Lemon puppy chow is a simple snack mix treat with a sweet and light citrusy flavor that almost tastes refreshing! This easy recipe requires only a few ingredients and is ready in just fifteen minutes–no baking required.
Simple Lemon Puppy Chow Snack Mix
Wondering what this crazy concoction is? Simply put, it’s puppy chow for people! Made from Chex cereal, white baking chips, powdered sugar, and fresh lemon zest, this irresistible sweet snack is a twist on the classic recipe, often referred to as “muddy buddies”. While this version has the same texture and addictive nature as the traditional treat, ours contains fresh lemon zest that gives it a bright and vibrant summery lemon flavor. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and sour. Think white chocolate muddy buddy meets refreshing lemonade. This crunchy snack is a must-make!
I love how the light and tart lemon flavor combines with the sweetness of the baking chips and powdered sugar. And when this sweet, citrusy mixture coats the crunchy Chex cereal, it creates the ultimate easy snacking treat. Our lemon puppy chow is naturally gluten-free which makes it a great allergy-friendly snack and a perfect party pleaser. It’s dangerously delicious and “whips up” the best munchable mouthful.
From football parties to birthday parties, one bite and you’ll be hooked.
Why We Love This Lemon Puppy Chow
- Easy and quick to make
- Perfect for party time snacking, potlucks, holiday celebrations or gift-giving
- Feeds a crowd
- You can make it ahead of time
- Customizable–make this recipe with your own add-in favorites
- Gluten-free snack
- Deliciously sweet and zesty
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Rice Chex: Makes this snack mix super crunchy. You don’t want to use a sweetened cereal or it will end up too sweet. You can substitute Corn Chex for the Rice Chex, or you can also use 5 cups Corn Chex and 5 cups rice chex. Crispix is another alternative, however it is wheat-free but not gluten-free.
- White baking chips: If you choose to use white chocolate chips instead of the baking chips, you will need to add coconut oil to help thin the chocolate to a pourable consistency and help stabilize it when the lemon zest is added.
- Vegetable oil: You can substitute butter for the vegetable oil, but the butter can cause the melted chips to become grainy.
- Zested lemon: Provides a light. Citrusy flavor.
- Lemon extract: Not to be confused with lemon juice, it provides lemon flavoring. If you do not have lemon extract, you can substitute it with fresh-squeezed lemon juice mixed with powdered sugar (see PRO-TIP below)
- Powdered sugar: This coating adds additional sweetness to the recipe and makes it socially acceptable to lick your fingers!
Variations / Options / Add-In’s
- Stir-Ins: You can stir in M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, crushed candy, cookie pieces or chopped nuts for extra crunch.
- Sprinkles: Toss colorful sprinkles in the powdered sugar before coating the puppy chow.
- Color: If you want a big pop of color, you can add 1-2 drops of yellow food coloring as you add the lemon extract to the baking chip mixture. Stir well and continue the recipe as instructed.
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How To Make Lemon Puppy Chow
Ready in just 15 minutes, it is so easy to prepare this sweet crunchy treat!
- Add the Rice Chex to an extra-large mixing bowl and set it aside.
Add the white baking chips and the vegetable oil to a medium size, heat-safe mixing bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and heat for another 20 seconds. Stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the lemon extract and lemon zest to the smooth mixture and stir just until combined.
Pro-Tip: If you do not have lemon extract, you can substitute it with fresh-squeezed lemon juice. You will need to add a ¼ cup of powdered sugar as it will be a wetter coating. - Pour the white baking chip mixture over the Rice Chex and stir until the Rice Chex is completely coated.
- Pour the coated Rice Chex into either a 2-gallon Ziploc baggie or divide the coated Chex into 2 separate gallon-size Ziploc baggies.
- Pour the powdered sugar into the baggie with the Rice Chex, seal, and shake it to completely coat.
Pro-Tip: It’s ok to use extra powdered sugar to coat your puppy chow. Extra sugar will give it a thicker coating. - Divide the coated puppy chow between 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Allow the puppy chow to rest for 20 minutes. Plate, serve, and get snacking!
Tips
- To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure the Chex you are using is gluten-free. Do not use Wheat Chex in your mix.
- If you do use white chocolate chips, add coconut oil to help stabilize the chocolate and make it thinner and easier to coat the cereal.
- If you only have white chocolate morsels, try omitting the lemon extract and adding 1/4 cup of dry lemon pudding to the powdered sugar. This will be the lemon flavoring.
FAQs
The main difference is that white chocolate contains cocoa butter. White baking chips contain no cocoa butter and thus can’t be labeled “chocolate”.
Yes! You can easily double this recipe. Just make sure you have a large enough bowl to mix the ingredients in and that you can work in batches when coating the cereal.
You can store lemon puppy chow in an airtight container or in a ziplock baggie for up to 5 days on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
This is a great recipe to make ahead, especially during busy party prep! It stays fresh for up to 5 days if stored properly.
The reason is twofold: first, the shape of the pieces resembles dog food. And second, the dog food company, Purina, created the original Chex cereal in 1937 and people then began to call it “human chow” due to the Purina connection.
Other Easy Lemon Recipes
Lemon Lava Cakes | Lemon Cheesecake Bars | Lemon Truffles | Lemon Meltaway Cookies | Lemon Lush Dessert Recipe | Lemonade Pie
Lemon Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 6 cups rice chex cereal
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 10 ounces white (vanilla flavored) melting candy discs (Ghirardelli brand)
- 2 – 2½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add the rice chex cereal to a large mixing bowl.6 cups rice chex cereal
- In a small bowl stir together the melted butter, ½ teaspoon lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. Pour the butter mixture over the rice chex cereal and gently toss to evenly coat all the cereal with the butter mixture.4 tablespoons salted butter, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- In a separate medium microwave safe bowl add the white melting candy discs and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir, then heat again in 30 second increments until the candy discs are melted and smooth. Be sure to stir the white candy discs between each heating in the microwave.10 ounces white (vanilla flavored) melting candy discs
- Pour the melted white vanilla flavored discs over the rice chex cereal and gently toss until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar to the bowl of coated cereal and toss to coat all the cereal. Add the remaining 1 – 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar to create a thicker coating of the powdered sugar. The total amount of powdered sugar needed will depend on how well your cereal is coated.2 – 2½ cups powdered sugar
- Transfer the lemon puppy chow to a large serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest evenly over the puppy chow for added flavor and garnish of color.
Jenn’s Notes
- You can store lemon puppy chow in an airtight container or in a ziplock baggie for up to 5 days on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- A 1000-watt microwave was used to melt the white candy discs. Follow your microwave’s instructions for best results.
- You can use vanilla-flavored almond bark instead of the candy discs; follow the package directions for melting.
- Rice Chex cereal was used in this recipe, but you can substitute Corn Chex or use a combination of both.
- Zest the lemon before squeezing it for juice; one large lemon works well for this recipe.
