Name: Butterfinger Puppy Chow
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 31 min
Ingredients: 7 cups Rice Chex Cereal ((or the store brand)); 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; ½ cup creamy peanut butter; ¼ cup salted butter; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 18 fun-size Butterfinger candy bars (15 crushed and 3 roughly chopped for the top); 1¼ cups powdered sugar (sifted)

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Butterfinger puppy chow takes one of my favorite candy bars and puts it in every bite. Crispy Rice Chex in a rich chocolate peanut butter coating, crunchy Butterfinger all through it and a sweet powdered sugar finish. Grab a handful and see how fast you come back for more.

Bowl of powdered sugar puppy chow mixed with chopped Butterfinger pieces, with bowls of chocolate chips and peanut butter nearby.

I make some kind of puppy chow all the time, and I like to switch up what goes in it. Butterfinger has always been one of my favorite candy bars to put in desserts, so adding it to puppy chow was a natural fit, and with three boys I’ve always appreciated a snack that’s easy to make and made for sharing.

I use Butterfinger two ways, because I want candy in every handful and big crunchy pieces on top. Most of the bars get crushed and stirred through the coated cereal, and I chop a few more to sprinkle over the top right before serving.

Butterfinger puppy chow is especially fun around Halloween, when Butterfinger candy is everywhere. If you’re putting out a few snack mixes for a party, my Halloween puppy chow with candy corn and candy eyes goes great next to it.

PARTY FAVORITE

Why One Big Batch Covers the Party and the Gift Bags

I think of Butterfinger puppy chow as a great treat for gifting, because it’s easy to make a big batch and divide it into smaller portions. I love the idea of clear cellophane bags tied with a pretty ribbon, or small holiday treat containers.

It also holds up well made a day or two ahead in an airtight container on the counter. So one batch can be ready for game day, a movie night or friends coming over, with plenty left to bag up and give away.

Butterfinger Muddy Buddies, Puppy Chow, and Why It’s Not for Dogs

I’ve always called this puppy chow, but you’ll see it as Butterfinger muddy buddies or Butterfinger Chex mix too. Whatever you call it, it starts with my classic Chex puppy chow and adds crushed Butterfinger to the coated cereal.

The name throws some people off, so to be clear: this one is for the people in your house, never the dog, because chocolate can make dogs sick. The name comes from how much a bowl of it looks like dry kibble, and the cereal itself started out at Ralston Purina, the dog food company.

If you love a good snack mix, I have a whole list of Chex mix recipes for every holiday.

Close-up of powdered sugar puppy chow mixed with chunks of Butterfinger candy.

The 20 Minutes That Keep It From Going Soggy

If you bag puppy chow while the coating is still soft, the pieces stick together and the cereal goes soggy instead of staying crunchy.

So I spread it out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it set for 20 minutes before it goes into a bag or container. That short wait is the difference between crunchy, separate pieces and one big sticky clump.

What You’ll Need

Rice Chex: I use Rice Chex, and the store brand works fine. It’s unsweetened, which matters here, because a sweetened cereal under chocolate, candy bars and powdered sugar ends up way too sweet. It’s also a little salty, so the mix comes out sweet with a little salt. I’ve made it with Corn Chex with the same results, and a mix of rice, corn and wheat Chex gives you a few different textures.
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips are what I use for the rich chocolate coating. Milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or even candy melts can all go in their place if that’s what you have.
Creamy peanut butter: I use a regular creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. All-natural peanut butters may not set well at room temperature, and you want this coating to firm up.
Fun-size Butterfinger bars: The fun-size bars are easy to crush. I put them in a zip-top bag and smash them with a rolling pin, or pulse them in a food processor. I haven’t tested this recipe with Butterfinger Bits, but they’re a reasonable swap if you can’t find the bars or want to skip the crushing. Use about the same amount of candy.
Powdered sugar: This is the finish that makes it taste like puppy chow, and it adds the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the chocolate, peanut butter and Butterfinger. I sift it first so there are no lumps and every piece gets an even coat.

See the recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.

Butterfinger puppy chow piled in a brown paper bag, surrounded by Butterfinger bars, peanut butter, and chocolate chips.

How to Make Butterfinger Puppy Chow

Step 1: Melt the Chocolate Peanut Butter Coating Microwave the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter for 1 minute, then stir until it’s completely smooth. If it still isn’t melted, I keep going in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, so the chocolate doesn’t scorch. Then stir in the vanilla. Melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture swirled in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Coat the Cereal and Add the Butterfinger Pour the coating over the Rice Chex in an extra large bowl and gently stir until every piece is covered. Then stir in the crushed Butterfinger. Chex cereal and chopped Butterfinger coated in melted chocolate mixture in a glass bowl.

Step 3: Shake It in Powdered Sugar I pour the coated cereal and powdered sugar into a 2-gallon zip-top bag, seal it and shake. It coats everything evenly and keeps the powdered sugar from ending up all over the kitchen. Chocolate-coated Butterfinger puppy chow being tossed with powdered sugar in a zip-top bag.

Step 4: Let It Set, Then Top It Spread the puppy chow on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let it set. Right before serving, sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger over the top. Powdered sugar puppy chow with Butterfinger pieces spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.

Stir In Even More Candy

I love that I can throw pretty much any candy into puppy chow, because it’s such a forgiving recipe. Mini peanut butter cups, Reese’s Pieces, M&M’s or sprinkles are all fun to stir in with the Butterfinger.

Overhead view of Butterfinger puppy chow in a bowl topped with candy pieces, next to Butterfinger wrappers.

How Long It Keeps and How to Freeze It

I keep Butterfinger puppy chow in an airtight container or a zip-top bag on the counter for up to 5 days. It doesn’t need to go in the fridge, and it never lasts that long at my house anyway.

If you want to make it further ahead, freeze it in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Let it thaw on the counter, and if the coating feels a little sticky, toss it with a little extra powdered sugar before serving.

Overhead view of bowls of Butterfinger puppy chow with chopped candy and peanut butter nearby, Butterfinger wrappers in the corner.

More Puppy Chow Recipes

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