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Best Puppy Chow Recipe (aka Muddy Buddies)

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215 Comments
4.96 from 47 votes
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Whether you call it puppy chow or muddy buddies, I promise you, this is the best recipe! Why? More chocolate, more peanut butter, and more powdered sugar! This childhood classic snack mix just got better. 🙂 

Bowl of puppy chow

With only six ingredients, puppy chow (muddy buddies) is extremely quick and easy to whip up, making it the perfect recipe for the busy holiday season. Because it’s so simple I love making it for big parties or even giving it away as gifts!

Puppy chow ingredients

This sweet snack mix is made of six super simple ingredients! The best part? You probably have all of the ingredients on hand already. If you don’t typically have these ingredients on hand, I’d recommend changing that. All of the ingredients are staple pantry and fridge items that all have a long shelf life.

  • Rice chex cereal makes the base of this recipe and makes this snack mix super crunchy and addicting. You don’t want to use a sweetened cereal or it will end up too sweet.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips. As with the unsweetened cereal, using semi-sweet ensures that this snack mix isn’t overly sweet.
  • Peanut butter gets melted together with the chocolate chips and creates an amazingly creamy mixture that coats the cereal. Use smooth peanut butter – instead of chunky – to ensure even melting.
  • Unsalted butter. This helps the chocolate and peanut butter melt together and create a rich, smooth chocolate-y “sauce”.
  • Vanilla extract. I love using vanilla for additional flavor and “cozy” factor.
  • Powdered sugar. After the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture, you’ll add in the powdered sugar. This adds additional sweetness to the recipe and makes it socially acceptable to lick your fingers 😉

How to make puppy chow

  1. Place chex cereal into a large bowl. Set aside. 
  2. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter into a large microwave safe bowl or measuring cup.
  3. Melt until smooth, then stir in vanilla extract.
  4. Pour chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently stir together.
  5. Stir in the powdered sugar.
  6. Enjoy!

It’s sweet, peanut buttery, extra chocolatey, and slightly crunchy, so you know you can’t put it down!

Process shots of making muddy buddies

 

Tips for Making Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

There are SO many recipes for puppy chow, but I promise you, my recipe is the best, because of these tips and tricks.

  1. Use the whole box of cereal. Most recipes call for 9 cups of cereal, leaving 2 cups left in the box. What the heck are you supposed to do with 2 cups of chex?! Don’t do that. Use the whole box of cereal. 
  2. Use the whole bag of chocolate chips. More is more in this recipe. Just throw the whole bag in.
  3. Use more powdered sugar than you think necessary. The cereal should be COMPLETELY coated in white.
  4. Don’t over mix. Chunks are the best part. Just trust me on this one.

How to Store Puppy Chow

Puppy chow can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week. It does not need to be refrigerated, but some people prefer it chilled. That’s up to you! 

Puppy chow recipe substitutions

If you can, I highly recommend making the recipe as is. It truly is the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, chocolate-y, peanut buttery goodness. That being said, if you MUST make substitutions, here’s what I suggest:

  • Can I use a different kind of cereal? If you don’t like/can’t find rice chex, corn chex is a great substitute. 
  • Do I have to use semi-sweet chocolate? You can use dark chocolate or even milk chocolate, but semi-sweet is really gives you that perfect sweet, but not too sweet balance.
  • I’m allergic to peanuts, can I use a different kind of nut butter? Processed peanut butter – think Jiff or Skippy – works best, but sunflower seed butter should work as well. I don’t recommend using all natural nut butters, because they’re too runny and may not set as well at room temperature. 
  • I’m vegan, is the butter necessary? Butter is essential, but try using a vegan buttery spread instead. Results not guaranteed, because it hasn’t been tested.
  • Do I need to use vanilla extract? No, you can omit it, but you will loose some of that cozy depth of flavor.

There really isn’t a substitute for the powdered sugar, so just leave that one alone. 😉

Bowl of puppy chow from overhead

Is it called puppy chow or muddy buddies?

It’s the same thing either way. I grew up calling it puppy chow but plenty of people call it muddy buddies. It depends on where you live.

