Puppy Chow Candy Clusters
If you love Puppy Chow (or Muddy Buddies), then you will love these Puppy Chow Candy Clusters. I use organic chocolate cereal with the classic Puppy Chow ingredients: chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar for an organic spin on this nostalgic treat!
If you love making easy candy recipes, then check out some of my other favorites like Homemade Marshmallows Without Eggs, Chocolate Covered Raisin Clusters, Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Cashew Clusters, or Honey Sesame Dark Chocolate Bark.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Puppy Chow Candy Clusters
- Ready In: 15 minutes
- Makes: 30 candies
- Main Ingredients: chocolate cereal, dark chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar
- Flavor Profile: crispy, crunchy peanut butter and chocolate
- Dietary Info: gluten free, vegan, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: bite sized puppy chow with extra chocolate!
Summarize & Save This Content On
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Nostalgic: You will love these Puppy Chow Candy Clusters! If you are a fan of traditional Puppy Chow, then this candy version is one you will absolutely love.
- More Chocolate: I use Nature’s Path Coco Chimps instead of the classic Chex cereal for this puppy chow recipe. I love the crunch this cereal has and the addition of a little more chocolate.
- Chocolate + PB: I use dark chocolate and peanut butter for the classic Muddy Buddy flavor. If you love this classic combo, check out Vegan Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups or Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups too!
- Handheld Treats: While the traditional Puppy Chow is a mess to eat, these are convenient little handheld candies! I just use a spoon to drop little clusters onto parchment paper. After they’ve cooled, I dust them with powdered sugar for a delicious no bake treat that are easy to grab.
What is Puppy Chow?
Puppy chow is a magical mixture of crunchy cereal, chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Traditionally, the cereal used is Chex cereal. You melt the chocolate and peanut butter, coat the cereal, and then chill it briefly. Last you coat it with powdered sugar as you break up the clusters. Some people may also call this treat Muddy Buddies, the names are interchangeable, but the recipe is the same!
I've transformed the classic into two bite clusters using organic cereal for a completely organic upgrade to this nostalgic treat! This is the way I now make nostalgic puppy chow so it fits into my organic lifestyle! If you haven't heard about this snack before, then you are in for a real treat! This is insanely addicting (don't say I didn't warn you) and incredibly easy to make!
Ingredients
- Cereal: I use Nature's Path Organic Coco Chimps, which are like organic cocoa puffs.
- Chocolate: I use organic mini dark chocolate chips, for ease. You can also use regular semi sweet chocolate chips or a chocolate bar, but be sure to chop up the bar for melting if you're using that. Just be sure your chocolate is free of stabilizers (soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin as that will hinder melting).
- Peanut Butter: I use organic creamy peanut butter. You don't want to use chunky for this recipe.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Baker's Tips
- Use a digital food scale for ease, as you can just add the chocolate and peanut butter into a bowl making it super easy!
- While I'm forming these into clusters, you can also easily spread the cereal mixture out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet like bark. Then after sifting powdered sugar on top you can just break into clusters this way. Either way works!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
How to Make Puppy Chow Candy Clusters
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the cereal to a large bowl.
- In a separate heat proof bowl, add the dark chocolate chips and the peanut butter.
- Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together. You can do this using a double boiler or in the microwave, doing 30 second intervals, stirring between each one so not to burn the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the cereal and stir to coat the cereal completely.
- Using a large soup spoon, spoon clusters of the cereal chocolate peanut butter mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. You should have about 30 clusters. Alternatively, you can just spread out the entire mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly into a bark and then break it into clusters!
- Place the baking sheets in the fridge or freezer to harden the chocolate. Sift powdered sugar over the tops of the candies, add a little more powdered sugar where needed! Store in the fridge.
Puppy Chow Candy Clusters FAQ's
Because the traditional puppy chow is coated cereal pieces, it resembles dog kibble. Hence the name, puppy chow!
Yes, this is one of those glorious Midwest recipes. So simple, totally indulgent, you wonder how some people have never heard of it. But, it is widely made and popular in the Midwest!
Yes! You can use a more traditional chex cereal or even something different if you like! This would be good with almost any kind of plain cereal or even honey cereal.
You can melt using a double boilers. Or, you can melt doing 30-second intervals in the microwave and stir between each one. Stirring between each interval will prevent the chocolate from burning as it will help evenly heat it.
If the chocolate isn't set, then the puppy chow can become soggy. It's best to let these set in the fridge or freezer! This will allow them to set completely and be crunchy.
Use a large spoon and spoon the clusters onto the baking sheet, ensuring that they are a cluster before placing them in the fridge.
Yes! I use organic peanut butter here, use the good stuff!
Yes, you can use sunflower butter or tahini in place of peanut butter.
There is no difference, except the name. Some people call it puppy chow and some people call it muddy buddies.
This is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
More Midwest Recipes
If you're looking for more Midwest recipes, try some of my other favorites like Organic Chicago Style Hot Dogs With Sauerkraut, Chicago Style Thin Crust Pizza Dough, Caramel Lollipops, Mint Meltaways, or Pink Peppermint Ice.
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts
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Puppy Chow Candy Clusters
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Heatproof Mixing Bowl
- Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 5 cups Nature’s Path Coco Chimps
- 255 grams mini dark chocolate chips
- 113 grams peanut butter
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the cereal to a large bowl.
- In a separate heat proof bowl, add the dark chocolate chips and the peanut butter. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together. You can do this using a double boiler or in the microwave, doing 30 second intervals, stirring between each one so not to burn the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the cereal and stir to coat the cereal completely.
- Using a large soup spoon, spoon clusters of the cereal chocolate peanut butter mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. You should have about 30 clusters. Alternatively, you can just spread out the entire mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly into a bark and then break it into clusters!
- Place the baking sheets in the fridge or freezer to harden the chocolate.
- Sift powdered sugar over the tops of the candies, add a little more powdered sugar where needed! Store in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- Use a digital food scale for ease, as you can just add the chocolate and peanut butter into a bowl making it super easy!
- While I'm forming these into clusters, you can also easily spread the cereal mixture out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet like bark. Then after sifting powdered sugar on top you can just break into clusters this way. Either way works!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
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These are so addicting and so easy to make!