Chocolate Peanut Butter Puppy Chow
Light, crispy, and coated in chocolatey peanut butter goodness, this snackable puppy chow is a feel-good twist on the classic. It’s lower in sugar, boosted with nuts for extra crunch and protein, and guaranteed to disappear fast!
Ingredients
- 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, 12oz bag
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts (or any other preferred nut; whole, chopped or sliced)
- 10 cups Rice Chex cereal, one 12oz box
- ¼ cup confectioner’s powdered sugar
Instructions
- Add chocolate chips and peanut butter to a very large microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave for 60 seconds. Remove and give it a stir. Place back into the microwave for 30 additional seconds and stir again. If it’s not totally smooth and melty, continue to microwave in 15-second intervals (removing between and stirring) until you reach desired consistency.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and peanuts. Then, add about 2 cups of cereal at a time, and using a rubber spatula, gently stir the mixture until all of the cereal is coated in chocolate. Be careful when stirring and try to keep most of the cereal squares intact. Of course, some will crush, and that’s okay. Do not try to separate all of the clumps, as the chocolatey clumps are extra delicious.
- Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure you’re utilizing all of the chocolate coating. Place the bowl in the fridge to chill for just about 15-20 minutes (if you leave it in longer, it will harden and make it more difficult to evenly distribute the confectioner’s sugar in the next step).
- Once cooled, sprinkle the confectioner’s sugar over the top, stopping and stirring to evenly coat. Because you’ll be using much less confectioner’s sugar than a traditional recipe, you’ll create a dark chocolate appearance with speckles of white… rather than the signature white powdery finish.
- Stash in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. Or, you can freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
Texture & Storage Tip: After coating the cereal in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture, chill for just 15–20 minutes—this helps it set slightly so you can add the powdered sugar. Avoid chilling longer at this stage, as it can harden into one solid piece.
Once you remove it from the fridge, sprinkle on the powdered sugar and use your hands to gently break apart any clumps so it’s perfectly snackable.
For best results, store the puppy chow (already broken into pieces) in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. If it ever firms up too much, simply let it sit at room temp for 15–30 minutes to soften and break apart into clumps and pieces.
Sugar swap: You can easily make this recipe with sugar-free confectioners’ sugar and/or sugar-free chocolate (sweetened with monk fruit or stevia) to dial back added sugar without losing any sweetness or satisfaction
Sugar swap: You can easily make this recipe with sugar-free confectioners’ sugar and/or sugar-free chocolate (sweetened with monk fruit or stevia) to dial back added sugar without losing any sweetness or satisfaction
Nutrition Information per serving
Serving Size: 0.5cupCalories: 150Carbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gTotal Fat: 9g— Unsaturated Fat: 6g— Saturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 105mgFiber: 2gTotal Sugar: 8g— Natural Sugar: 1g— Added Sugar: 7gIron: 3.5mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.