Other names:

  • Monkey munch
  • Muddy munch
  • Reindeer chow
  • Monster munch

What is puppy chow (muddy buddies)?

Puppy chow is a snack mix made of crunchy chex cereal coated in a mixture of chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla which is covered in powered sugar.

Why is it called puppy chow?

  1. The shape of the pieces coated in chocolate resembles dog food.
  2. Purina, the dog food company, created the original Chex cereal back in 1937 and people started calling it “human chow”, due to the Purina connection.

Who would’ve thought that a dog food company also created cereal for humans!

Scoop with puppy chow

 

Who invented muddy buddies?

If you’re in the muddy buddies camp, you can thank General Mills. They developed and packaged their recipe for sale in 2009. How they came up with the name is beyond me, but if YOU know, let me know in the comments below!

Whatever the name is, puppy chow and muddy buddies are made of the same basic ingredients of cereal, peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar.

Can you make puppy chow ahead?

This is an extremely popular holiday recipe, and luckily this is a great recipe to make ahead during this busy season! It stays fresh for up to a week if stored properly.

 

Fingers grabbing muddy buddies from bowl

Crunchy, sweet, peanut buttery, and loaded with chocolate . . .

What’s not to love?!

How much should I feed my dog?

NONE! This is for humans only, please and thank you. 🙂 PSST – if you’re looking for a real dog treat, check out my homemade dog treat recipe!

– Jennifer

If you love this childhood classic, you’ll also love these: scotcheroos, grandma’s best sugar cookies, easy chocolate fudge, edible eggless cookie dough, and christmas crack.

This is the best puppy chow recipe! Now, I know you probably just rolled your eyes, because who doesn't know how to make puppy chow?! Here's the thing. Most people don't make it right! In my recipe, the ingredients are the same, so what makes my puppy chow even better? The ratio! More chocolate, more peanut butter, more powdered sugar! showmetheyummy.com #puppychow #muddybuddies #recipe #chocolate #peanutbutter #snacks

Best Puppy Chow Recipe

4.96 from 47 votes
This is the best puppy chow recipe! Why? More chocolate, more peanut butter, more powdered sugar! This childhood classic aka muddy buddies just got better. 🙂 Plus, it uses the WHOLE box of cereal and the WHOLE bag of chocolate chips, so less measuring required!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Yield: 16 people
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Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 (12 oz) box rice chex cereal could also use corn
  • 1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips could also use dark choco, milk choco, etc.
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (2 lb) bag powdered sugar or less to taste - I honestly just eye ball it

Instructions

  • Place cereal into a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a large microwave safe bowl. 
  • Microwave for 60 seconds and then stir until smooth. If the chocolate chips haven't melted enough, microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted. 
  • Stir in vanilla extract.
  • Pour the chocolate mixture over the chex cereal and stir together gently with a spatula. DO NOT OVER MIX. The chunks are the best part! The cereal pieces should be completely coated in chocolate, but it's ok for a few to clump together.
  • Pour the powdered sugar over the mixture. Use as much or as little as you like, but I think this is best when no chocolate shows through. Gently stir to combine. Again, don't over mix.
  • Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container!
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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Best Puppy Chow Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 539 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 16mg5%
Sodium 180mg8%
Potassium 277mg8%
Carbohydrates 87g29%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 66g73%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 415IU8%
Vitamin C 2.7mg3%
Calcium 65mg7%
Iron 8.1mg45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutritional information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: monkey munch, muddy buddies, puppy chow, puppy chow for humans
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American

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  1. Cyd larkin

    4 stars
    Very good, nice peanut buttery taste, but waaaayyyyy too much confectioners sugar. It made it too sweet, no flavor enhancer, just sweet. I put it in a colander, gave it a little gentle shake which removed a lot of the 10x, and it was great. The next time I made this I added a couple of heaping teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the coating sugar, mixed it really, really well, and then used it one he chow. Excellent, it cut the sugaryness, added a hint of cocoa, and was really yummy. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  2. Janet Reeser

    5 stars
    Delicious rendition on an old favorite! Enjoyed your recipe story. I did decrease the powdered sugar, but as you said – preferences. I also let it slightly cool off in the fridge first for 5 minutes so that the powdered sugar didn’t melt.This was just the holiday snack I needed to treat GF/non alike!

