Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies
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Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow or Reindeer Chow) are an easy holiday treat made using Chex cereal, peppermint bark, and powdered sugar.
The minty peppermint bark pairs with crunchy rice cereal for a sweet and crunchy Christmas treat full of holiday flavor that will have everyone reaching for another handful.
Looking for a more traditional muddy buddy recipe give this Christmas puppy chow a try. Or for a cake-batter flavored spin on the recipe try these funfetti muddy buddies.
Which only 3 ingredients, this Christmas muddy muddies recipe is quick and easy to prepare. In fact it can be ready in just 10 minutes!
For more easy Christmas treats try our crockpot candy, Christmas pretzel hugs, and reindeer bark.
This makes it the perfect holiday recipe for getting the kids in the kitchen to help make–especially the last step which is shake, shake, shaking the muddy buddies in a bag.
We love to make a batch of peppermint bark muddy buddies to snack on while watching Christmas movies and baking Christmas cookies.
They also make a wonderful edible holiday gift. Just scoop into treat bags and they are ready for gifting.
Puppy Chow vs. Muddy Buddies
In case you were having trouble figuring out the difference between puppy chow and muddy buddies, I am going to fill you in…
Muddy Buddies and Puppy Chow are the same exact thing.
The popular snack is also sometimes called reindeer chow or monkey munch.
Whatever you call it, I am sure that everyone will agree that it is one tasty treat!
Note: this is a recipe for humans–even though it is called “puppy chow” it is not meant for dogs!
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chex Cereal – The base of your muddy buddies. I prefer the Rice variety, but corn Chex would work too.
- Peppermint Bark – Gives the recipe its peppermint flavor. See substitutions notes below if you can’t get your hands on any peppermint bark. If you have extra peppermint bark left over do yourself a favor and make a batch of these delicious chocolate peppermint bark cookies.
- Powdered Sugar – Coats and helps set the muddy buddies, add a little extra sweetness.
Substitutions and Variations
- White chocolate – Instead of making these Christmas muddy buddies with peppermint bark you can use 1 ½ cup chopped white chocolate or almond bark and ¼ cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies.
- Chocolate – Likewise, you can use a chocolate-based peppermint bark or chopped semi-sweet chocolate and peppermint candies for a chocolate version.
- Sprinkles – A couple of Tablespoons of red and green sprinkles make a fun and festive addition.
- M&Ms – Add some holiday M&Ms to turn this into a Christmas Muddy Buddies snack mix
How to Make Peppermint Bark Puppy Chow
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Pour powdered sugar into a gallon-sized zip-top baggie and set aside.
Add Chex to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Place peppermint bark in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well and reheat in 25 second intervals as needed, stirring well after each until smooth and melted.
Pour the melted peppermint bark in the bowl over the Chex cereal.
Stir gently to coat, being careful as to not crush the chex cereal.
Transfer the Chex into the bag of powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake well until the cereal is completely coated.
Dump out onto wax paper or a cookie sheet and allow to cool before storing or serving.
Storage
Countertop: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
FAQ
Muddy buddies can be made using rice chex, corn chex, chocolate chex, wheat chex, or any other chex chereal varitey. It just depends on the taste that you are going for. For this particular recipe I recommend rice or corn chex.
Other nut butters, nut butter alternativies, chocolate, or white chocolate all are great options for using in place of peanut butter in muddy buddy recipes. This recipe uses peppermint bark (white chocolate with peppermint pieces) instead of peanut butter.
More Easy Christmas Treats
- Peppermint Fudge
- Christmas Crack
- Ritz Cracker Thin Mints – only 2 ingredients!
- Sugar Cookie Christmas Fudge – reader favorite!
- Christmas Tree Rice Krispies Treats
- Gumdrop Fudge – just 4 ingredients!
- Peppermint Candy Cane Snowball Cookies
Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice Chex cereal
- 1 ½ cup chopped peppermint bark
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Pour powdered sugar into a gallon-sized zip-top baggie and set aside.
- Add Chex to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place peppermint bark in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well and reheat in 25 second intervals as needed, stirring well after each until smooth and melted.
- Pour the melted peppermint bark over the Chex cereal and stir gently to coat.
- Transfer the Chex into the bag of powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake well until the cereal is completely coated.
- Dump out onto wax paper or a cookie sheet and allow to cool before storing or serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Where do you buy peppermint bark? Is it homemade with white chocolate, peppermint pieces and extract? Never seen i before in stores locally.
You can make it at home or buy it at Target, Walmart, or many other stores during the holiday season. Amazon has some available to order as well (like this or this). Some varieties have a milk or dark chocolate layer on the bottom but others are just white chocolate. Either will work and taste amazing but the ones with milk or dark chocolate will alter the color of the muddy buddies, making it darker.
Is it possible to make my own peppermint bark by adding crushed peppermint candy to almond bark?
Absolutely. You could just melt 1 and 1/2 cups almond bark and add some finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes.