Muddy Buddies - A Messy Yummy Treat!

Last week, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she was making "Puppy Chow", and I legitimately thought she was making her own dog food. Later, I found out that puppy chow is actually an amazingly delicious combination of chocolate, peanut butter, Chex cereal, and powdered sugar. I hunted around a bit and stumbled across this recipe...it's actually a combination of a few recipes and some tips from friends. The kids had a great time making this and we made a HUGE mess! Granted, that could be because of my 3-year-old helpers :)  Then, when the big kids got home from school, one of the girls said, "Oh, you made MUDDY BUDDIES"!  I have to admit muddy buddies sounds much better than puppy chow, but whatever you choose to call it, this treat is a must-have for the little ones.

For this recipe, we used:
1/4 cup butter (some recipes omit the butter)
12 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
7-8 cups of Rice or Corn Chex (we used Corn Chex)

1.  Melt butter, chocolate, peanut butter, and vanilla in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on high one minute, stir, and continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until completely smooth and melted.  (I think next time I would even add a splash of milk to get a thinner consistency for pouring over the cereal.)

2.  Combine Chex cereal and chocolate mixture in a large bowl.  If you have a large bowl with a lid, you can cover and let your kids shake until their hearts content :)  (This is also why a thinner consistency makes mixing easier.)

3.  Let cool for a few minutes in the refrigerator.  This helps the powdered sugar to coat evenly and not clump.

4.  Combine cereal and powdered sugar in a Ziplock bag.  Shake to coat.  *Tip - some recipes say to use a brown paper bag.  We tried this and ended up with sugar all over the kitchen.  Granted, that could have been 3-year-old user error, but there was sugar that leaked through the bottom seams. 

5.  Store in an airtight container.

I bagged mine up in treat bags for the kids and attached holiday ribbon.  I also used the girls' hair bows for extra pizzazz and they made adorable gifts for the kids!