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Muddy Buddy Cookies take everything you love about puppy chow and press it into no-bake chocolate peanut butter clusters that eat like a cookie, each one coated in a snowy layer of powdered sugar. I make a batch of these with Maddie and Lizzie every holiday season because they are foolproof and require zero baking. If you love our classic puppy chow, these clusters are the two-bite version.
No oven required, just melt, coat, scoop, and dust with powdered sugar for the easiest treat.
Muddy Buddy Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 60 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 101kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet chocolate and peanut butter coating crunchy Chex under a powdered sugar dusting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our chocolate peanut butter pretzels
Quick Answer
Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together in the microwave, then stir in vanilla. Pour the mixture over rice Chex cereal and stir until evenly coated. Scoop the coated cereal into cluster-sized mounds on a lined tray and chill until firm. Finally, roll each cluster in powdered sugar to coat, and they are ready to serve.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- All the puppy chow flavor. You get that classic chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar combo in a fun, poppable cluster shape.
- Completely no-bake. Everything comes together in the microwave and the freezer, so there is no oven and no fuss.
- Just six ingredients. Chex, chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar are all you need.
- Makes a big batch. One recipe yields about 60 little clusters, perfect for holidays, parties, and cookie trays.
- Fun to make with kids. Scooping the clusters and rolling them in powdered sugar is a mess kids love to help with.
- Great for gifting. They hold their shape and travel well, so they are ideal for cookie exchanges and homemade gift boxes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They deliver all the chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar flavor of puppy chow in cookie form.
- They are completely no-bake and come together with just six ingredients.
- One batch makes about 60 clusters, perfect for a cookie tray alongside our chocolate dipped shortbread cookies.
Key Ingredients
Just six pantry staples make these no-bake Muddy Buddy Cookies.
- Rice Chex: The crunchy base. Rice Chex stays crisp and coats evenly. Corn Chex works too if that is what you have.
- Chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chips melt into the rich chocolate coating that holds everything together.
- Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter adds that signature puppy chow flavor and helps the coating set.
- Butter: A little butter smooths out the melted chocolate mixture so it coats the cereal evenly.
- Powdered sugar: The snowy finish that makes these look like little clusters of muddy buddies, just like our classic puppy chow.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These clusters are easy to switch up.
- Use crunchy peanut butter or swap in almond or cookie butter for a different flavor.
- Try dark chocolate or white chocolate chips in place of semi-sweet.
- Add sprinkles to the powdered sugar for a festive, holiday look.
- Mix in mini M&Ms or chopped candy after coating for a loaded version, like the candy in our Butterfinger brownies.
How to Make Muddy Buddy Cookies
- Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, then in 15 second bursts until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Place the rice Chex in a very large bowl and pour about a third of the chocolate mixture over the cereal.
- Gently stir to combine, repeating with the remaining chocolate mixture in batches until the cereal is evenly coated.
- Scoop two tablespoon-sized mounds of the coated cereal onto parchment-lined trays, gently pressing each cluster together. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours to set.
- Place powdered sugar in a bowl and, one at a time, coat each firm cluster, tapping off the excess. Return them to the tray and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use a very large bowl so you have plenty of room to gently toss and coat the cereal without crushing it.
- Add the chocolate in batches so every piece of cereal gets coated evenly.
- Pack the clusters gently with the back of a spoon so they stick together but the cereal does not crush.
- Chill until firm before rolling in powdered sugar, or the clusters will fall apart.
- Coat in powdered sugar last, right before serving or storing, so the sugar stays snowy.
- Store cold to keep the clusters firm, and re-dust with powdered sugar if needed.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Muddy Buddy Cookies are a fun addition to any holiday cookie tray or party spread. Pile them in a bowl or stack them on a plate with a fresh dusting of powdered sugar on top.
They are perfect for a cookie exchange next to our chocolate dipped shortbread cookies and Reese’s peanut butter cup cookies.
For gifting, tuck them into cellophane bags or a decorative tin. They travel well and hold their shape, just like our chocolate peanut butter pretzels.
Store the clusters in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, which keeps them firm and fresh. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge and re-dust with a little powdered sugar before serving so they look freshly made.
Muddy Buddy Cookies FAQs
They use the same chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar coated Chex, but the form is different. Puppy chow, also called muddy buddies, is a loose snack mix you grab by the handful. Muddy Buddy Cookies press that same mixture into individual clusters that eat like a two-bite cookie.
Yes, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate coating firm and the clusters holding their shape. They will keep for up to 2 weeks. Let them sit out for a few minutes before serving if you like them a little softer.
Rice Chex is classic, but Corn Chex or a mix of both works well too. Any sturdy square cereal that stays crisp under the coating is a good choice. Avoid delicate cereals that crush easily when you stir and press the clusters.
They usually need more time to chill and set before you coat them in powdered sugar. Make sure the chocolate coating is fully firm, and press the clusters gently but firmly when you scoop them. Working with cold, set clusters keeps them intact.
Yes. Freeze the set clusters in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It is best to freeze them before the final powdered sugar coating. Thaw them in the refrigerator, then roll them in fresh powdered sugar before serving so they look and taste their best.
These are a great make-ahead treat. You can make them up to 2 weeks in advance and keep them refrigerated, or freeze them for up to 3 months. Just save the powdered sugar coating for closer to serving so it stays fresh and snowy.
Made these Muddy Buddy Cookies? I would love to hear how they turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Craving more chocolate peanut butter? Our classic no bake cookies are ready in 30 minutes.
More chocolate peanut butter? Our peanut butter blossoms are the timeless classic.
Need a treat with zero cooking? Try our fairy bread.
Muddy Buddy Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into slices
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 cups rice chex cereal
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter into a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave another 30 seconds, stir. Keep microwaving at 15-second intervals until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Place the cereal in a very large bowl. Add ⅓ of the chocolate mixture.
- Stir to combine. Repeat 2 more times until the cereal is evenly coated.
- In parchment-lined sheet trays, add 2 tablespoon-sized dollops of the cereal mixture, not touching onto the trays. I like to gently pack the cluster with the back of a spoon to make sure the cereal is sticking to itself.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes or the fridge for 2 hours so they can harden.
- Place the powdered sugar in a bowl. One at a time, place a cookie cluster in the powdered sugar and coat it. Tap off the excess and place the cookie back on the sheet tray. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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You mention vanilla, I assume it goes with all other ? I’m gonna love these!
Oh. My. Word!! I must make these!
LOVE muddy buddies! Can’t wait to try the cookie form!!
Muddy buddy COOKIES!! Yumm! I would love if you would stop by and share on my Friday Favorites linkup!