Chex Mix Puppy Chow

Chex Cereal Puppy Chow is a crunchy, chocolate peanut butter treat! Add color to this snack mix with M&M candies and sprinkles for birthdays, holidays and more. Makes 15 servings.

The first time I tried Puppy Chow—also known as Muddy Buddies,—I was in second grade.

I remember it vividly because I was grossed out by the name, but also a little intrigued. (It should be noted that we also ate pudding cups with gummy worms and “dirt” that evening, too.)

I took one bite and fell in love.

Decades later, I still very much love the combination of crunchy Chex Cereal, creamy peanut butter, semisweet chocolate and powdered sugar.

And today, I’m using this recipe to spread some cheer as I participate in the Good Cookie Valentine’s Day event, which we raised more than $17K for on behalf of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

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Why I love this recipe:

There’s something about the combination of the flavors in this party dessert because this Puppy Chow recipe is incredibly well-balanced.

Instead of making this into the classic recipe we all know and love, I wanted to give it a little flair. So I added M&Ms and sprinkles.

The best news is that you can do this, too, and make puppy chow fit for various holidays.

Also, this snack mix recipe is super fun to make with kids, who will have a blast with every step—from the measuring to the melting to the mixing and decorating.

It’s also great for making and sharing since it makes a lot of puppy chow. You can make a batch, purchase cute little containers to share it in and drop it off on friends’ doorsteps!

More party snack recipes: Sweet and Savory Party Mix | Halloween Trail Mix | Pepperoni Pizza Rolls | Tabasco Honey Butter Popcorn | Maple Cayenne Chex Party Mix | Christmas Chex Mix

Need more sweet treat ideas? Head on over to my Dessert Recipe Index for inspiration!

What you’ll need to make Chex Mix Puppy Chow

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• Large mixing bowl
• Liquid measuring cup
• Rubber spatula

Here are the simple ingredients that you need to grab at the grocery store:

• Rice Chex Cereal — you can also use Wheat Chex or Corn Chex Cereal if you prefer that. Crispix cereal is also a cereal you could use in this recipe, too, though the shape of the puppy chow will be different.
• Peanut butter — creamy and unsweetened, if possible. A lot of recipes will tell you that the sweetened, more processed kind of best for sweet recipes, but I still enjoy the natural peanut butter. That said, use what you’ve got in your home, and it’ll work like a charm! You can swap it with another nut butter, too, if you prefer that.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips — you could also use milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips in place of these.
• Unsalted butter — or salted butter, if this is what you’ve got around
• Powered sugar — there’s no substitute for this, so make sure you’ve got enough to coat your puppy chow. This is also referred to as confectioners’ sugar.
• Milk Chocolate M&Ms — whichever colors make you happy! If you’re making a festive Chex Mix Puppy Chow, grab the holiday M&M bag!
• Sprinkles — the same goes for the sprinkle colors as the M&Ms!

Puppy Chow variations

I added both sprinkles and M&Ms to this puppy chow recipe because I love to add color to them!

Here are some color combinations for holiday puppy how:

• Pink, red and white for Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow
• Green, white and mint for St. Patrick’s Day Muddy Buddies
• Pastels for Easter Muddy Munch
• Red, white and blue for Patriotic Puppy Chow
• Green and red for Christmas Puppy Chow or Reindeer Chow (how cute is that name?!?)

You could also swap those chocolate candies for Reese’s Pieces if you want even more chocolate and peanut butter goodness.

How to make Puppy Chow

Measure the Chex cereal into the biggest mixing bowl you’ve got in your kitchen.

We’re going to mix the ingredients in the bowl instead of using a plastic bag for the coating process, so we want there to be enough room. (Alternately, if you don’t have a huge mixing bowl, you can make this in batches!)

In a glass measuring cup or a microwave-safe bowl, measure out the peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter. Heat in the microwave in 30-second burst until they’re melted together. (If you don’t have a microwave, you could do this part on the stovetop in a saucepan.) Stir until smooth.

You might have to microwave it upwards of 2 minutes, just depending on your ingredients.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the Chex. Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together, coating the Chex completely. Be gentle while stirring, as the cereal could break if you’re not careful.

Sprinkle in the powdered sugar over the chocolate peanut butter mixture Chex, and toss gently until coated.

Alternately, you could toss the ingredients together in a sealed freezer / plastic bag or the airtight container that you’ll store the Puppy Chow in, and shake it together — your call!

Let the chocolate mixture cool for 30 minutes.

Once set, add the colorful M&Ms and sprinkles to the coated cerea; mixture.