    Reply

  3. Cathi J McMillen

    5 stars
    Awesome sauce! I substituted Peanut butter Chex for 5 cups and Chocolate chex for 5 cups and it was fabulous!!! Thanks for the easy to follow directions!!

    Reply

  4. Emily Brierly

    I have 4 kiddos & i can proudly say that all my kids LOVE to bake especially desserts just like their mommy (: I pretty much let my kids take over the bakeing and i just supervise them depending on what the dessert is that we are cooking, i do additional small things and the things that my kids can’t do because they love it, they have soo much fun together and they love wearing there little aprons and chef hats and working together so this mom just lets her kiddos have the fun and i am a stand in just incase lol. Well, we have our own little pitch about this dessert but we try new things so we tried this recipe and we also added green and red sprinkles for the christmas holiday and the kids named it reindeer chow and ooooooooooohhhh was it the best dessert that they have yet to make.. #lovebaking#funwith4kids#mommyandkidslovebaking#siblingslovebaking#kidslovetohelpmom#BESTMOMLIFEEVER#LOVEMY4LITTLEBAKERS#professionalchefs

    Reply

  5. Diane

    Not bad but way too much sugar. The sugar stopped sticking and just sat at bottom of the bowl. One lb. would have been plenty.

    Reply

  13. Tracy Johnson

    5 stars
    My grandmother made a version of this with Honey Comb and added peanuts and M&Ms – she called it “Cat Food”

    Reply

  14. Jackie Peterson

    5 stars
    Best tasting dessert Ever! Definitely is the talk of every party, I’ve ever brought this amazing, mix to. Would definitely, recommend to anyone who is looking for a quick, bake-Free, little ingredient dessert. Takes about 10 minutes to make.

    Reply

  16. MG

    5 stars
    Yum. Very good. I love that the whole box is used. It’s annoying in recipes when you could easily adjust to use up things and the recipe doesn’t. I will say, it seemed to be way too much powdered sugar at our house for some reason. We probably left a good cup or more in the bag and mixed it up. There was so much loose in the bowl. I actually did go on to shake some make off of the cereal to make it easier to pack for on the go snacks. So, I ended up shaking the cereal off in a metal colander. I threw away 1 3/4 cups from the bowl and have at least a cup in the bag I never used. Just my two cents! It’s it’s puppy chow people. You can do what you want! lol. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  17. Jennifer W

    5 stars
    Hi Jennifer! I’m so glad I stumbled upon your recipe. It’s now my go-to puppy chow recipe instead of my mom’s… don’t tell! I also grew up with this and it is one of my favorite things to make for parties. Thanks for finding an elegant solution to using the whole box (who actually eats plain ol’ rice Chex anyway?). We’ll be enjoying this for many years to come!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Ha! Your secret’s safe with me. 😉 It’s really the best snack!! So glad you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

      Reply

  19. Kate Pavlovsky

    4 stars
    Hmm, so I made this exactly according to your recipe and found I had to add about 50% more chocolate/PB/butter. I doubled the recipe though because I had a 24 oz bag of chocolate chips. I ended up using:
    24 oz Chex (two boxes)
    36 oz choc chips
    3 sticks butter
    2 1/4 cups peanut butter
    1 tbsp vanilla
    2 lb powdered sugar

    It ended up perfect because I basically just played around with it til it looked right. It made a HUGE 2 gallon ziplock full but I intend to give away quite a bit of it to friends/family.

    Thanks for the inspiration! This was my very first time to make puppy chow even though I’ve eaten it plenty of times (made by other people).

