Some people grew up calling it puppy chow, while some called it muddy buddies. Whatever you called it, we all loved it. Any occasion was a perfect opportunity for your favorite puppy chow. It might have been considered more of a sweet snack than a holiday dessert or birthday treat, but we don’t care. Puppy chow was always a childhood favorite because it has all of our favorite flavors — peanut butter, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon — the list goes on and on. Prepare for a flashback to your youth, and load up with 21 puppy chow (or muddy buddies) recipes.
1. Reese’s Muddy Buddies: We like this recipe because of all the bonus add-ins, like the crunchy peanuts. The traditional peanut butter, chocolate and confectioner’s sugar mix is all there too, making this recipe a bonafide classic. (via Mom on Timeout)
2. Cinnamon Roll Muddy Buddies: To recreate the warm and fuzzy vibes of cinnamon rolls, you’ll need to get vanilla Chex instead of the plain kind. This boost in flavor will have your taste buds screaming for more. (via Crazy for Crust)
3. Andes Mint Puppy Chow: These are the mints that sit by the register when you’re paying your bill at restaurants, and you’ll never believe how they can transform this simple dessert. The delicious layer of mint between the creamy chocolate is such an obvious puppy chow flavor — we wish we had discovered it sooner! (via Your Cup of Cake)
4. Banana Pudding Puppy Chow: Banana cream pie was a favorite go-to dessert for us growing up. It calls for the same delicious banana pudding as the pie, and that makes this into an AH-MAZING puppy chow. (via Life Love and Sugar)
5. Carrot Cake Puppy Chow Recipe: Carrot cake is a classic flavor that most will appreciate. This sweet treat is the perfect snack to jar up and take to work as a gift to coworkers for the holidays. (via Belle of the Kitchen)
6. Chocolate Cake Batter Muddy Buddies: Meet your new go-to holiday season treat. This puppy chow looks like a straight-up party, and we sure hope we’re invited. (via Your Cup of Cake)
7. Simple Cotton Candy Puppy Chow: This recipe takes us back to the county fair, where we wandered for hours in search of that coveted sugary goodness: cotton candy. Channel that favorite childhood treat sans sticky fingers with this cotton candy-flavored puppy chow. (via Sweet As a Cookie)
8. Almond Joy Muddy Buddies: There seems to be a trend emerging of creating epic puppy chow flavors with candy bars, and we are LOVING it. Chopped Almond Joy bars are mixed in with this recipe, imparting an awesome chocolatey-coconut flavor. (via Something Swanky)
9. Captain Crunch Peanut Butter Puppy Chow: We have to admit, Captain Crunch wasn’t the first ingredient we thought of using for the next great puppy chow recipe. But we definitely stand corrected, because this stuff is good. (via With Salt & Wit)
10. Nutella Puppy Chow: Once Nutella hit the scene as a “healthy” chocolate butter, people haven’t been able to keep their hands off of it, yielding some incredibly delicious snacks like this Nutella-flavored puppy chow. After all, when you mix a chocolate butter with actual chocolate, well, there’s just no way that anything can go wrong. (via Belle of the Kitchen)
11. Banana Split Chex Puppy Chow: This mix is *so* colorful, we were dying to know how it was done. The secret? Those delicious colored wafer cookies (another childhood favorite). To really get the flavors right, you’ll need strawberry, vanilla, banana and chocolate cake mix. (via Sweet As a Cookie)
12. Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies: Citrus desserts make our hearts *so* incredibly happy. With this confection, you get the smooth taste of a lemon bar along with the crunch of the Chex pieces. It truly is the best of both worlds. Pro tip: Lemon extract works just as well as a fresh-squeezed lemon. (via Lemon Tree Dwelling)
13. Orange Creamsicle Puppy Chow: We thought orange creamsicles were only for the frozen section at the grocery store. The secret to the dreamy and creamy orange flavor here is orange oil and white chocolate. (via The Gunny Sack)
14. Salted Caramel Puppy Chow: That salt and caramel combo gets us every time! Especially when chocolate is also invited to the party. Make sure and eat this one in front of a crackling fire with a glass of wine. It’s the mature puppy chow flavor. (via The Cookie Rookie)
15. Samoa Muddy Buddies: Everyonewaits for that magical time of year when Girl Scout cookies are available to buy by the dozens. One of the world’s favorite flavors? Samoa (Caramel Delites to some). The caramel and toasted coconut in this cookie is totally irresistible. (via Your Cup of Cake)
16. S’mores Muddy Buddies: Skip the fire and smokey smell — you can now make some five-star s’mores right in your kitchen. Bonus: These delicious bites include peanut butter, so don’t be afraid to ask for seconds or thirds. (via Like Mother, Like Daughter)
17. Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies: You’d think that to create that authentic snickerdoodle flavor it would take a whole pantry full of ingredients. Not this recipe! It only takes four items, and we bet you have them all in your cupboard right now. (via The Recipe Critic)
18. Snickers Muddy Buddies: Just look at those hunks of caramel and peanuts next to Chex covered in chocolate and powdered sugar. We’ve always liked a good Snickers bar, and now we’ve officially added it to the favorites list. (via A Pumpkin and a Princess)
19. Strawberry Shortcake Muddy Buddies: Instead of the usual chocolate pieces or sprinkles, this mix flaunts a little bit of health (kind of). Preserved and dried strawberries add a dash of freshness, not to mention some beautiful color. (via Lemon Tree Dwelling)
20. Sugar Cookie Puppy Chow: Who needs actual sugar cookies when you can have Chex pieces covered in almond bark and sprinkles? The token ingredient here, though, is the funfetti cake mix. (via Deliciously Sprinkled)
21. Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow: What’s a more fitting way to wrap up our list than with fall’s favorite flavor? We’re all about pumpkin spice, and eating it as puppy chow is just another way for us to indulge in a childhood favorite-turned-adult treat. SCORE! (via Sally’s Baking Addiction)
