Some people call this Peanut Butter Chex Mix.
Some people call it Puppy Chow.
I’ve seen it called Reindeer Feed this time of year when mixed with pretzels and other add-in’s like M & M’s or peanuts.
Some people call it Bury Your Face In This Bowl.
I had never tried making puppy chow with white chocolate, but decided to give that a whirl for today’s version since white chocolate pairs so well with peanut butter.
Then again, most things pair well with peanut butter for me.
Especially when there are four cups of powdered sugar involved.
Tip: If you liked this recipe, make sure to try my loaded Christmas Puppy Chow as well!
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White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow (Gluten Free; with Vegan option)
1 c white chocolate chips
2/3 c peanut butter
1/3 c butter (or margarine/Earth Balance)
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups+ Chex or Crispix cereal – rice, corn, or combo (I used Crispix that was half corn/half rice. In the past I have made Puppy Chow from Rice Chex but it crumbled more easily when stirring. The corn in the cereal makes the pieces heartier and less crumbly)
3 to 4 cups+ powdered/confectioner’s sugar (I used just over 4 c but I wanted each piece very well coated)
Optional: Add any add-in’s before tossing with the powdered sugar such as: pretzel pieces, M & M’s, other candy bits or mini candies (diced or chopped), toffee bits, raisins, other dried fruit pieces, nuts, seeds, marshmallows, white/dark/peanut butter chips, etc.
Directions:
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the white chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and melt in 20-30 second increments, removing from the microwave and stirring vigorously after each interval. White chocolate burns easily so take care not to overheat it and vigorous stirring will encourage complete melting sooner than you think.
After mixture is completely melted and smooth, add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate.
Then add the cereal and fold it in gently. (You may want to add a total of 7 cups of cereal if there is any pooling of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. All liquid should be fairly well absorbed and coated onto the cereal but you don’t want it too dry. Plenty of “juiciness” is desired because the powdered sugar will stick better)
Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and keep tossing mixture until the powdered sugar coats all pieces, thereby drying them out, or until the sugar layer is as thick as desired.
Yields: About 7 cups of mix. Store in airtight container or Ziplock bag (I have mine in the freezer in a big Tupperware container and it’s just fine to remove and eat immediately. It’s so hot here that all chocolate needs to be kept in the fridge or freezer.)
Notes:
Already Gluten Free if using any of these Chex Cereals
To make vegan, use Vegan White Chocolate Chips and margarine/Earth Balance or similar
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Addicting? Yes.
Delicious? Yes.
Healthy? Oh yes, for sure. The whole grains in the cereal make this health food. Ok maybe not so much but it’s a good story.
I love the white chocolate in this version and it allows both the peanut butter and the vanilla flavors to come through in comparison to the regular (dark) chocolate recipe for Puppy Chow (vegan, gluten free) that I’ve made in the past.
I’ve been on a white chocolate kick lately. I blame the holidays.
Ok, not really, I love white chocolate any time of year.
I hope you have some parties to bring this to because it makes more than you probably need for yourself.
But it’s so addicting that you will probably make a pretty good dent on it by yourself.
Questions:
Do you like Puppy Chow?
If so, how do you make it or what do you add to it?
Winner of the Superfoods & Superfruits Giveaway announced next post
Oh my goodness!! This is amazing! We love the “traditional” Muddy Buddy mix…and this is even better. Love the combination of white chocolate and peanut butter. I added white chocolate chips and holiday peanut butter M&Ms. So good! Thanks for another great recipe. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
GAH! THIS LOOKS AMAZING!
Thank you for introducing me to white chocolate —–> puppych ow.
My world will never be the same :)
Do you think this can be made with popcorn? I’m having a ready to pop shower and need some more recipes. Im hoping it will work! It looks sooooo good.
I would pop popcorn and then toss it with melted butter and then drizzle it and toss it with melted white chocolate. Put it all in a baggie and toss with powdered sugar.
I have a similar recipe, sort of, with popcorn that’s crazy flippin’ good.
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/02/vanilla-cake-batter-and-white-chocolate-chip-caramel-corn.html
And this isn’t popcorn but you could use this method..melting butter + milk powder. It sounds strange but it’s delicious
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/04/buttery-toasted-captain-crunchies.html
Please report back and LMK what you end up making and doing. I’m curious!
This is absolutely amazing, me andy friend made thi for our speech class since she’s a vegan. And we loved it, So do everyone else cause we don’t have much left now. Thank you So much.
Glad you liked it…and gobbled it right up :)
Had to share this post on my Facebook and Twitter. You’re a genius…yet again :)
Averie, I would be very curious which online forums have that information. I am not trying to be snotty but I would like to read what they have to say. You can email me the info if you want. Thanks for your help. Have a great Sunday.