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Kate! Sounds like you didn’t quite double the ingredients exactly. 🙂 Doubled would be:

      – 2 (12 oz) box rice chex cereal could also use corn
      – 2 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips could also use dark choco, milk choco, etc.
      – 1.5 cup peanut butter
      – 1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter
      – 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
      – 2 (2 lb) bag powdered sugar

      Reply

  20. Hopeless Cook

    5 stars
    I am not a cook… what I cook does not turn out well. I even managed to mess up puppychow 🙁 I was munching on my chow as soon as it was made but it wasnt crunchy at all. The next day (after storing in an airtight container), the chow is even more rubbery. I love puppychow, but this taste more like dogfood. What did I do wrong? Why isn’t my chow crunchy?

    Reply

  21. Just A Muddy Buddy

    You.. you get it. Honestly, I went online to get the original recipe because I buy knock-off chex, but I was planning on “fixing” the ratios for the whole box and having extra chocolate. But you understand me. Right down to the garbage bag.

    Reply

  22. Briana Strait

    5 stars
    In regards to the puppy chow recipe, I’m not knocking on that door but I am. The recipe is brilliant. I will say, to whom it may concern some people may think of this as actual puppy chow to give to their dog. Only because the name of the recipe. I do not mean for anyone to take this negatively. I myself thought it was a recipe I was clicking for an actual puppy food homemade tutorial. I am bringing this to the surface in light of dog owners who may be not as competent as others.

    Reply

  23. Judy C.

    5 stars
    OMG! Crunchy, chocolate, and peanut buttery treat! What a wonderful combination! The confectionery finish dresses the pieces up like the beignets at Cafe du Monde. It was easy and fun to make.
    Love y’all video!

    Reply

  25. Betha

    We always called it snowflakes growing up. Thanks for the recipe!
    And I agree with you. I can’t stand the cereal checks showing through the pb, chocolate, and sugar.

    Reply

  26. Aimee

    GFS still uses food grade plastic for their garbage bags. A friend of mine works for them as a non-foods marketing specialist and, after mentioning this at a presentation, a woman proceeded to lick a bag. If a representative of a manufacturer lets this happen I’m sure it’s safe!

    Reply

  27. christy

    5 stars
    Just made, and this came out awesome! Thank you. How long can this safely last is stored? Trying to see how far it can go as far as gifts because there is so much, and we have a party Friday too.

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks so much Christy! Store in sealed airtight container or ziplock baggies at room temperature for a week or so! 🙂

      Reply

  29. Jen

    Hi–

    I found your site because I’m looking for tips on how to make sure the puppy chow stays crunchy. My nephew has asked me to make this for him, but it needs to stay crispy long enough to go through the mail; in my experience, it tends to go soft by the next day. Do you have any tips on this?

    Also, the recipe I have makes this with golden grams instead of chex, so that might be a fun thing to try. =)

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Jen! I’ve never had a problem with this staying crunchy when using chex 🙂 Just keep it in a ziplock baggie or sealed tupperware container! DEFINITELY trying this with golden grahams 🙂

      Reply

  30. Meagan

    5 stars
    HI. I know this post is older, so I hope someone can and will answer my question. If I only have salted butter, is it OK to use or will the salt throw the taste out of whack?!?! My husband made a batch of puppy chow two night’s ago and it was good, but he used the last stick of unsalted butter! Lol Plus, he didn’t use the whole box of cereal and only used one pound of powdered sugar!!! So, I’m trying to surprise him with a batch of this puppy chow when he gets home from work! Looks like I’ll be running to the store for unsalted butter and more chex! Thank you for this recipe, I’m sure it’ll be tasty!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Meagan! Salted butter will be totally fine 🙂 LOVE that you’re surprising him. Hope you both love it as much as we do! 🙂

      Reply

  34. Whitney Martin

    THANK YOU!!!!!! We called it trash growing up–my brother and I would throw a trash bag filled with it back and forth to mix. I’ve been looking for the real recipe for a long time! I’m so glad that you’re bringing me back to being a kid!

    Reply

  35. Ellen

    5 stars
    So this recipe has been up for a while but I’m so glad I opened this one. Class reunion this weekend – perfect! You guys are adorable! Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Reply

  37. norma

    Your recipe looks amazing!! We will be doing this for our daughter’s wedding. After small morning wedding ceremony we all have a road trip to the beach of 5 hrs, this will be perfect!!!

