This 4-ingredient Puppy Chow is pure snack nostalgia for me. It's crunchy, chocolatey, and impossible to stop eating. With a whole box of Chex cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate, it comes together in 15 minutes and feeds a crowd fast. Perfect for game day, holiday parties, or a sweet Shabbat dessert, this Midwestern classic (a.k.a. muddy buddies) always disappears first!
TL;DR - Puppy Chow Quick Look
- 🥣 Why you'll love it: A big-batch version of the classic muddy buddies recipe, using a whole box of cereal so you are ready to feed a crowd.
- 🍫 Ingredients: Just 4! Chex, chocolate chips, peanut butter, powdered sugar.
- ⏲️ Time: 15 minutes start to finish; no baking required.
- 🧊 Storage: Airtight up to 1 week; freeze up to 3 months
- 🍪 Love the chocolate peanut butter combo? Try my chocolate peanut butter smoothie or these tahini peanut butter chocolate chip bars next.
Summarize and save this recipe!
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Key Ingredients
- Chex Cereal: I used a full 12oz box for this recipe. You can use any variety of Chex cereal you like and mix them up if you want. Other cereals like Crispix work as well.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: We are a JIF family but any creamy peanut butter works.
- Chocolate Chips: I like using dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, to keep the sweetness level in check.
Make the Puppy Chow
Step 1: Add the chocolate and peanut butter to a large bowl.
Step 2: Melt them together in the microwave in 30 second increments.
Step 3: Add cereal to the melted chocolate mixture and let cool 5-10 minutes.
Step 4: Toss the chocolate covered cereal with the powdered sugar and spread out on a wax paper or parchment lined baking tray until the puppy chow is totally cool. Transfer to an airtight storage container and enjoy!
My Favorite Mom Hack
Big batch puppy chow is my favorite last minute gift during the holidays!
Grab any size mason jar, fill it up and gift away. The small jars are great to add to teacher gifts, and the quart size jars are a great hostess gift. Pair with no-bake corn flakes cakes for the ultimate chocolate lovers gift.
🩶Marni
🧑🍳 Marni's Tips for Perfect Puppy Chow
- Keep it crisp. Store in an airtight container at room temperature (not the fridge!) to keep that signature crunch.
- Melt gently. Heat the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter on low power in 30-second bursts stirring often so it stays smooth and glossy.
- Cool before coating. Let the cereal mixture rest 5-10 minutes before adding powdered sugar so it sticks evenly instead of melting into the chocolate.
- Work in batches. If you're doubling the recipe, coat half the cereal at a time, it helps every piece get perfectly covered.
- Individual servings. Serve in a big bowl for a crowd or portion into mason jars for individual servings or gifting.
Recipe FAQ
The chocolate-peanut-butter mixture was too warm when you added the powdered sugar. Let it cool about 10 minutes first so the sugar sticks evenly and stays crisp.
Absolutely. Any crisp square cereal (like Crispix) or smooth nut butter works. Almond butter adds a light nuttiness; just avoid natural peanut butter with oil separation.
Yes, it scales perfectly! Keep the ratio for cereal, chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar, and be sure to mix in batches so every piece coats evenly.
M&M's are a great add-in to match a holiday. Think brown, red and orange for Thanksgiving, red for Valentines day, blue for Hanukkah, etc. You can also add in other cruncy elements to make a sweet and salty snack mix. Mini pretzel sticks or salted peanuts work well.
More Great Snacks for a Crowd
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📖 Recipe
Big Batch Puppy Chow (Only 4 Ingredients!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Chocolate chips
- 1 cup Peanut butter
- 12 oz Chex cereal (it's a whole box, we like using Rice Chex)
- 3 cups Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter to a large glass bowl. Put the bowl into the microwave and heat at 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until everything is just melted together. Stir well to make sure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add the cereal into the melted chocolate mix and stir carefully until all of the cereal is well coated. Let the mixture cool down for 10 minutes.
- Add half of the powdered sugar into the mixing bowl and stir to coat all of the pieces. Let sit about 5 minutes and then add the remaining powdered sugar and toss to combine.
- Dump the mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and let set until cool. (you can refrigerate if need be to hurry up the process).
- Store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container or freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Serve in big bowls for parties or portion into bags for easy holiday gifting.
- Keep puppy chow airtight at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months, it stays crisp after thawing.
- Need to make swaps for special diets? Here's how:
- Nut-free: Swap the peanut butter for creamy sunbutter.
- Dairy-free: Be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips
- Gluten-free: Make sure you are using a gluten free cereal.
Marni Katz says
I love making this for a crowd. Great treat to bring to holiday parties or to have on hand for afterschool snacks.