I’m on vacation and don’t have time to dig up links for you; but try google. It’s out there.
Looks delicious but just as an FYI Crispix is not a gluten free food. It contains gluten in the Malt flavoring and is not safe for suffers of Celiac Disease. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the info. I will edit the post. Anyone who is highly sensitive to gluten should always check the labels, i.e. a true Celiac vs those who simply avoid gluten. That said, there are forums online that indicate it is which is where I gathered my info. Always read the labels is the motto, no doubt.
wow this puppy chow looks amazing! i love regular puppy chow but swapping white chocolate for regular is right up my alley! i favor white chocolate over regular anyway. i will have to make this sometime!
Oh yum! Puppy Chow looks so good! Love vanilla and peanut butter. I need to pick up some chex so I can make this! Thanks Averie!!
This looks wonderful, perfect for holiday parties. Awesome job!
I’ve never had puppy chow, I guess I’m missing out! I do like the name “bury your face in this bowl”, makes it sound more fun!
If I had to make puppy chow, I guess I would add chocolate to it. Anything with chocolate for this chocoholic :P.
Errr puppy chow??!! Why not just give ’em to me and call ’em Ellie Chow??! I understand not. :P And I love that 2nd to the last photo! It looks very pretty and rustic~
thanks…my photos here in Aruba are a crap shoot. Some are turning out well, some aren’t. Thanks for the compliments b/c I was not really digging these pics too much.
Ooooh! You are the goddess who convinced me of the amazing pairing of white chocolate and peanut butter!
I’m sure I’ve had something like puppy chow before but I never knew the name. When I saw the recipe on a few blogs I thought it was a dog treat! Well the white chocolate might make it ok as one but I wouldn’t want to share.
Oh hey, if you like Godiva coffee I’m doing a giveaway on my blog!
I don’t know if I’ve ever had it before. I have a vague memory of trying it. But even if I did, I’m sure it wasn’t made with white chocolate and white chocolate makes everything better.
you’d love this knowing what combos you like!
I love muddy buddies! (also call them puppy chow occasionally) I never thought about using white chocolate and Crispix cereal, but it’s such a great idea!!
Because they weren’t chocolate, I didnt call them “muddy”….maybe murky? :)
Another brilliant one, Averie!!! I can taste the melty PB and white chocolate… they really do go so well together!
hope you make them!
Looks amazing! I’m sorry to say that I don’t think I’ve ever made OR eaten puppy chow before! Which seems awful because this looks too delicious to pass up! Thanks for sharing your recipe! :)
I love white chocolate!! Its very underrated by some, looks fabulous as always!!
it’s very underrated, I agree :)
I have a whole post on white choc recipes b/c I love it so
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/05/white-chocolate.html
2 things. 1: I love you. This is genius.
2: what is that you take your pics on? A table? I love.
it’s like a wallpaper made to look like wood that I put on my table. Portable!
Yum! I haven’t had puppy chow I’m so long – I need to whip up a batch soon!
This is such a great twist on the classic version. Love it!
Hi Averie, thanks for your very kind comment. I hadn’t even known I was approved until you mentioned it lol
your baileys is….genius, seriously!
Mmm this is how I make my Puppy Chow!! For those of you who still like the milk/semisweet chocolate in there, try using half dark and half white chips – that’s delicious as well :)
yum, great idea.
this looks like a massive sugar high! did I mention I’m a big fan of sugar highs? :)
personally, I prefer my puppy chow without added nuts / m n ms / pretzels /etc, so this is perfect! I’ve been thinking of making it with chocolate chex :) or cinnamon chex!
cinnamon sounds great!
This looks fabulous! I love puppy chow.
Yuuuuummmmm! Looks soo good. I call it puppy chow too!
You see, making recipes from blogs don’t always turn out so well for me. However, every single recipe of yours has turned out presentable and delicious. If I ever need a recipe that I’m sure will satisfy my taste, I always come here :) so thank you!
Thank you so very much for saying this…I appreciate it. That is my goal when I post and write recipes. They may not be Julia Child recipes, they may be basic to some, but for the average person, I want them to have SUCCESS when they cook…and spend the time and energy in making something…I want to be confident it’s going to turn out for them, in their own kitchen. And have it be tasty, too! Doesn’t matter if it’s easy if it tastes like cardboard..haha!
So thank you for this comment…it really made my day!! :)
I’ve always heard it called puppy chow. I saw a recipe for one on pinterest for a lemon white chocolate flavor.
I think I’ve seen that…..who knows, I may even have them pinned. I have more pinned than will ever have time to make. lol
We make puppy chow for gifts but somehow it all gets eaten first! :)
I’ve never had puppy chow and as I am drooling over these pictures, I can’t fathom one good reason why I have gone without all my life. I plan on changing that kinda soon!
You HAVE to try it then!
