I can totally see us crunching on this for the Super Bowl or game nights! Okay…or movie nights, or after dinner, or school snacks, or EVERY DAY! Haha, thanks for yet another easy-peasy, too-good-to-be-true recipe! Desert is served! :)
another variation I’m surprised I don’t see is to swap the powdered sugar for vanilla or chocolate protein powder! You get the perfect separation without extra sugar AND you get a nutrition boost, too!!! I recommend whey protein because it tastes better with the other ingredients than pea protein… but if you know of something else… give it a try!
I’m a lifelong Pittsburgher and know this delightful treat as Puppy Chow and [unapologetically] love it!! This specific recipe is a delicious and fool-proof version of this classic and should be made immediately if not sooner! I did try adding sprinkles in with the powdered sugar – for fun – but they didn’t stick to delectable little nuggets. 😑. But that’s ok! We LOVED our puppy chow anyway! Thank you for reviving a great food memory! 😍❤️
YUMM-O!
My teenage son thought this was great! He made it today. Thanks!
What an easy and delicious treat! I made one batch subbing almond butter, and a second batch using peanut butter, white chocolate, and coconut oil – both were so good!
I tasted this somewhere……somewhere? omg I can’t remember where……all I can think about is when that wonderful sensation of powdered sugar and then everything else follows. I have everything to make except rice chex and will pick them up today. I know what I will be munching on tonight as I watch Judge Judy primetime! Thanks for adding this link.
I made this but substituted pretzels instead of chex
And call it PCP (pretzle,chocolate and peanutbutter)
Because it is truly addictive
I moved to Switzerland (originally from PGH :-) and my cereal options are really limited – i.e. no Chex. Is there a decent option other than Chex cereal? Would something like mini shredded wheat work? Thanks for your time!
Hi Kate, Without knowing all that you have at your disposal, I’m not sure which would be the best option. I don’t know that shredded wheat would work; not sure that it would hold the coating. You could always try, though!
I’m in France and I use golden grahams or the supermarket’s own variation of them.
They taste best when you store them in the freezer. They are crunchier.
Great idea! I like cookies out of the freezer too.
I’ve made these twice now and they are SO delish!! I’ve loved muddy buddies for years but when I tried making them several years ago they turned out terrible. I’m so glad I tried this recipe though, because it makes the perfect muddy buddies! I’m so addicted. *Better go work out now…*
My daughter (age 11) makes something like this but uses boxed cake mix to coat and there’s no peanut butter. She gives it out as a birthday treat to friends and family.
I have also made it using Quaker oatmeal squares Which hold up better than any other cereal and is better for you with so much fiber. Very good and very messy.
I’ve always called it Puppy Chow. Anyone that didn’t grow up in the Midwest look at you like you’re trying to feed them dog food… and then can’t stop themselves from eating the yummy goodness!
Brownie Batter Puppy chow is the bestststststsest!
And yes, everyone give it to your child’s teacher at the holidays :o)
Puppy chow is the best. It’s so easy to make and give away to people. I have so many different versions on my blog. I like to up the pb, eliminate the butter, and use t less cereal so it’s more fully coated and has a lot of clumps.
I’ve had this before, but never heard it called ‘Puppy Chow’… it was called ‘Trash’ because you used a (clean) trash bag to shake the bits around in to coat them in the powdered sugar.
There was also a version of the same that used white chocolate, and that was called ‘White Trash’, LOL.
Love the stuff!
I saw this and I was like, “Oh ho ho! I’m definitely checking this out!!” I love Muddy Buddies. And YES–they are definitely addicting.
Thank you for not saving this recipe for December! I actually needed a quick snack for a visiting granddaughter yesterday! Success! It’s delicious! Thanks.