Fun and delicious pink muddy buddies (also known as puppy chow) are peanut butter, chocolate, butter, and powdered sugar coated Chex rice cereal colored with beet powder! These Valentine's muddy buddies are so simple for the kids to make and give as Valentine's Day treats to friends!
WHAT ARE MUDDY BUDDIES?
I do not think I have ever met anyone that does not love muddy buddies! They are so delicious made with melted peanut butter, butter and chocolate coated around Chex rice cereal then tossed in confectioners’ sugar.
It is heavenly on the lips and so easy to make! This version is great for Valentine’s Day and all you have to do is add beet powder to the powdered sugar coating for a little pop of color! Then sprinkle around holiday theme heart sprinkles.
HOW TO USE VALENTINE’S DAY MUDDY BUDDIES
Feel free to double or triple this recipe depending on the size of the group you are serving to.
- Dived the sugar coated Chex cereal into sealed baggies and have the kids give them to friends with a card for Valentine’s Day.
- Serve muddy buddies at your Valentine’s Day party in a large bowl!
- Share as a gift by storing the treats in a mason jar. Add a label to the jar, or tie a ribbon around the top with a gift tag attached.
TIPS TO MAKE MUDDY BUDDIES
When making muddy buddies you want to be careful to handle the Chex cereal lightly and gently, so it does not break.
As you heat the morsels, peanut butter and butter together, make sure to heat on low so the chocolate does not over-heat, which can make it lumpy. If that happens, start over. Continue to stir as it heats until it is melted together. If it does start to thicken you can remove it from the heat and continue to stir to melt completely.
WHAT ALTERNATIVES CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF PEANUT BUTTER
Yes! For food allergies, you can use almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. Although sunflower seed butter may alter the color (I have not tried it personally for this recipe), as it oxidizes in cooking/heating and turns food green. The green color is totally safe to consume (as long as it is not mold😊).
CAN THIS BE DAIRY-FREE
Yes, and in fact I have made this both with dairy and without dairy and both are fabulous! Use vegan chocolate chip morsels and vegan butter.
HOW TO STORE MUDDY BUDDIES
Store in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. You can also freeze puppy chow in a zip-lock bag and have ready to use when you need! Spread them evenly on a baking sheet to thaw completely before serving.
More sweets, treats and desserts to enjoy!
- Chewy 5-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bars
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
- Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies
Valentine's Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 5 cups Chex rice cereal
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or dairy-free vegan
- 1/4 cup peanut butter or cashew butter, almond butter or sunflower seed butter
- 1/4 cup butter or vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons beet powder
- Valentine's Day heart shaped sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the sugar and beet powder in a sealable bag and toss to combine. Place the cereal in a large bowl.
- In a small saucepan, over low heat, place the chocolate, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla on low heat. Stir until melted. Drizzle over the cereal. With a spatula, carefully toss to coat the cereal well. Transfer to the bag with the sugar. Seal and shake it to coat.
- Place the mixture on the prepared sheet to cool. Sprinkle with the heart shaped sprinkles. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 1 week.
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