Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies, aka Puppy Chow, is a family favorite winter treat that tastes like hot chocolate with a crunch. It is so quick and easy to make this no-bake recipe and a fun way to enjoy the cozy flavors of hot cocoa in munchable form!
No Mug Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies
Whether you call it Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow, there is no better way to transform the comforting feeling from a sip of hot cocoa into a crunchy and sweet treat. This delicious recipe is a simple combination of peanut butter, powdered sugar, chocolate, marshmallow and Chex cereal and the easiest way to savor a steaming mug of chocolate, but served as a festive snack.
While I love my original Puppy Chow recipe along with my other versions too (you must check them out!), I knew that I needed an alternate combination that both captures the taste of my favorite steamy drink and also feels like a comforting cup from childhood. Perfect for cold winter days and a festive way to enjoy the hot chocolate season, this savory sweet snack mix is the best way to “eat” this chilly weather beverage because it’s not sipped but rather served in a bowl to feed any non-thirsty crowd!
Why We Love This Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Adds a fun flavor combination to a classic Puppy Chow recipe.
- Sweet and savory festive snack.
- Tastes like comforting hot chocolate with a crunch.
- Perfect for a party, a packaged edible gift, or a delicious winter treat.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Rice Chex cereal
- Bittersweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips may be used in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter in this recipe.
- Creamy peanut butter
- Marshmallow fluff/creme
- Hot cocoa mix: Any brand of hot cocoa powder should work, just try to make sure you use at least 1.5 ounces.
- Powdered sugar
- Snow Caps candy
- Mini marshmallows
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Chex: For this recipe, I use Rice Chex, but you can use Corn Chex, Chocolate Chex, or even Crispix cereal in your mix.
- Customize Your Crunch: If you are making these Muddy Buddies for the holidays, you can toss in some colored M&M’s or holiday sprinkles for an extra festive touch.
- Mix-Ins: Feel free to add some of your favorite mix-ins, like sprinkles, crushed peppermint, candy pieces, or even Hershey’s Kisses.
- Gluten Free: You can easily make this recipe gluten-free. Make sure you do not use Wheat Chex in your Muddy Buddies and check the ingredients in your hot cocoa mix.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Large container (with cover) or 2 gallon Ziploc bag
- Medium microwave-safe bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheets
- Wire racks
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make the Recipe
Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies is festive sweet treat that makes snacking the next best thing to drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day. This is a quick and easy snack idea to munch on this season!
- Place cereal in a container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Set aside.
- Combine chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter and heat in the microwave until melted.
Pro Tip: Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the marshmallow fluff.
- Whisk together hot cocoa mix and powdered sugar in a separate bowl.
- Add the melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture to the bag with the cereal and shake to coat the cereal.
- Add the powdered sugar mixture to the bag and shake until fully coated.
- Cool muddy buddies on wire racks set inside baking sheets.
Pro Tip: Allow muddy buddies to cool for about 30 minutes before packing up. Make sure you allow the muddy buddies to set after you toss them in the powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix. Otherwise, they will be very messy and clump together in the bag.
- Toss with marshmallows and snowcaps (Optional for an extra festive mix).
- Enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure you allow the muddy buddies to set after you toss them in the powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix. Otherwise, they will be very messy and clump together in the bag.
- You can easily make this recipe gluten-free. Make sure you do not use Wheat Chex in your Muddy Buddies and check the ingredients in your hot cocoa mix.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store your Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The basic recipe for Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow) is Rice Chex coated in a mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter, all coated in powdered sugar. There are many alternative versions to the original recipe, including this Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies. Check out my other delicious snacks, such as my Lemon Puppy Chow, Halloween Puppy Chow Chex Mix, Christmas Chex Mix, and my original Puppy Chow.
Muddy Buddies are often called puppy chow because it looks very similar to dog food. Did you know that Chex was originally made by Ralston Purina, the maker of Purina dog food? According to Wikipedia, puppy chow is also called muddy buddies, monkey munch, muddy munch, reindeer chow, or doggy bag.
If you don’t give your muddy buddies a bit of time to cool, the fat from the butter and peanut butter will absorb the powdered sugar and it will cause the texture to become a bit soggy inside. So, it’s best to have a bit of patience and let it sit on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes.
Other Easy Chex Mix Recipes
- Reindeer Chow Chex Mix
- Christmas Chex Mix
- Slow Cooker Chex Mix
- Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix {Chex Mix}
- Fall Harvest Muddy Buddies
- Butterfinger Puppy Chow
Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 10 cups rice chex cereal
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff/creme
- 1.5 ounces (1.5 – 2 ounces) hot cocoa mix dry
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3.1 ounces Snow Caps candy
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Add cereal to a large container (with cover) or 2 gallon Ziploc bag, set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, butter, and peanut butter together at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the marshmallow fluff until fully incorporated.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the hot cocoa mix and powdered sugar.
- Add the chocolate and peanut butter mixture to the bag with the cereal and shake until the cereal is fully coated.
- Then add the powdered sugar mixture and shake until fully coated.
- Place two wire racks on two large baking sheets and spread the muddy buddies out to cool. Allow them to cool for about 30 minutes before packing up and enjoying.
Jenn’s Notes
- Make sure you allow the muddy buddies to set after you toss them in the powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix. Otherwise, they will be very messy and clump together in the bag.
- You can easily make this recipe gluten-free. Make sure you do not use Wheat Chex in your Muddy Buddies and check the ingredients in your hot cocoa mix.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips may be used in this recipe.
- Salted butter may be used in this recipe.
- Any brand of hot cocoa powder should work, just try to make sure you use at least 1.5 ounces.
- Feel free to add in other mix-ins like sprinkles, peppermint candy, etc.
can this be made without peanut butter due to peanut allergy?
easy fun delicious ❤️
Thank you so much for your feedback!