    Reply

  40. Linda

    5 stars
    Your writing style is even more delicious than your recipe. Thanks for the fun, fun, humor!
    I never comment on anything, ever.
    However, I just had to say, thanks so much for making me chuckle. You are so witty!

    Reply

  41. Kelly

    5 stars
    This is THE best puppy chow I have ever made. I’ve been on the hunt for a puppy chow that fully coats the chex, and this is it! I never leave reviews on recipes I’ve tried, but I felt it 100% necessary to do it for this. Everyone needs this recipe in their life!

    Reply

  42. Jen

    5 stars
    WOW! I had never heard of puppy chow until recently. I read a lot of different recipes and decided to try yours and….yum! The stirring made me nervous but the cereal held up and the final product is so addicting. Your snobbery is now my snobbery! Thanks for a definite crowd-pleaser!

    Reply

  43. Courtney

    I hope this wasn’t asked already, but is it necessary to use semi-sweet chocolate chips – can I use milk chocolate chips instead?

    Very excited to try this! My husband and I are making a bunch of treats as Christmas gifts this year, and we thought puppy chow would be a simple one to make a bunch of at once. I haven’t made it in years, so of course, I googled it. Yours was the first one I clicked on, and like many of the other people who have commented, you had me at more of everything!

    Very excited to try this (and eat the leftovers we have!) Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      You can absolutely use milk chocolate, it’ll just be sweeter 🙂 I hope you love it as much as we do! It’s still a favorite of ours!! 🙂

      Reply

  44. PAmomof4

    I’m a huge puppy chow fan and I’m planning on making it this week for a Christmas Eve snack. I googled “best puppy chow” and it brought me here. 🙂 Great site!

    I just wanted to share my secret ingredient for puppy chow that kicks it up a notch for peanut butter lovers… I throw a bunch of powdered peanut butter in with the powdered sugar. I know, right? You’re welcome. 😉

    Reply

  45. Lacey Schroeder

    5 stars
    Just tried your recipe, and I am in love! This is definitely the best puppy chow I’ve ever had, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  48. Sharon Kurusis

    5 stars
    Would you believe that I use to make muddy buddy’s and I thought the secret was to double process the whole thing. What a mess and why?
    I watched your video on how to make puppy chow. More of everything and soooooo easy! This YaYa will only be making puppy chow from here on out. Thank you!
    Sharon
    Am I the only person who puts container in fridge? I love them cold.

    Reply

  49. Sharon Kurusis

    Would you believe that I thought the secret to making muddy buddy’s was do double process it. What a mess!
    Then I watched your video and saw you add more to make better.
    I am now an official puppy chow believer!
    Thanks so much!!!

    Reply

  50. Angel

    I used 12.8 oz box of chocolate Chex, 1/2 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of Hershey kisses, 1/4 cup of butter, 1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and two cups of powdered sugar.

    Reply

  54. Rose

    This is almost the recipe my grandmas been making for 50 years! I always thought hers blew everyone else away I could never eat it when anyone else made it. Except she uses 1 full cup of peanut butter I stick salted butter and one bag choc chips. She almost uses crispix which I’ve always liked better! Great recipe!

    Reply

  55. Lisa

    This looks perfect. I, also, am usually very disappointed when I taste puppy chow made by others. Not enough chocolate and some people even foolishly use milk chocolate chips. Yuck. Can’t wait to make this for the July fireworks.

    Reply

  57. Brittany Williams

    See, now you know how REAL Puppy Chow should be made! And, yes, it should be called Puppy Chow…not that silly Muddy Buddies 😉 This is how I’ve made Puppy Chow for years. The right way. My poor husband had never had homemade Puppy Chow…he bought that Muddy Buddies concoction they mass produce, bag, then sell in stores. One bite and my face scrunched! That night I made Puppy Chow, showed him your recipe and he said he couldn’t believe he missed out on this “yummy awesomeness” all these years. Now I make Puppy Chow at least three times a month, the man acts like he’d die without it! I know I would! 😉 Congratulations on the PERFECT Puppy Chow! To anyone reading this, if you haven’t made this then your life isn’t complete.

