Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow) are the ultimate snack mix made of the creamy, spiced cookie butter with crunchy cereal coated in powdered sugar. Perfect for holiday gatherings, movie nights, or an indulgent treat, this twist on the classic muddy buddies recipe is impossible to put down. This addictive sweet snack is ready in 15 minutes and is bound to become a household favorite.
Growing up, I definitely knew this snack as Puppy Chow! The traditional version was made with Chex cereal coated in melted chocolate and peanut butter. It was then tossed in powdered sugar which would coat your fingers so you could lick it off.
Muddy Buddies are another way to refer to Puppy Chow, and is actually trademarked by General Mills! They're super easy to make at home. It's also fun to come up with different versions and mix-ins as a quick snack. This version is made with a favorite of mine - cookie butter!
These Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies are coated in cookie butter melted with white chocolate. We'll then crush up some Lotus Biscoff cookies and mix up the crumbs with the powdered sugar for the coating. It's a great alternative for muddy buddies without peanut butter.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- If you're a fan of the cookie butter craze, you'll love these muddy buddies creamy-flavored treats that has all the right texture and flavors and is still super nostalgic.
- Muddy buddies are an easy holiday treat to make that comes together in 15 minutes! This recipe makes a lot so it's great for a party or for treat bags.
- They store well in the fridge for weeks or frozen for months so you can have a snack ready for anytime!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
The ingredients are incredibly similar to Chex Mix Muddy Buddies - we just substitute the chocolate for white chocolate and the peanut butter for cookie butter.
- Chex cereal - Use any of the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, or Chocolate Chex or a mixture of any of them.
- White chocolate - High quality white chocolate chips like from Ghirardelli will give the best result and melt the best
- Cookie butter - The Biscoff cookie butter replaces peanut butter in the original muddy buddies recipe! There are other substitutes, like the Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter.
- Powdered sugar, Biscoff cookies - We're not just using powdered sugar to coat the muddy buddies! We're going to crush up some of the Lotus Biscoff Cookies and mix them together! It gives a heavier flavor of cookie butter over the flavor of Chex.
How to make Cookie Butter Puppy Chow
Start by transferring the cereal to a large bowl. As soon as the white chocolate, cookie butter, and butter have melted down you'll toss it with the cereal.
Crush 6-7 Biscoff cookies into a fine powder and add it into a bowl with the powdered sugar. Give it a stir to combine. I'd also recommend prepping a 2 gallon plastic bag or finding a large container with a lid where you can shake everything together.
- Melt together the white chocolate, cookie butter, and butter to make something very similar to a ganache! There's two methods to do this - the double boiler method or using a microwave. First, add the three ingredients to a bowl and set the vanilla extract to the side.
Double boiler method (preferred) - Bring water to a boil in a pot. Set the bowl with the cookie butter, white chocolate, and butter on top of the pot. Continuously stir until everything has melted together. Remove the bowl from the pot and stir in the vanilla extract. The mixture should be silky smooth and fairly runny.
- Note: Ensure there is no water contact with the white chocolate, otherwise it may seize and you'll have to start over.
Microwave method - Microwave the bowl in 15 second increments and stir in between each interval until everything melts together. This can sometimes result in a chunky mixture, so don't microwave it for too long.
- Once the cookie butter mixture has come together, immediately pour it over the cereal and toss it with a rubber spatula until the cereal is evenly coated.
- At this point, transfer the coated cereal into a 2 gallon plastic bag or into a large container with a lid. Dump the powdered sugar and crushed Biscoff cookie into the gallon bag.
- Seal the plastic bag or container, and give it a good shake until everything is evenly coated. Add a ¼ cup of powdered sugar at a time to fully coat the cereal, if necessary.
- Now, transfer the muddy buddies to a half sheet pan. Spread it out as evenly as possible to allow them to cool and set completely. Then, they're ready to snack on!
Serving Suggestions
Serve Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies in a large bowl for parties or portion them into small treat bags as a fun gift or favor. Pair with hot cocoa, coffee, or a tall glass of cold milk for a cozy snack experience.
Or take a page from Papa Garg's book and eat it as a cereal! Why not?
Expert Tips and Tricks
Homemade Muddy Buddies is generally foolproof, but there's the risk of having giant clumps of cereal.
- To prevent this, make sure you immediately transfer the cookie butter white chocolate mixture into the bowl with the cereal. If it starts thickening, you won't get an even coating!
- If clumping occurs, transfer the cereal into a large pot. Heat it at a very low temperature until the cookie butter white chocolate mixture starts to melt. Keep gently tossing the cereal with the spatula until it gets an even coat. This will require a cooling period before adding the sugar so it doesn't melt and cause a bumpy sugar coating.
- Transferring them to a sheet pan at the end may seem like an extra step, but this allows the cereal a chance to cool. Once they set, they won't stick together.
Variations
- Custom Add-ins: Mix in mini marshmallows, pretzels, or chocolate-covered candies for variety.
- Extra Crunch: Toast the cereal lightly before coating for a nutty flavor.
Storage Instructions
Once the coating has set, the muddy buddies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months! If freezing, pack the mixture in freezer-safe bags and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Personally, I love them when they're chilled instead of room temperature. So I'd highly recommend keeping them in the fridge.
More Holiday Recipes to try
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Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 cups Chex cereal, corn, rice, or chocolate
- 1 cup white chocolate
- ½ cup cookie butter
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup crushed biscoff cookies, (6-7 cookies)
Instructions
- Transfer the Chex cereal into a large mixing bowl. Crush the Biscoff cookies into a fine powder, and then mix it with the powdered sugar in a bowl and set aside. Lastly, prep a 2 gallon plastic bag or a large container with a lid.
- Add the white chocolate, cookie butter, and butter into a heat safe bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. Stir the mixture with a spatula until it's fully melted. Remove the bowl from the pot, and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Immediately pour the mixture over the cereal and stir together until it's fully coated.
- Transfer the coated cereal into the plastic bag or large container. Pour in the powdered sugar mixed with crushed Biscoff cookies. Seal the bag or container and shake until the cereal is fully coated.
- Dump out the muddy buddies into a sheet pan. Evenly spread them out. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy for snacking!
Heather W says
I've made this several times using half rice and half corn Chex. I wouldn't change a thing! Today I'm making them with Chocolate Chex. Every time I share this with people, they love it. Definitely a crowd pleaser and new family staple.
Shweta Garg says
Heather, I'm so happy to hear that this recipe is a hit for you! It's the same deal for me too- my dad eats them like cereal with milk too hehe
Crystal says
The twist on Puppy Chow that all southerners needed. Puppy chow was already an easy recipe to make, but this just makes it so much better!!
Shweta says
The cookie butter is 100% a game changer! So much more addicting!