Puppy Chow Recipe

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Learn how to make the Midwest's favorite party snack.

Puppy Chow in pink bowls
Photo:

Jason Donnelly

Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
15 mins
Servings:
24
Yield:
12 cups

Puppy chow, a favorite party snack in the Midwest, requires just six ingredients and only takes 15 minutes to prepare. Another boon is that it's super easy to make a big batch (and trust us, you'll need a big batch).

We suggest making this puppy chow recipe in a resealable plastic bag, which keeps the mess minimal while being portable to tote along to your next potluck or gathering.

Puppy chow, or muddy buddies as it's sometimes called, is a snack made with cereal, peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar. The chocolate and peanut butter are melted and poured over the cereal. The mix is then shaken with powdered sugar. It's a popular snack across the Midwest.

Puppy Chow Ingredients

Chances are, you've got most of these ingredients in your pantry already. Here's what you'll need to make our muddy buddy recipe.

  • Powdered Sugar: Be sure to use powdered sugar in this puppy chow recipe. Granulated sugar will alter the finished texture and sweetness level.
  • Cereal: You can use either corn or rice cereal, either works great.
  • Chocolate Chips: Choose your favorite type of chocolate here. The recipe is delicious with milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Peanut Butter: Use creamy peanut butter as you'll be melting it with the chocolate.
  • Butter: Helps give the sauce the proper texture and flavor.
  • Vanilla: You'll need a teaspoon of vanilla to flavor the dish. In a pinch, you can leave it out.
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • 10 cups corn or rice cereal squares

  • 10-12 ounces chocolate chips

  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup butter, cut up

  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

  1. Put Cereal in a Bowl

    Jason Donnelly

    Pour the powdered sugar into a 2-gallon-size resealable plastic bag; set aside. Place cereal in an extra-large bowl.

  2. Melt Sauce Ingredients

    Jason Donnelly

    Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat and stir over low until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. 

    Use the microwave instead of the stovetop, especially if kids are helping. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium bowl. Microwave on 100% power for 30 seconds. Stir mixture and continue microwaving in 15-second intervals until mixture is melted and smooth, stirring often. Stir in vanilla.

  3. Add Sauce to Cereal

    Jason Donnelly

    Drizzle chocolate mixture evenly over cereal, using a silicone spatula to toss and evenly coat cereal.

  4. Coat in Powdered Sugar

    Jason Donnelly

    Add the cereal mixture to bag with the powdered sugar. Seal bag leaving some air in it. Shake and turn the bag to coat cereal mixture with powdered sugar.

  5. Spread Out to Let Cool

    Jason Donnelly

    Spread on a large tray or pan to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

673 Calories
38g Fat
94g Carbs
8g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 24
Calories 673
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 38.3g 49%
Saturated Fat 20.7g 104%
Cholesterol 5.1mg 2%
Sodium 66mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 93.5g 34%
Dietary Fiber 8.1g 29%
Total Sugars 71.8g
Protein 8.3g 17%
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 3.4mg 4%
Calcium 40.5mg 3%
Iron 3.7mg 21%
Potassium 567.4mg 12%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.1g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0.5g
Arginine 0.6g
Ash 2g
Aspartic acid 0.8g
Caffeine 65.1mg
Carotene, alpha 14.3mcg
Choline, total 46.9mg
Copper, Cu 0.8mg
Cystine 0.1g
Energy 2815.3kJ
Fluoride, F 0.3mcg
Folate, total 30.8mcg
Glutamic acid 1.5g
Glycine 0.4g
Histidine 0.2g
Isoleucine 0.3g
Leucine 0.6g
Lysine 0.4g
Methionine 0.1g
Magnesium, Mg 151.4mg
Manganese, Mn 1.1mg
Niacin 2.6mg
Phosphorus, P 214mg
Pantothenic acid 0.7mg
Phenylalanine 0.4g
Proline 0.5g
Retinol 15.9mcg
Selenium, Se 7.9mcg
Serine 0.4g
Starch 5g
Theobromine 510.3mg
Threonine 0.3g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.9mg
Tryptophan 0.1g
Tyrosine 0.3g
Valine 0.4g
Vitamin A, IU 222.4IU
Vitamin A, RAE 24.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 6.3mcg
Water 46.9g
Zinc, Zn 2.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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