    Reply

  58. Kristi

    I, too, would fit your Puppy Chow snob classification. My recipe is slightly different and is the same as when I first made Puppy Chow 29 years ago. You nailed the characteristics of it! Yes, you do need that much powdered sugar. Chunks are my favorite part, too!

    The newer recipes won’t yield the same results my children grew up loving at holidays. This is one of our traditions and we love it frozen, too.

    Try it frozen.

    Reply

    • Anita

      LOL! Me, too. I was introduced to it by my roommate while we were in college. When she left campus during spring break, she said something that I vaguely heard. It was about trash and a window. It was only a couple of days later, while picking up the dorm room, that I opened the “white trash” bag on the window sill and discovered this AWESOME treat. Now, 24 years later I make it for my nephew as part of his Christmas sweets box.

      THANK YOU for the BEST recipe I’ve ever used. Right now, I am covered in powdered sugar and laughing at your hilariously accurate post! My roommate just texted me and I will be mailing my nephew’s box tomorrow. New subscriber and fan!

      Reply

      • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

        That’s hilarious!!! I LOVE that story Anita. I’m so so so happy you love this version as much as I do 🙂 Thank you so much, Anita!!

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      You can store it at room temperature in an airtight container. It’s good for about a week, but it never lasts that long in our household. 😉

      Reply

  64. Jenna Fuchs

    I made a double batch of this (yes, two boxes of Chex) for my family’s thanksgiving this weekend. It really is the BEST! Everyone raves about how good it was. Between the sixteen of us, we probably went through close to one batch, and I sent the leftovers home with everyone. So good! I’m never going back to the regular recipe (just peanut butter and chocolate chips). Amazing!

    Reply

  65. Allie

    Im from Minnesota! It just lifts my spirts for the day when someone has family or lives in Minnesota. :)(: Yummy recipe too.

    Reply

  66. Deb

    I have never made puppy chow, and believe it or not, actually never seen it. But your receipe and pics made me want to try it immediately. It was absolutely awesome. My teenage granddaughters loved it and have decided to serve it at their Halloween party this year in a large Halloween bowl with a scoop. BUT…they’ve added one extra ingredient–CANDY CORN; it’s just tossed in and not coated too much–and use just as much as needed to look good. And it tasted great. Thanks

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Ummm the addition of candy corn sounds PERFECT for Halloween!!! I’ll have to give that a try 🙂 So so happy you loved the recipe!

      Reply

  67. Marina

    First time posting and my first time making this!! It was so good! My dog BamBam even stole some off the counter lol! He says hey mom it is called puppy chow so I thought it was mine! I made a second batch with white chocolate and coconut!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Ha! Love it Marina! Thank you so much! Really happy you loved it 🙂 LOVE the idea of white chocolate and coconut.

      Reply

  69. Lori Meyer

    5 stars
    This is the best recipe I’ve found. And I have been making puppy chow for 30 years. And my mom and I used the garbage/grocery bag method as well. Haha
    I have a issue though…mine sometimes comes out squishy not crunchy. I can’t pinpoint what I’m doing wrong 🙁 but it’s hard to trash the batch when you we’re so ready to eat it. Any ideas?

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Lori! Thank you SO much… that’s amazing!! 🙂 Hmmm. I’m kind of stumped about why your puppy chow would be getting squishy since that’s never happened to me, but here are some ideas:

      1. What brand of chex cereal are you buying and how old is it? I don’t open my cereal until the second I’m pouring it into the mixing bowl.
      2. How are you storing your puppy chow? Immediately after making the puppy chow, I let it cool, and then I store it in a sealed airtight container.
      3. Is it coming out squishy immediately? If so, maybe your chocolate mixture is too hot or maybe you’ve added too much butter.

      I hope that helps, Lori! Let me know if any of those ideas work for you!

