Lemon Puppy Chow is such a fun twist on the classic! It’s super easy to make, loaded with a sweet citrusy flavor, and seriously hard to stop snacking on. Perfect for parties, holidays, or just whenever you’re craving something crunchy and sweet!
Why I Love Lemon Puppy Chow (And You Will too!)
Lemon Puppy Chow (aka Lemon Muddy Buddies) is the easiest, crunchiest, most addicting snack! It’s Chex cereal coated in white chocolate, lemony goodness, and powdered sugar—sweet, tangy, and impossible to resist.
Plus, it’s a total crowd-pleaser—whether you’re whipping up a batch for a party, a holiday, or just because you need a snack that tastes like sunshine. And let’s be real, anything covered in white chocolate and powdered sugar is an automatic win!
If you love Chex Mix recipes, you will love our Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix and our Slow Cooker Chex Mix.
Lemon Puppy Chow Ingredients
- Rice Chex: 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 half Corn Chex and half Rice Chex. Crispix is another alternative. However, it is wheat-free but not gluten-free.
- White baking chips (Vanilla): If you choose to use white chocolate chips instead of the candy melts, you should add coconut oil to help thin the chocolate to a pourable consistency and help stabilize it when the lemon zest is added.
- Salted Butter
- Zested lemon: Provides a light—citrusy flavor.
- Lemon juice: You will need one whole lemon for both the zest and the juice.
- Powdered sugar: This coating adds additional sweetness to the recipe and makes it socially acceptable to lick your fingers!
How To Make Lemon Puppy Chow
Ready in just 15 minutes, it is so easy to prepare this sweet crunchy treat!
- Add Rice Chex cereal to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir together melted butter, ½ tsp lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour over cereal and toss to coat.
- Melt white candy discs in the microwave using a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate over cereal and toss to coat.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar to the cereal and toss. Add 1 – 1 ½ more cups of powdered sugar to fully coat.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining ½ tsp lemon zest.
Variations & Tips
- Stir-Ins: You can stir in M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, crushed candy, cookie pieces or chopped nuts for extra crunch.
- To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure the Chex you are using is gluten-free. Do not use Wheat Chex in your mix.
- 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.
- The white candy discs were melted in a 1000-watt microwave. Follow the instructions for your microwave for best results.
Proper Storage
Lemon Puppy Chow can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze it for up to three months. Let frozen puppy chow sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
White baking chips melt smoothly because they’re made with oils, not cocoa butter, like white chocolate chips. White chocolate chips can seize when melted, so if using them, add a little coconut oil or shortening for a smoother consistency.
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.
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. But please note, puppy chow is not safe for dogs to consume. It is people only food!
Other Easy Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Lava Cakes
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Lemon Truffles
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies
- Lemon Lush Dessert Recipe
- Lemonade Pie
If you tried this Lemon Puppy Chow Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!

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.