Save this Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddy Recipe (also called Puppy Chow) for a quick and easy snack that no one can stop eating! No baking needed, and just a few ingredients from your pantry!!
I can’t think of a more popular holiday party snack than Muddy Buddies, made with Chex cereal coated in a chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar. But have you had our dark chocolate muddy buddies? The secret isn’t in chocolate chips, it’s actually in the peanut butter!
Ok, the 2 questions I always have to ask:
Did you grow up calling this addicting snack “muddy buddies”, or “puppy chow?”
And
Did you mix in a bowl or a large ziploc bag?
My siblings and I grew up saying puppy chow, but I mostly call it muddy buddies now. My mom would make a big batch, throw powdered sugar in a ziploc, add the chocolatey cereal and we would take turns shaking the snack to coat it in the powdery deliciousness. We couldn’t wait to dig in!
Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Muddy Buddy Recipe
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter & Co Spread: This is your main flavor powerhouse, combining intense dark chocolate with creamy peanut butter. It coats the cereal, binding the mix together and delivering a rich, slightly bitter-sweet taste that balances the sugar.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps thin the chocolate mixture so it flows smoothly over the cereal. It also gives a softer bite and helps the coating stick.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips (or Peanut Butter Chips): Boosts the chocolate (or peanut butter) flavor and helps create a firmer coating once cooled. Semisweet chocolate adds sweetness without being too sugary, while peanut butter chips give a more nutty, creamy twist.
- Rice Chex Cereal: The crunchy, airy base. Its hollow squares trap the coating, creating little pockets of chocolate-peanut-butter goodness while staying crisp under the sugar. Corn Chex can also be used.
- Powdered Sugar: Creates that signature powdery, sweet coating. It also keeps the pieces from sticking together and adds a pleasant sweetness to contrast the darker chocolate.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Adds warmth and a subtle spiced aroma that deepens the chocolate flavor.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Muddy Buddies
- Melt: Add the dark chocolate spread, butter and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe medium mixing bowl and melt in 30 second intervals stirring frequently until creamy. You can also melt it over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove.
- Coat: Add the cereal to a large bowl&nb