That childhood favorite snack of yours just got an upgrade! Whether you call it puppy chow, muddy buddies or just plain good, you have to try this brownie batter version!

Chocolate and peanut butter goodness is hard to beat. It is especially good when wrapped around crunchy cereal and made into a munchable mix. But instead of being coated in powdered sugar, this version is coated in brownie batter to make it extra good!
Puppy Chow is one of those childhood favorites that you just have to make every once in a while. Crunchy, chocolaty, peanut buttery goodness that brings you right back to those carefree days.
It made an appearance at all of our sleepovers, movie nights. It is still a must have for holidays, game nights or a special treat on a movie night.
Of course it is the chocolate and peanut butter combo that make it so addictive, but it needs something to keep all of that candy coated cereal from sticking together.
The traditional way to keep it separated is to shake it in a bunch of powdered sugar. The chocolate sets and you get that goodness in individual pieces.


As delicious as puppy chow is any old way, sometimes it is fun to mix thing up a bit. I thought it would be fun to make that favorite treat even more chocolaty. What if you shake it in brownie mix instead of powdered sugar.
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Mind blown? I know, right?!
It doesn’t get much easier or more delicious than that! Brownie batter muddy buddies are sure to become a new favorite for Christmas snacking, movie night, game night, and more!
How to Heat-Treat Brownie Mix
We have always known there was some risk involved in eating raw cookie dough and cake batter from the raw eggs. But in recent years we have become more aware of the bacteria that can be present in raw flour and cake mixes.
However, you can mitigate that risk by “heat-treating” the mix. Luckily, it’s super simple and takes just a minute or two. Here’s how…
- Dump the mix into a glass microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave on high for about 1 to 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 20 seconds.
- The brownie mix will be warm (160F) and any bacteria that were present will be gone!
- Let the mix cool completely before adding to the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are muddy buddies and puppy chow the same thing?
Yes. Both the name muddy buddies and puppy chow refer to cereal coated in chocolate and then powdered sugar. Most of the time there is peanut butter involved, but over the years cooks have created all sorts of different flavors. The name you call it likely depends on where you grew up, but the snack is popular throughout the Midwest.
How do you store brownie muddy buddies?
Once the chocolate is set, puppy chow can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. As long as it doesn’t get warm or too much humidity, it will likely stay perfectly crunchy past that. You can refrigerate or freeze it if you want, but we never have it around long enough to necessitate that.

Brownie Batter Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 6 cups Chex cereal
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups brownie mix
Instructions
- Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in microwave. Start with 30 seconds, then stir and return to microwave in 15 second intervals being sure to stir between each until the chocolate is smooth.
- Stir in the ½ cup creamy peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until completely combined.
- Fold in 6 cups Chex cereal until well coated.
- Place in a gallon zip topped bag with the 1½ cups brownie mix and shake until coated. Allow to set up before serving.
Video

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I'm a huge fan of Muddy Buddies/Puppy Chow. I make bake sale treats for my pastor's son and Chex type snacks sell very well but they must be nut-free:-(. Any idea what I can replace the peanut butter with and still get the smooth coverage?
You could use sunbutter instead. I believe sunflower seeds are allergy friendly. Otherwise for my reindeer chow, I used 1 1/2 cups of dark chocolate and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil as the chocolate coating. It makes the chocolate a bit softer and more like the texture of the peanut butter version. Then you can toss in powdered sugar or brownie mix or whatever you'd like!
Thanks
I love regular puppy chow, and I probably love it too much. So, I know I would love this even more!!
It is dangerous…and wonderful!!
Oh my gosh, Carlee, that sounds crazy good, you evil genius, you!! Love it!!! 🙂
It's terribly good 😉 Thanks!
Whaaat??? Brownie Batter puppy Chow….YUM!!!!!
I know, right?!
This "Puppy Chow" should be renamed People Chow – NOT Puppy Chow!
Why? Because all it takes is for ONE person to think that they can share this with their dog. Not a good idea. Chocolate can KILL dogs.
Don't be ridiculous. Puppy chow has been around for a long time. It's common knowledge that chocolate can not be given to dogs.
Puppy chow is so crazy addictive and now you've upped the chocolate?! I have got to try it this way – looks and sounds so amazing! I'll just have to wait until friends come over though because otherwise I'll empty the bowl all by myself 😉
That is a great plan! It is dangerously addictive!
It was almost TOO good!
Ooooo that looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing with #OMHGWW!
-Heather
It is ridiculously good! Thanks for stopping by!
These look great – I'd never heard of puppy chow either.
You're world will never be the same 😉