Name: Easy Muddy Buddies Recipe
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 6 cups Chex cereal ((I used rice Chex)); 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips ((or dark chocolate)); 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

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When it comes to fun snacks, nothing beats this Easy Muddy Buddies Recipe! Ready in about 10 minutes these poppable little puppy chow bites, made with Chex cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar, are a family favorite!

muddy buddies in a small bowl with a bigger bowl and spoon behind

If you love chocolate and peanut butter together, this muddy buddies recipe has your name ALL over it! This classic treat doubles as a snack for a little sweet tooth fix any time of day. I like to surprise my kids with a little bag of them in their lunches sometimes.

What Are Muddy Buddies?

Muddy Buddies, or Puppy Chow as they’re also known in other parts of the country, and little squares of Chex cereal coated with melted chocolate and peanut butter, then in powdered sugar. No matter what you call ’em, these craveable bits of cereal are a 10-minute treat everyone has trouble saying no to!

This sweet little snack has just a few simple, easy to find ingredients:

Chex Cereal – I used rice Chex, but you can use whichever variety you prefer.
Unsalted Butter – the peanut butter has salt so no additional salt is needed.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – don’t use milk chocolate, it’s too sweet, and unsweetened isn’t sweet enough. Semi-sweet is just right.
Creamy Peanut Butter – This melts with the chocolate to form the outer coating. Make sure to use the creamy for a smooth melt.
Vanilla Extract – to balance the flavors.
Powdered Sugar – this coats the chocolate and adds sweetness, along with keeping the chocolate from sticking to your hands!

butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl, partially melted ingreidnets with a rubber spatula, melted chocolate & peanut butter in a bowl with vanilla being poured in, chex covered in chocolate peanut butter mixture, chex and powdered sugar in a large ziptop bag

How To Make Muddy Buddies

Start by measuring out your Chex cereal into a large mixing bowl. You don’t need perfectly even cups here. Just make sure they’re all about the same fullness, a little over is totally fine.
After that, add the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter to a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat them up for 1 minute (on high heat) and then stir it all up. If the mixture is 100% smooth, you can go onto the next step. If there are still chocolate pieces, heat the mixture for another 30 seconds and then stir. Repeat heating and stirring until the chocolate mixture is smooth.
Next, you’ll pour in the vanilla extract and stir it in. Then, pour the chocolate all over the cereal in the large bowl.
Grab a rubber spatula to stir together the cereal and chocolate. You want every piece of cereal coated in chocolate. Once the cereal is ready, pour it into a gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag.
Seal the bag. Then double-check it’s sealed. Trust me. (I’ve had powdered sugar blowouts before, it’s not pretty). Then shake the bag until all the cereal pieces are coated in the powdered sugar. Some pieces might be totally white and others have some chocolate showing through. That’s okay.
Pour your Muddy Buddies into a serving bowl and enjoy!

Crazy easy, right? My kids help me make these Chex mix muddy buddies all the time. They love a recipe they can do all by themselves. (With a little supervision when it comes to sealing the bag.)

Top Tips and Storage

Store Muddy Buddies in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge. You can also store at room temperature, but we prefer it chilled so it’s not too sticky.
Can you freeze Muddy Buddies? Yes! Puppy Chow can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. You can even eat it straight out of the freezer.
Before mixing the cereal and chocolate spray the clean spatula with nonstick cooking spray to keep the chocolate from sticking.
For a fun variation, add some M&Ms or marshmallows.

muddy buddies in a glass bowl after shaking

Variations

I think one of my favorite things about this recipe are all the muddy buddies flavors you can make.

Not into chocolate? Make all peanut butter muddy muddies with peanut butter chips instead.
Want muddy buddies cookies and cream? Swap out for white chocolate chips, leave out the peanut butter, and add some chopped Oreos to the bag before shaking.
Make a holiday version using peppermint chips.

The list goes on and on! The only real question is, are you going to share?

muddy buddies in a bowl with a jar of peanut butter and chocolate chips around it

Similar Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re like me you can’t get enough Chex in your life. Lucky for you I also have these amazing Garlic Bread Check Mix, Sriracha Chex Mix, and Slow Cooker Chex Mix recipes to satisfy your cravings. Sure they’re savory, not sweet, but one bite and 10 minutes later it’ll be almost gone!

Thinking more about chocolate and peanut happiness instead? Friends, you do not want to miss out on my Peanut Butter Blossoms, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie, or Peanut Butter Brownies. They are so decadent and ridiculously good!

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