I’ve never had puppy chow, but I like the bury your face in this bowl name! Very cute.
You HAVE to try it then! The chocolate version I linked is vegan but you’re not vegan so it may not matter. But you have to try it :)
I used to loveeeee puppy chow-favorite food as a kid. I make a new version now…with chex, pb, and cocoa powder…….not exactly the same, but still yummy!
So many ways to make it, pb, cocoa powder, choc chip, choc peanut butter, white choc, etc…bet your version is great!
WOW I’ve never had anything like Puppy Chow! Sounds and looks reeaally good.. I could definitely bury my face in that stuff :)
You HAVE to try it then! Mandatory!
I’ve honestly never had Puppy Chow, or heard of it until now! Where have I been, under a rock this whole time? It looks lovely! Something I’d want out on New Year’s Eve while watching the ball drop, or to munch on between meals on Christmas day.
You HAVE to try it then! It’s the best “just watching TV snack:, too :)
Oh wow, I could just dive into a massive bowl of these!
Dustin’s been asking me to make Puppy Chow for like, 6 years now, lol. I’ve never had it. I even bought all the supplies once; the paper bag, the Chex, etc. I suppose I’ll make it for him, he deserves it. He’s not into white chocolate at all though, so this recipe wouldn’t tickle his fancy. He’s either peanut butter or milk chocolate, sometimes both. He will eat anything, but has a very short list of what he actually enjoys eating, haha. :roll:
No paper or ziplock bag even necessary with this method. Just replace what I did with white and use all semisweet/nestle chips, whatever dark chip you (or he) likes…and do everything else the same. At that point they are vegan and GF so you can have them too….lucky you :)
Holy crap, these look uh-mazing! I’m going to have to try these. Yogis know how to live life…balanced. I’ll do an asana practice for hours. But afterwards, I’d eat these snacks. Work hard and reward yourself! Delicious!
I have been trying so hard to moderate my sugar intake lately but one of the girls at work tonight had made puppy chow and I couldn’t restrain myself! I grabbed two small clumps then got as far away from that container as I could!! It is ridiculously delicious!!
what are the odds of that! puppy chow at the party and then seeing this post…at least you got your craving handled :)
YUM. I recall many a holiday season standing over a giant gallon ice cream bucket FULL of puppy chow. It was always the first thing I requested my mom make during the holiday. Whitec chocolate seems to class it up a bit, no? If you can “class up” something called puppy chow, that is.
BTW, this isn’t what I had in mind, so I’m happy I wasn’t scooped. Hehe. Unfortunately, I just tried a new white choc cookie bar recipe today that was a total GF fail. I used several GF flours and oats, instead of the mix I’ve been using, with yolks only…turns out the mix had some guar in it and yolks don’t have the binder. Damn food science. The cookies were a crumbly mess. I told my studnets about it and they said they would have eaten them no matter what. Sugar and chocolate. They don’t care what they look like.
class up…I love it.
And thanks for your other email too :)
I have never had puppy chow, but I think I would like it. I like foods that crunch. We make a chex mex, but it is different than that. It has cereals, bugles, pretzels, etc..
yeah that’s what I call savory party mix or just ‘chex mix’…cereals, bugles, pretzels, etc. Knowing you, you’d like this, but not tons of quantity of it, b/c you’re more of a savory girl than a sweets girl.
OMG, I love reindeer mix! It is the best..and the most ADDICTING. ;) I’ve actually never made it….and now unfortunately (or fortunately) I really want to!!
ummm, YES PLEASE!!! this looks incredible. i love regular puppy chow aka muddy buddies (ever heard it called that?) i’ve always called it puppy chow, but i went to college in southern california where everyone seemed to call it muddy buddies. ANYWAY, the white chocolate addition is a genius idea!
well and being that these are white and not dark choc, the word ‘muddy’ just seemed not applicable anyway. but yes I live in San Diego and have heard them called that there too!
love this spin on puppy chow!
You’re KILLING me here!
Don’t ever change, k? Keep the white choc-vanilla-PB goodness comin’.
thanks for being you, too :)
This is AMAZING!! I also LOVED puppy chow growing up, this hits the mark. I have a holiday party potluck on Saturday and I am in charge of the dessert, this is now top on the list. Thank you so very much!!!
oh this is perfect holiday party potluck food. the EXACT thing that it’s best for. LMK how they go over if you make them!
Puppy chow was my absolute favorite growing up. I remember throwing all the ingredients into a big paper grocery bag and shaking it up. It didn’t get any better.
and what’s crazy is I never had it as a kid…only as an adult!
i’m just going to call it freaking amazing. thank you.
you had said you like puppy chow, so hopefully it meets your approval :)
I want to eat a big bowl of this!
only if I can trade you for those stuffed cookies you made!!