Stir them together and then serve or store until later.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

This Chex Mix Puppy Chow recipe would be a tasty addition to any gathering you host in your home because it’s great for nibbling. It’s also well-loved by both kids and adults.

If you’re going to make it for a party, whether you’re celebrating a holiday, a birthday or just because, here are some ideas to making homemade Puppy Chow for sharing:

• Make the Puppy Chow a day in advance. It keeps well and won’t get soggy on you, so you can mix it, store it in an airtight container on the countertop and then share it the next day.
• Feeding a lot of people? Double the recipe. I know this recipe makes a lot, but if your friends and family are going to nibble on it for a long while, making double the amount might be a good idea, especially if you know that they like this combination of flavors.
• Celebrating a holiday? Customize it! This Puppy Chow recipe can turn into Christmas Puppy Chow (also known as Reindeer Chow) with green and red M&Ms and sprinkles. You can do the same and make this for Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and more!

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips for making Chex Mix Puppy Chow

• Read over ALL the ingredients. This puppy chow recipe should be gluten free, but confirm everything that’s going in is, especially if you’ll be sharing with friends who have Celiac or a gluten intolerance.
• Store Chex Mix Puppy Chow at room temperature in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4-5 days, but chances are, it won’t last that long! If you want it to last longer, it will keep for a week in the fridge.
• Swap out the colors of M&Ms and sprinkles for different holidays and celebrations. This recipe can be transformed into Christmas Puppy Chow (also known as Reindeer Chow) with green and red M&Ms and sprinkles. You can do the same and make this for Valentine’s Day, Independence Day and more! Add rainbow sprinkles for a birthday, too!
• Substitutions: Swap out the Chex for Crispix or Cheerios. Switch the peanut butter for another nut butter. Change out the chocolate and use milk / dark / bittersweet instead. No matter what you use, this will be a delicious treat.
• Don’t want to make as much puppy chow? Half the recipe and call it a day!

More no bake treats to enjoy:

• Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Cookies
• No Bake Peanut Butter Bars with Pretzels
• Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Want to make my BEST puppy chow recipe? Scroll on down to the recipe card…

Want more Valentine’s Day treats from the Good Cookie Exchange?

Check out these recipes from my fellow bloggers for other delicious ideas.

Love fruit-flavored sweets? Make Strawberry Mochi Cookies, Raspberry Curd, Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cake Balls and Easy Strawberry Mousse. This Guava Macarons with Coconut Buttercream recipe is unique and delicious, too!

Make some candy, like Easy Cream Cheese Candies.

Are you a brownie person? You’ve got to try this Red Velvet Valentine Brownies recipe, Valentine’s Day Almond Flour Brownies, Red Velvet Brownies and Red Velvet Brownie Cups.

If you love chocolate, you need to try Easy Chocolate Mousse, Chocolate Molten Lava Cake and Triple Chocolate Trifles. These Kahlua Truffles look scrumptious, as does this Cherry Chocolate Chip No Bake Cheesecake.

Cake or cupcake lover? Add this Red Velvet Cupcakes recipe, Amaretto Cherry Swirl Cake, Gluten Free Double Chocolate Bundt Cake and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake to your list! These Valentine’s Day Homemade Ding Dongs are a fun nod to the classic.

Make a hot chocolate recipe, like Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, classic Hot Chocolate Bombs for Valentine’s Day or Red Velvet Hot Chocolate Bombs. These Hot Chocolate Cookies are a fun nod to the classic sipper.

Mix up a mocktail, like Creamy Raspberry Sherbet Pandemic Punch.

Make a board, like this Valentines Pink Dessert Charcuterie Board for Kids.

Looking for Valentine’s Day cookie recipes?

We have so many ideas, from classics (like Cornflake Cookies, Double Chocolate M&M Cookies and this Neapolitan Cookies Recipe), along with more unique twists (like Vanilla Bean Cherry Chocolate Kiss Cookies, Chinese Five-Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies or Chocolate Mint Frappuccino Cookies.)

Continue on the cookie train with some chocolate cookies, including Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Lean into fruity cookie mode with recipes like Lemon Biscotti, Chewy White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies and Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies). I love the sound of these Lemon Poppyseed Heart Shaped Sandwich Cookies, too.

Love nutty cookies? Try out Small Batch Almond Thumbprint Cookies, Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles, Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies or Salted Peanut Butter Pretzel Cowboy Cookies.

Want a more unique cookie recipe? Try White Rabbit Candy Cookies, Toffee Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches or Funfetti Cookie Bars.