Pumpkin Puppy Chow (muddy Buddies)

If you love the classic puppy chow dessert, you’ll love this festive Fall Pumpkin Puppy Chow too!

It’s made with the well known peanut butter and chocolate flavors but with the addition of some pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. And an added bonus if you want to toss in some Fall/Halloween themed M&Ms to make it look cute!

This Pumpkin Mousse and Pumpkin Bread are two other Fall favorites you need to try! Or if apple is your favorite Fall flavor, then you can’t miss this Apple Spice Cake or these Apple Butter Snickerdoodles . Yum!!

This is one of the easiest and tastiest treats you’ll make. It’s so simple, yet totally irresistible. It’s great for parties, hangouts or just to snack on all pumpkin season long!

puppy chow with m&ms in a brown bowl. - 3

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s easy to make
Freezer friendly
Takes less than 10 minutes to bring together
Totally snackable and perfect for any celebration or get together!
Festive for Fall!

What is Puppy Chow?

This classic treat is basic but amazing. It’s essentially cereal covered with powdered sugar! Simply made with Rice Chex cereal, smooth peanut butter, butter, chocolate and vanilla extract. It’s a crowd-pleasing snack mix and a really fun party food!

Why is it called Puppy Chow?

Pretty much because it remembers dog food! ? You’ll also hear it called “Muddy Buddies.”

Ingredient Notes

For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.

ingredients to make puppy chow in glass bowls. - 4

Rice Chex : I love using this cereal but you could also use Crispix cereal too.
Pumpkin purée: be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree and not the pumpkin pie filling.
Chocolate: I like using a mix of dark chocolate chips & white chocolate chips. You could also use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Peanut butter : creamy peanut butter. You could also use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or even Nutella.
Powdered sugar : an essential to douse over all this yummy goodness!
Pumpkin pie spice : to give it that pumpkin-y flavor!
Mix-ins : add in festive M&Ms or mini Reese’s pieces or whatever small candy you like best! Also you can serve as is without any mix-ins.

Step by Step Directions

For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card .

step by step photos makin puppy chow. - 5

Melt the butter, chocolates, and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl until smooth.
Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla
Pour over rice Chex and stir.
Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag, or a large bowl with a lid, and add the powdered sugar.
Shake until cereal is coated.

rice chex in a white bowl with chocolate mixed in. - 6

puppy chow covered in powdered sugar in a plastic ziptop baggie. - 7

Expert Tips

Chill it! If you have some time, you can chill the pumpkin/chocolate coated rice Chex cereal prior to coating it in the powdered sugar. Just about 10-15 minutes is all it takes. This extra steps help prevent the puppy chow from getting soggy and keeps it super crunchy!
Make it seasonal: Change up this puppy chow based on the season! Replace the pumpkin puree with more peanut butter, and leave out the pumpkin pie spice. Add in seasonal M&Ms based on the time of year (Christmas, Valentines Day, etc.)
Change up the Chex! Use Chocolate Chex, Peanut Butter Chex, Maple Brown Sugar Chex, Corn Chex, etc.
Salty vibes: Feel free to add something salty to balance the sweetness (pretzels or salted peanuts!)
Use a really large mixing bowl to make it easy to stir everything together.
After you mix the powdered sugar in, you can spread the puppy chow out on a baking sheet to make sure there are no large clumps and all the cereal is fully coated.

an up close image of puppy chow with M&Ms. - 8

Storage

Keep in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 1 week. (although I think it tastes best the first 1-2 days of making it).
I love my puppy chow cold, so it can also keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months (if it lasts that long! ?)

puppy chow with m&ms in a brown bowl. - 9

More recipes to love

Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole (with brioche)

Easy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Frosting

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