Christmas Muddy Buddies is my favorite Christmas treat! This delicious mix is called by many names like Puppy Chow, Reindeer Chow & Muddy buddies. It's a no bake recipe and an absolute must have snack & dessert over the Holiday season.
Muddy Buddies are the perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter and just the right crunch.
Along with my Chocolate Covered Pecans and Fluff Rice Krispies, this recipe is one of my favorite homemade Christmas gifts to give away. I love packing it up into pretty Christmas boxes or tins and handing them out to friends and family.
*Puppy chow is only for human consumption, NOT for dogs.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- It's so easy to make with simple ingredients
- This is a no bake recipe, you just have to melt the chocolatey sauce
- It whips up in no time..start to finish in 20 minutes
- The recipe is great for homemade Christmas gifts
If you are looking for more Christmas recipes, try these Peanut Butter Cookies without brown sugar, Andes Mint Chocolate Fudge, Biscoff Truffles, Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls and Ranch Crack Pretzels.
Ingredients:
Chocolate and Butter-Melt down to create a smooth, buttery, chocolate sauce.
Peanut Butter- Added into the chocolate sauce to add a nutty, salty and sweet taste.
Vanilla Extract-For added flavor.
Powdered Sugar-Creates a sugary coating that sticks onto the chocolate peanut butter chex.
Rice Chex-A crunchy cereal with a criss cross pattern that holds the chocolate and peanut butter mixture incredibly well. It's also gluten-free, so if you have friends or family with Celiac disease, this would be a great option for them!
M&M's- Optional, but I love the red and green for Christmas. I used peanut butter m&m's, which were incredible.
See the recipe card below for ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Christmas Muddy Buddies:
Step 1: Begin by adding a few cups of water to the bottom of the double boiler and place on the stovetop over medium low heat. Pour chocolate chips and butter into the top of double boiler. Allow them to melt completely, stirring every few minutes.
Step 2: Next, turn off the heat and add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Stir until combined.
Step 3: Divide the Rice Chex into 2 large bowls and set aside. Pour half of the melted chocolate mixture into each bowl filled with rice chex. Use a spatula to carefully turn the mixture into the rice chex. Repeat with both bowls.
Step 4: Pour all the rice chex over 2 sheets of parchment paper to allow it to cool faster. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the chocolate covered chex and toss to coat every side of the rice chex. Allow it to cool completely, then toss in the m&ms. Enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- If you work with two bowls of rice chex it's easier to cover the melted chocolate peanut butter on all the chex.
- Spreading chocolate covered mixture out onto parchment paper will help it harden faster and you get really mix the powdered sugar around.
For more Holiday favorites, try these Crescent Roll Cinnamon Rolls, No bake Peanut Butter Fudge, Nutella Puff Pastry, Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies, and Holiday Rice Krispies.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! I prefer the double boiler because I like how you can watch the chocolate melt & not overcook it. If you want to use the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish for 30 seconds. Then, microwave in 15 second increments until fully melted. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla and follow the remaining instructions in the recipe below.
No! It's all the same and it's also called Reindeer Chow. I have seen mini peanut butter cups along with m&m's added into Reindeer Chow though.
Yes! Make sure to double check all of the ingredients, but everything in this recipe is gluten free and celiac friendly!
I've tested the recipe with peanut butter chex and it is just as good. I haven't used any other flavors.
Storage:
Store in a sealed container on the countertop for up to 4 days for the freshest taste. If you like it cold, you can put it in the fridge as well.
Big on chocolate recipes? Try these Coconut Balls Recipe, Chocolate Christmas Trees, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats.
More Holiday Recipes You'll Love:
If you tried this Muddy Buddies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Christmas Muddy Buddies
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
Description
This Christmas Muddy Buddies is 100% my favorite Christmas treat! It has the perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter and just the right crunch. It's a no bake recipe and an absolute must have snack & dessert over the Holiday season.
Ingredients
- 8 cups rice chex cereal- full 12 ounce box
- 1 and ½ cup milk chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter, use a brand like Jif or Skippy *do not use natural peanut butter*
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar
- Optional: ½ cup red and green m&m's
Instructions
- Begin by adding a few cups of water to the bottom of the double boiler and place on the stovetop over medium low heat. Pour chocolate chips and butter into the top of double boiler. Allow them to melt completely, stirring every few minutes.
- Next, turn off the heat and add in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Stir until combined.
- Divide the Rice Chex into 2 large bowls and set aside. Pour half of the melted chocolate mixture into each bowl filled with rice chex. Use a spatula to carefully turn the mixture into the rice chex. Repeat with both bowls.
- Pour all the rice chex over 2 sheets of parchment paper to allow it to cool faster. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the chocolate covered chex and toss to coat every side of the rice chex. Allow it to cool completely, then toss in the m&ms. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you work with two bowls of rice chex it's easier to cover the melted chocolate peanut butter on all the chex.
- Spreading chocolate covered mixture out onto parchment paper will help it harden faster and you get really mix the powdered sugar around.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
Payton says
could not stop eating it!!!!!!!!! so good and sugary!
Lisa says
Yum! Puppy chow is my favorite!