an iconic peanut butter and chocolate treat
I don't know about you, but I live for peanut butter and chocolate combinations... Reese's cups (especially the holiday shapes) are a must have in our house. Every holiday, we have to grab at least a couple to share. Plus there are peanut butter kiss cookies, nutty buddies, buckeyes, no bake peanut butter & chocolate oatmeal cookies, and of course these delicious peanut butter and chocolate squares! Whether you call this confection puppy chow or muddy buddies... it is so easy to whip up! It's really such a quick and simple process to make a large batch.
If you've never made these from scratch, I highly recommend you give it a try!
These are great for the Holiday season. You can customize the mix like a trail mix, adding red and green M&Ms, pretzels, peanuts, etc. Wrap a few scoops up in a cellophane baggie and you have a homemade treat to pass out to friends and family! Follow below to see how it's done.
Get your ingredients together and get ready to make the magic happen! You will need a stick of unsalted butter, some creamy peanut butter (full fat would work best), semi-sweet chocolate chips, pure vanilla extract, rice Chex cereal and powdered sugar.
Grab a large bowl (or two) to mix everything together. Melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate together. I used the microwave starting with one minute, stir, and then repeat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each time.
You can also use a double boil method to melt the ingredients together. If you don't have a double boiler, you can make a make-shift one using a pot and a large bowl on top. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl, and that the bowl is large enough to set on top of the pot instead of inside of it. Melt the ingredients on top and stir occasionally until all ingredients are combined.
Once you get a nice and smooth mixture, stir in the vanilla extract. I like to use a rubber spatula to help combine and pour the melted mixture over the cereal.
You can pour the cereal on top of the melted chocolate mixture and stir everything together, or you can have a separate bowl with the Rice Chex cereal, and then put the chocolate mixture on top.
I think it works best if you work in increments and build up. Use about half of the cereal and all of the chocolate mixture to start. Once you get all of that combined, quickly add in more and more cereal until you have all of it mixed together.
The chocolate shouldn't set too quickly, but you will want to work fast because you don't want too many clumps to form. Try to keep the cereal squares separated as much as possible. Also be careful to not break too many of the cereal pieces as you are combining the ingredients.
I used two large bowls for this recipe because it was SO MUCH. But that's a good thing... enough for you and to share as part of your homemade Holiday treats. Quickly add your powdered sugar and toss everything together. Add about half of the bag and build it up to your preference. The powdered sugar should fully coat the rice square to give it that signature texture and flavor enhancement.
That's it! I told you it was simple... You can choose to refrigerate your mix or allow it to cool at room temperature. Store your puppy chow (or muddy buddies) in an airtight container or zip lock bag.
Now you can customize your mix however you like! You can leave it as is (it's perfect just the way it is...) or you can choose to add some fun extra mix-ins depending on the occasion, the holiday, or your favorite snacks. I like to use red and green M&Ms, pretzels, nuts, shredded coconut or marshmallows.
Have fun and get creative! Save this blog for future reference anytime you're craving this delicious treat. Don't forget to click the button below to subscribe to my email newsletters so that you never miss a new blog!
Puppy Chow Recipe:
1 (12 oz) box of rice chex cereal
1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5-6 cups powdered sugar (about one 2lb bag)
Any additional mix-ins you may want to add (candy, nuts, pretzels, marshmallows, coconut, etc.)
Melt the butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl
Stir in the vanilla
Gradually add in the Rice Chex cereal, making sure not to break too many pieces, combine gently
(You can pour the melted mixture on top of the cereal or add the cereal to the melted mixture, either way will work fine)
Once everything is combined together add in your powdered sugar.
I use about a half of the bag to start and then gradually add more as needed until all pieces are equally coated in a nice thick layer
Your puppy chow should look completely white. You don't want to have any dry spots
Enjoy as is or add in additional mix ins to create a sweet trail mix. Try candy, nuts, pretzels, shredded coconut etc.
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