The Very Best Puppy Chow {Muddy Buddies}

Coated with the right ratio of peanut butter and chocolate, the cereal on this best possible pet chow recipe kinds the tastiest little clusters. It’s so good!

Say goodbye to the pet chow of a long time previous, this new and improved recipe is all grown up and addictively scrumptious. I’m sharing a number of key tips that take this pet chow from peculiar to superb!

What Makes This Puppy Chow Different

There isn’t any particular food rocket science behind pet chow (or muddy buddies, as they’re known as in some locations relying on the place you reside and/or the way you have been raised!).

Puppy chow is just chex cereal + peanut butter and chocolate + powdered sugar coating.

However, I humbly submit that making only a few key adjustments elevates good ol’ pet chow to new heights.

Even with all these bossy bits of recommendation, this snacky peanut butter chocolate deal with is insanely simple to make.

The peanut butter/chocolate chip/butter combination is melted rapidly within the microwave after which poured over the chex cereal.

I discover {that a} flat silicone spatula is the perfect for mixing the cereal so it stays in full items with out breaking up.

Let the coated cereal combination relaxation for only a few minutes till it goes from moist and glossy to trying a bit sticky. This is a vital step. If it’s too moist, the powdered sugar soaks into the runny chocolate as an alternative of forming a powdery coating on the surface.

Using two 1-gallon ziploc baggage (or use a single 2-gallon ziploc bag…I hold these revolutionary baggage available only for this pet chow recipe), shake the chocolate-covered cereal and powdery coating collectively.

Then, unfold the pet chow combination on a parchment-lined baking sheet to let it cool and set. At this level, you possibly can simply sprinkle on a bit extra powdered sugar and toss by hand if there are additional gooey spots that want it.

Perfect Puppy Chow Clusters

This recipe for excellent pet chow is all grown up. It is defiantly (sure, defiantly) extra decadent and chocolatey with much less danger of inhaling sufficient powdered sugar to clog a lung.

And it nonetheless manages to be tremendous enjoyable, tremendous kid-friendly, and tremendous scrumptious. My youngsters LOVE these things.

Once you’ve skilled these ultra-chocolatey pet chow clusters, there’s no going again.

To get excellent clusters, this recipe 1) makes use of a bit much less powdered sugar coating than some recipes name for, and a couple of) requires shaking the bag much less intensely/for much less time than you’ll when you have been coating every bit individually in powdered sugar.

A Revolutionary Storage Tip for Puppy Chow

I’m going to go away you with one last observe, and it might be a very powerful factor you’ll learn all day.

Note of all notes: Your life will perpetually be modified when you retailer this pet chow within the freezer. Yes, the freezer. It is unbelievably scrumptious eaten straight from that chilly incubator.

Like, make a double batch, inform nobody, (presumably purchase an additional freezer), stash it behind the half open bag of freezer-burned tater tots, and start dwelling your finest life.

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The Very Best Puppy Chow Recipe

Yield: 14 to fifteen cups

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes minutes

• 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips (see observe)
• 1 ¼ cups (320 g) peanut butter (see observe)
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 ½ to 11 cups (352 g) rice or corn chex cereal (a 12-ounce field – see observe)
• 2 ½ cups (285 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons (11 g) pure unsweetened cocoa powder (see observe)

Cook ModePrevent your display screen from going darkish

• In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter and prepare dinner for 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, till the combination is easy and totally melted. Don’t overheat. Stir within the vanilla extract.

• Place the cereal in a really giant bowl or divide between two medium/giant bowls.

• Pour the chocolate combination over the cereal. Use a silicone spatula to softly elevate and stir the cereal (so it does not crush and break) till it’s coated evenly.

• Let the cereal relaxation till it goes from moist and glossy to trying a bit sticky, 5 to 10 minutes (this is a vital step – If it’s too moist, the powdered sugar soaks into the runny chocolate as an alternative of forming a powdery coating on the surface).

• In a separate smaller bowl, whisk collectively the powdered sugar and cocoa powder (see observe).

• Spoon about half of the powdered sugar combination within the backside of two 1-gallon ziploc baggage or one 2-gallon ziploc bag (I hold these bigger baggage available only for this recipe – makes it really easy to combine!).

• Add the cereal combination to the bag(s). This step could be a bit messy. It helps to fold down the highest of the bag a number of inches and pile the cereal in.

• Add the remaining powdered sugar combination.

• Close the bag and shake, turning the bag over as you go, till the cereal is usually coated with the powdered sugar combination and has shaped clusters right here and there.

• (You can proceed including powdered sugar a bit at a time and shaking to coat if you would like a thicker powdery coating on the pet chow, however be warned that this will end in much less clusters.)

• Spread the pet chow out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. At this level, you possibly can simply sprinkle on a bit extra powdered sugar and toss by hand if there are additional gooey spots that want it. Let the pet chow sit for 20 to half-hour to chill and set.

• Store the pet chow within the fridge or the freezer and expertise how good life might be when munching on chilled clusters of this magnificent stuff.

Chocolate chips: if I’m being completely trustworthy, my favourite variation of this recipe is 1 cup semisweet/1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, however that’s info meant solely for the extraordinary chocolate lovers within the crowd. 
Chex: come to seek out out, the cereal in a 12-ounce field can weigh extra than 12 ounces. This recipe requires the quantity of cereal in a 12-ounce field, however I’ve given weight and quantity measures in case you’re measuring cereal out of a bigger field. If measuring with a measuring cup, don’t mound the cereal too high within the cup otherwise you’ll find yourself with an excessive amount of cereal and the combination shall be dry.
Substitutions: I haven’t tried subbing in one other kind of nut butter or a unique kind of cereal, however I’ve a sense this recipe is fairly adaptable. 
Cocoa Powder: including a little bit of cocoa powder with the powdered sugar within the powdery coating helps deliver out the chocolate taste – the pet chow continues to be a lot candy, simply extra balanced (and extra yummy!). However, you should utilize all powdered sugar, when you’d like.
Peanut Butter: I really like the general chocolate/PB steadiness of flavors on this recipe, nevertheless, if you’d like much less of a peanut butter punch, you possibly can lower the PB to 1 cup.

Author: Mel

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Method: No-Bake

Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 412kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 259mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 26g

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe