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Halloween Puppy Chow takes this Midwestern treat and adds a splash of candy corn. Itโs an easy, colorful way to elevate this sweet cereal mix for parties, goodie bags, and seasonal after-school snacking.
Megganโs notes
If this is your first time making puppy chow, youโve come to the right place! Iโve got an easy recipe that turns out perfectly every time, and Iโve got options to elevate it for your next Halloween gathering.
Growing up in the Midwest, we ate a lot of puppy chow. It continues to be a staple on log cabin getaways to lake country, camping adventures, and road trips. You just canโt beat the peanut butter-and-chocolate combo over crunchy cereal.
The secret to a great Puppy Chow recipe is to use store-bought peanut butter and plenty of chocolate chips. Personally, I think semi-sweet chocolate makes the best flavor combo with peanut butter, but you can choose milk chocolate if you like it better.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Rice Chex:ย Feel free to substitute with any type of similarly-textured cereal, such as Corn Chex, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Peanut Butter Chex, or Crispix.
- Semisweet chocolate chips:ย Opt for these instead of milk chocolate. The darker chocolate balances out the sweet powdered sugar nicely (I find milk chocolate to be too sweet here).
- Candy corn: Or substitute orange, yellow, and brown M&Ms. Mellocreme pumpkin candies work too!
Step-by-step instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add cereal and set aside. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate, peanut butter, butter, and ยผ teaspoon salt.
- Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, then continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring after each, until almost melted, about 45 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Taste and add more salt to taste. Gently pour chocolate mixture over the cereal.
- Toss until all the cereal is evenly coated. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, tossing the mixture each time. Add the remaining ยฝ cup powdered sugar and toss, ensuring cereal is evenly coated.
- Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes. Stir in candy corn. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield:ย This recipe makes 16 cups of Puppy Chow, which makes about 16 servings, 1 cup each.
- Storage:ย Store this dessert in an airtight container for up to 1 week (an empty ice cream pail works well).
- Make ahead:ย While itโs safe to eat for 7 days, Puppy Chow tastes best within 1 to 2 days of making it.
- Less mess:ย In a large resealable plastic bag or clean 1-gallon ice cream tub with a lid, place 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Add half of the cereal, a second cup powdered sugar, the remaining cereal, and lastly add the remaining ยฝ cup powdered sugar. Seal the bag or close the lid and shake vigorously until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Mix it up:ย Feel free to make it a little different! Add chunks of cookies, pretzels, M&Ms, Reeseโs Pieces or peanuts to spruce it up from the classic recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Puppy chow is an addictive snack mix that looks a little bit like dog food. In some circles, itโs called Muddy Buddies. Itโs a popular treat in the Midwest.
Yes, people across the Midwest loved this sweet and crunchy snack year-round. The โpuppy chow beltโ runs through Wisconsin and Michigan, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska.
You can use whatever cereal you want and any variety of Chex including corn, rice, or wheat. Crispix is a popular alternative to Chex.
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Halloween Puppy Chow
Ingredientsย
- 1 (12-ounce) box Rice Chex cereal about 11 cups (see note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (10 ounces, see note 2)
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter such as Skippy or Jif
- 6 tablespoons butter cut into 6 pieces (ยพ stick)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus more, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar divided
- 2 cups candy corn
Instructionsย
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, add cereal and set aside.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate, peanut butter, butter, and ยผ teaspoon salt. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, then continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring after each, until almost melted, about 45 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Taste and add more salt to taste.
- Gently pour chocolate mixture over the cereal. Toss until all the cereal is evenly coated. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time, tossing the mixture each time. Add the remaining ยฝ cup powdered sugar and toss, ensuring cereal is evenly coated.
- Pour onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes. Stir in candy corn. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Rice Chex: Feel free to substitute with any type of similarly-textured cereal, such as Corn Chex, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Peanut Butter Chex, or Crispix.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Opt for these instead of milk chocolate. The darker chocolate balances out the sweet powdered sugar nicely (I find milk chocolate to be too sweet here).
- Yield: This recipe makes 16 c. of Puppy Chow, which makes about 16 servings, 1 c. each.
- Storage: Store this dessert in an airtight container for up to 1 week (an empty ice cream pail works well).