      Reply

  70. Paula

    5 stars
    Oh My STARS! A lady who KNOWS how to respect the Puppy Chow! I’m taking a much needed “Moma only girlfriend weekend” with some besties next weekend and this WILL be a nibble I make to take for the car ride! 🌟🙋🏻💕
    Thank you Thank you Thank you! This recipe will be smashing hit! I will be packing the wet wipes for our powered hands! 😂😂😂

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Yes!!!!! You just made my day. 🙂 I’m so excited that a fellow puppy chow lover loves this recipe as much as I do! Have a great girlfriends weekend and yes, wet wipes are necessary (especially since I always seem to wear black pants when I make this). 😉

      Reply

  72. Amanda

    So glad to find this recipe– this is how MY mom always made it when I was growing up in Minnesota too! I’m with you, I never understand how something can pretend to be puppy chow if you can see the cereal. Thanks!

    Reply

  73. Tasha

    This is by far the best and only way to make Puppy Chow!!! Yummmm😊 I love the clusters too ❤️ I did add a small can of Cocoa Peanuts and a bag of crushed/ pcs of Butterfinger candy bars too! Soo good!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Claudette! You’ll be able to get those, too! It’s because we use more chocolate/peanut butter/powdered sugar in this recipe. Also, don’t over stir! 🙂

      Reply

  76. Robin

    I’m of the no such thing as too much p-nut butter family and this recipe really fits right in. So, I was wondering if anyone had tried this w/ extra chunky p-nut butter and dark chocolate chips?

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Robin! I haven’t, but that sounds absolutely AMAZING! Does chunky peanut butter melt as well as creamy (aside from the chunks, of course 😉 )? If you give it a try…let me know! 🙂

      Reply

  77. Cheryl Glazier

    I’ve had it before but never made it. I’m making it for our Christmas today but only have milk chocolate chips…will that work??? Should I omit the vanilla? Thanks for your recipe…I will bookmark your website! Love it!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Cheryl! Milk chocolate chips will be fine 🙂 It will be sweeter…but nothin’ wrong with that! 😉 I’d also keep the vanilla. Enjoy! Thank you so much and Happy Holidays!

      Reply

  79. Megan

    I CANNOT WAIT to try this recipe out. I’ve been racking my brain of a good treat for my coworkers and friends and this is perfect!

    Reply

  80. Sue

    5 stars
    Hi! Whenever I search for a recipe I put “the best” first. So when when I searched for the best puppy chow your recipe came up. I made it and you are completely right. It’s the best. YUM! Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Sue, that’s so funny, I do the same thing! So happy to hear that you think it’s true to it’s name 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too!

      Reply

  81. Elise Burke

    Hi Guys-
    First it should be noted NOT to feed this to dogs. Second, maybe a healthier version? I know, don’t laugh please. Yes, it’s addictive.

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Elise! Ha! Yes, definitely not for the real puppies 😉 As for a healthier version, I’ll see what I can do. 🙂

      Reply

  82. Jeanne

    5 stars
    I doubled this recipe using one box Corn Chex and one box Rice Chex. I only post 5 cups of powdered sugar for the double batch and I still had some left in the bottom of the bowl. And I love that I can stir in the powdered sugar instead of shaking it in a bag. Great recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  83. Breanna Jo

    5 stars
    Thank you for posting this recipe! Just made three batches for my coworkers and I’m sure it will be gone by noon.
    Best recipe for puppy chow I’ve come across.

    Reply

  84. Laura

    5 stars
    Your recipe is FABULOUS! I recently had the “regular” version of this recipe and yours is much yummier! Thanks again for this great recipe!

    Reply

  85. Jeff

    5 stars
    Amen. Thank you for calling people to respect powdered sugar. If I can see the chocolate and barely see the powdered sugar I dont waste my time with the chow.

    Reply

  86. Lorie Easton

    5 stars
    I made a batch of the Puppy Chow from the Chex Box recipe and wasn’t as crazy about it as in the past. I searched another which was yours. It is Much better. I am not sure if it is the extra Butter or Vanilla. My husband agrees. Thank you!

    Reply

  87. Teresa Varela

    5 stars
    I made some Santa Banks out of coffee cans I had been saving for a craft project. I was going to fill them with candy but when I asked my son whether he wanted them filled with candy or puppy chow he exclaimed “PUPPY CHOW” and he’s 22 years old. This will be the recipe I use this year. Thanks for posting.

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Teresa! Those Santa Banks sound adorable! So happy our recipe gets to be part of your holiday fun! 🙂 Enjoy the recipe! That’s a tough choice…candy or puppy chow?! I would’ve requested both 😉

      Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Wow! I can’t believe that…you HAVE to give it a try…be beware…it’s totally addicting. 😉 Thanks for stopping by! Happy Holidays! 🙂

      Reply

  90. Melissa

    I used a turkey oven bag and it worked great! I have never made it before and your recipe is better then I have ever tried. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thanks for trying the puppy chow, Melissa! Genius idea with the turkey oven bag 🙂 SO glad you loved it! 🙂

      Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Exactly!!! Glad we’re on the same page…if you haven’t, be sure to check our Rice Krispie Treats recipe…we use the whole box of cereal there, too 🙂

      Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Paige! I’d say 6-12 people depending on what you’re serving it as. If you’re serving this with other snacks, I’d say it serves 12. If you’re serving it as the only dessert, I’d say it serves 6. This stuff is addicting!

      Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Alyssa! If you scroll to the bottom of the page, you’ll see the full recipe with ingredients/directions! You’ll need 1 and ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup creamy peanut butter! Hope that helps. 🙂

      Reply

      • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

        Hi Christine! The full ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe box above! 🙂 So it’ll be:

        1 (12.8 oz) box rice chex
        1 and ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chip
        ¾ cup peanut butter
        ½ cup unsalted butter
        1 and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

        I just melt the chocolate/peanut butter mixture IN the 4 cup measuring cup. Hope that helps!

  96. Jess

    5 stars
    No one ever seems to understand how I love the super chunky puppy chow. I need
    To feel the peanut butter mixture! Thank you, I’m so excited to make this:) more so to eat it!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Jess! I’m glad we’re on the same page with needing chunky puppy chow 😉 I hope you love it! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂

      Reply

  97. Kim

    I’ve made puppy chow dozens of times, but I was away from home so I went online to double check the recipe. I’m so glad I did! I came upon your version and gave it a try. I love this recipe; it will now be my strandard go to for maximum flavor. I love not having left over cereal, too.

    Thanks!!

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Kim! Thanks for making the puppy chow. 🙂 I’m so happy that you love it! No leftover cereal is one of my favorite parts! 😉

      Reply

  98. Patti

    Your recipe is the best! Have you tried incorporating nutella into a version of puppy chow? I want to keep all the regular ingredients but add nutella. How could I do that?

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Patti! Thank you…I’m so glad you love it. 🙂 That is a genius idea…I’ll have to play around and do a post for a Nutella Puppy Chow. I think that you could just replace the chocolate and peanut butter with nutella and have it turn out delicious! Let me know how it works out! 🙂

      Reply

      • Megan

        This is an amaaazzzing puppy chow recipe!! Thank you! I used cinnamon chex, because yum!

        Just wanted to say careful of using nutella in the micro- it splits really really reeaaaally easily when heated.

        I’ll definitely be checking out more of your recipes!

      • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

        Yay!! Thanks Megan! LOVE the idea of cinnamon chex… that sounds totally delicious!! 🙂

  99. Holly

    YES to all of this! I just made this (minus the vanilla because I forgot and it’s still amazing!!). If I’m not careful me and the kids will eat it before the hubby comes home.

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Hi Holly! Thanks for making the recipe…I’m so happy that you love it! It’s addicting, isn’t it?! 🙂

      Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Yay! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It’s so addicting, it’s hard NOT to make more than one batch!!

      Reply

  101. April @ Girl Gone Gourmet

    Am I the only one who hasn’t made it before?? I’ve seen tons of recipes, but yours is the first that has inspired me to actually make it – I think it’s the “add lots of chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar” part -I can’t say no to that! 🙂

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      It’s too addicting, Matea!! I sent it to work with Trevor and I’m glad I did, but at the same time, I really regret it 😉

      Reply