Easy Pink Puppy Chow Recipe (Pink Muddy Buddies, Gluten-Free)

Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow) will forever be incredibly nostalgic for me. I remember way back in the day (when peanut butter was still allowed in school, that’s how old I am) we’d make a big batch as a classroom each year during the holidays. Then, we’d bag it up and take it home as a gift for our parents.

It made me feel so special, and like I was able to contribute to the holiday magic of the season. I’m sure those particular batches were filled with all sorts of cooties, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Now, with three children of my own, I’m always looking for cooking projects I can get into with the kids that don’t require too much actual cooking. I cook most days for a living, so when they want to jump in and “help,” it has to be easy and fairly mess free.

They love things they can do by themselves from start to finish, and Muddy Buddies are perfect for that! 

An Easy Recipe to Make Together

In this easy recipe, there is almost no cooking required—just a couple minutes in the microwave—and there are lots of fine motor skills in play for kids, like scooping the cereal, carefully stirring it into the chocolate mixture, and, of course, shaking up the bag of sugar! Plus, we get into some fun math games in the process of measuring, and they always help me keep track of how many scoops of cereal have been added to the bowl! 

We’ve explored lots of different riffs on the classic recipe, but one of my very favorite versions is one we dreamed up for Valentine’s day. Instead of the classic peanut butter, we went with Nutella for extra chocolatey, hazelnutty goodness. We also used dark chocolate chips since the powdered sugar topping always seems to be too sweet when paired with semisweet chocolate. 

Lastly, for a little festive touch, we used some freeze-dried strawberries to add color and a touch of fruit flavor. The end result? Pink-tinted puppy chow that tastes a little like a chocolate covered strawberry. Perfection!

How to Make My Easy Pink Puppy Chow

To make 9 cups of Puppy chow (18 to 24 servings), you’ll need:

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour

• 1 (1-ounce) bag freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) powdered sugar
• 1 cup (170g) dark or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (140g) Nutella (or other chocolate-hazelnut spread)
• 2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
• Salt, to taste, optional
• 9 cups (270g) Rice Chex cereal (from at least a 12-ounce box)

Place the freeze-dried strawberries in a high-speed blender or food processor. Process until the berries are broken down and have a consistency similar to powdered sugar, 30 seconds to1 minute. Transfer the berry powder to a large zip-top bag and add the powdered sugar. Seal tightly, then shake well to blend the sugar and berry powder together. Set aside. 

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, Nutella and butter. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Quickly stir the contents, then return to the microwave and cook for 30 seconds more. Repeat stirring and microwaving in 30-second bursts until the chocolate and butter are fully melted. Once melted, stir well until everything is well combined, about 1 minute. Add salt to taste, if desired.

Add the cereal to the bowl of melted chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the mixture, taking care not to crush the cereal. Fold until the cereal is fully coated in chocolate. Transfer the coated cereal to the bag with the powdered sugar mixture. Seal tightly, then shake vigorously until the cereal is fully coated in the sugar mixture. Transfer the bag to the freezer and chill for at least 1 hour before serving. 

TIP BOX: I like to store this treat in the freezer, where it will keep fresh for up to 2 months. You can also keep it at room temperature for about 3 days, but any longer and I find it starts to go stale. 

Easy Tweaks

• I like to use freeze-dried strawberries in this recipe because I prefer the flavor, but freeze-dried raspberries would work, too. I used one full 1-ounce bag to add just a hint of pink, but you can also play around with the quantity and try out using two bags if you want the end result to be a bit deeper in color. I found that the raspberries gave a brighter pink hue, but strawberries provided a nicer flavor.
• I like using Rice Chex for muddy buddies/puppy chow, but any variety of Chex cereal will do.
• For me, this treat is about as sweet as I can handle, but my kids love adding in sprinkles or even mini M&Ms. It’s best to do so right when most of the cereal has been coated in chocolate so they stick. Start with about 1/2 cup and add more to taste. For Valentine’s day, the pink, white, and red mini M&Ms look really cute with the pale pink puppy chow!
• For a sweet-salty twist, use salted butter and add salt to taste to the melted chocolate mixture.

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