Small Batch Puppy Chow Recipe (extra chocolate!)
This Small Batch Puppy Chow (aka Muddy Buddies) recipe will quickly become a favorite. It’s one of those recipes that is almost a little TOO easy to make–it’s hard to stop eating it! The quantity of the original recipe makes a really large volume, so this small batch recipe is super handy. Makes 2.5 cups!
Love chocolate? If you are digging this recipe, you should also try my Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It’s a small batch recipe that has been tried and tested so you don’t have to try to reduce down a recipe and hope it tastes right. This one is ready to go!
- There is extra chocolate mixture so the cereal gets plenty of coating. No sad dry cereal pieces here!
- The recipe includes butter! Some don’t, but I feel like it’s a necessity to a perfectly smooth and rich peanut butter-chocolate base.
Important note! This is a recipe for humans. The “puppy chow” name is just the funny colloquial name the snack mix became known by. Not for pets!
Is Puppy Chow for Humans or Pets?
This is 100% humans only recipe! All recipes on my site are for human consumption. If you are unfamiliar with the popular name of this snack “Puppy Chow”, don’t be confused. It’s a recipe for humans only.
What are other Names for Puppy Chow?
Puppy Chow is perhaps more commonly known as the trademarked term, “Muddy Buddies”. Puppy Chow has also been known by names such as reindeer chow or monkey munch.
Ingredients in Small Batch Puppy Chow
Rice Chex Cereal – I like using rice Chex cereal for this recipe because of its neutral flavor, but you could experiment with corn Chex or other varieties to see if there is a combination you prefer!
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – You can also use milk chocolate chips if that’s all you have, but the mixture will be quite sweet. I really suggest semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe!
Peanut Butter – Stick with a conventional peanut butter (such as Jif, Skippy, or a generic brand of these). The natural or organic peanut butters are a very different product and usually require recipe adaptions before they will work correctly.
Unsalted Butter – I used unsalted butter here, but I think this is one of those recipes where salted butter will also work just fine–and probably be possibly even more tasty!
Vanilla extract – Use your favorite brand.
Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar, powdered sugar gives puppy chow the characteristic snow-dusted appearance.
This Snack Is Crazy Easy to Make
Here’s a summary of how Puppy Chow snack mix is made. Find the complete ingredients list and full instructions within the printable recipe card below!
This is one of those treats that is TOO GOOD for how easy it is to make. It takes minutes really. The ultimate in impulse snack-making!
First, microwave up your chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Stir in a little vanilla extract.
Pour the warm mixture over the Chex cereal and gently fold to coat.
Let cool a bit. It should still be sticky to the touch, but not very warm.
Toss in a sealed container (see notes below) or a zip top bag with powdered sugar until coated. Gobble it down.
Quick Tip: Why Puppy Chow Needs to Cool Before Shaking with Powdered Sugar
It took me many times of making my essential batch of holiday Puppy Chow before I realized…if you let it cool a little bit before dousing with powdered sugar, you end up using less sugar overall. Otherwise you will be engaged in a futile effort of continually dumping more and more sugar trying to get those classic white pieces, all the while the sugar is melting right into the warm chocolate.
How to Shake Puppy Chow
For a full batch of Puppy Chow, the general directions are usually to toss the warm chocolate-coated cereal with powdered sugar in a large bag. Usually a two-gallon zip top bag or a even a clean paper grocery sack.
Since we are making a smaller batch, you can stick with a gallon-size zip top bag, or just use any container with a tight-fitting lid. Something like a Tupperware or along those lines works great.
Tip: Store Puppy Chow in the Fridge or Freezer for the Ultimate Snack!
While puppy chow keeps at room temperature for about a week, it’s even better when served chilled in the fridge or freezer.
Try These Other Recipes Too:
- Mini Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie – Crumbl Copycat
- Crumbl Strawberry Pretzel Pie Cookies
- Brown Sugar Whipped Cream
- 15+ Mix-In Ideas for Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you loved this recipe, leave a 5-star rating!
Thanks so much for trying one of my recipes!
Small Batch Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups rice Chex cereal
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Put the chex cereal in a medium container that has a matching lid (a Tupperware-type bowl with a lid is perfect) and pour the melted chocolate mixture on top. Use a spatula to gently fold and stir until all of the cereal pieces are evenly coated.Alternatively, mix the chocolate and cereal together in any medium-size bowl and then transfer to a one gallon zip top bag for the next step.
- Allow the chocolate-coated cereal to cool slightly before coating with the sugar. About 20-30 minutes. The chocolate should be about room temperature, but still tacky/sticky to the touch (not set). This reduces the amount of powdered sugar that needs to be used.
- Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar to the bowl, container, or zip top bag, seal tightly, and shake gently until all of the cereal pieces are coated in powdered sugar. You can add more powdered sugar (about a spoonful at a time) until the pieces are coated to your liking.
- Allow puppy chow to cool and set. You can leave it in the container at room temp, spread it on a parchment-lined baking sheet or even pop it in the fridge.
