This fluffernutter puppy chow has crunchy Chex cereal that’s coated in the delicious combination of marshmallow + peanut butter and topped with powdered sugar.

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Close up side view of a festive gold paper bowl filled to the brim with golden fluffernutter puppy chow, surrounded by more puppy chow and paper cones.

About Fluffernutter Puppy Chow

Inspired by the fluffernutter sandwich that combines creamy peanut butter and soft marshmallow fluff, this fluffernutter puppy chow is the salty and sweet snack food you’ve been searching for. Between the crispy texture and the sugary coating, this is the type of finger food you simply can’t stop eating!

But wait, what is puppy chow?

Despite the fun-sounding name, this recipe isn’t for the dogs – it’s for anyone who loves a sweet and crunchy treat with the slightest hint of salt. Some regions of the United States also call this treat muddy buddies or even monkey bunch.

Ultimately, “puppy chow” refers to any recipe made with Chex cereal that’s been coated in various sweet candies and sugars. It has roots in the central US and gets its name for resembling puppy chow – just for humans.

And no matter what flavor of puppy chow you’re making, you’ll ultimately have three types of ingredients:

  • Chex cereal
  • Something that’s tacky, like melted chocolate.
  • Something that’s powdery, like sugar or dry cake mix.

And as far as instructions, you’ll usually follow the same three steps:

  • Coat the Chex cereal with the tacky ingredients.
  • Toss the coated Chex cereal in the dry ingredients.
  • Let the finished puppy chow cool and harden.
Close up side view of a decorative paper corn filled with fluffernutter puppy chow that's overflowing onto the table.

What are the other names for puppy chow?

Depending on where you’re from, you might have learned to call this sweet-and-crunchy treat by another name. Here are some of the most popular:

  • Monkey Munch
  • Muddy Buddies
  • Muddy Munch
  • Reindeer Chow

What’s in fluffernutter puppy chow?

In order to have your own batch of marshmallow-and-peanut-butter-infused puppy chow, you’ll need to collect the following ingredients:

  • Chex cereal – The light and crispy cereal that forms the “base” of any puppy chow recipe.
  • White chocolate chips – Melted until smooth and coated over the Chex cereal. You can use an equal portion of any type of chocolate that you’d prefer, but I found that white chocolate was the best flavor compliment to marshmallow.
  • Creamy peanut butter – One half of the fluffernutter flavor! Creamy peanut butter is recommended for a smooth, even finish on the Chex. Also, this recipe has not been tested with natural peanut butter, so the “big brands” like Skippy or Jiff are the only ones I can recommend using.
  • Unsalted butter – Adds a little fat content to the chocolate for a smoother texture and better taste, but this is also totally optional.
  • Marshmallow fluff – The other half of this delicious flavor combination, you can use either store-bought fluff or you can also make your own. Marshmallow creme should also work.
  • Powdered sugar – Used to coat the sticky white chocolate and give this puppy chow its trademark powdery look and sweet flavor.

What type of chocolate should you use?

There are many different brands of chocolate chips – even some made by popular candy companies – but from my experience, the best chocolate for baking, fudges, or truffles is Ghirardelli. It consistently performs well while baking, has a great texture (never chalky), and has a delicious flavor. This brand is a little more expensive, but trust me, you’ll appreciate the flavor and consistency you’ll get from the premium quality.

You can find their white chocolate chips or white chocolate bar either in the bakery aisle of most grocery stores or you can buy it online.

Top down view of multiple gold paper bowls filled with fluffernutter puppy chow.

What can you add to puppy chow?

Puppy chow is always good all by itself, but sometimes it’s fun to jazz it up with sweet candies or a salty crunch. Here are a few of my favorites:

How long is puppy chow good for?

Once made, cooled, and stored in a sealed container, puppy chow will remain good at room temperature for up to one to two weeks.

Can you make puppy chow ahead of time?

Yes, you totally can! Because it can last up to two weeks, it’s great for making in batches for parties or giving away as gifts.

Can you freeze puppy chow?

Yes, you totally can!

Once prepared and set, puppy chow can be stored in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to two months. You can either thaw it before eating or eat it straight from the freezer like a frosty treat.

Notes & tips for fluffernutter puppy chow

  • When making this recipe, you’ll need a big mixing bowl so you have enough room to maneuver and stir. I own a 13 quart mixing bowl for this very reason.
  • If the fluffernutter mixture feels too thick, you can add a small amount of hot water (a teaspoon or less) and mix with a fork until combined.
  • If you’ve used homemade marshmallow fluff, check the storage instructions. Some fluff recipes are not shelf-stable, which means that if you use it in this recipe then the puppy chow should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
Top down view of a paper cone filled with fluffernutter puppy chow that's flowing out, covering the table in front of it.

More puppy chow recipes

Other peanut butter recipes

How to make fluffernutter puppy chow

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a microwave-safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and butter, then microwave it until the chocolate has melted (for best results, follow the instructions on the bag of chips.)

Step 2 – Add the marshmallow fluff and peanut butter to the bowl, then mix well.

Step 3 – Add the Chex cereal to a large mixing bowl (I like using a 13-quart mixing bowl), then pour the melted chocolate mixture on top. Use a spatula to gently toss to mix until all the cereal is coated. TIP: while mixing, dig under the cereal, then pull up.

Step 4 – Add powdered sugar to a ZipLoc bag. Working in batches, scoop in a portion of the coated Chex cereal, seal the bag, then shake to coat the cereal in powdered sugar. Repeat this step until all the puppy chow is coated.

Step 5 – Spread the puppy chow out on a flat surface (like a baking sheet) and allow it to cool, dry, and set.

Step 6 – Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Details

Close up side view of a festive gold paper bowl filled to the brim with golden fluffernutter puppy chow, surrounded by more puppy chow and paper cones.
4.67 from 3 votes

Fluffernutter Puppy Chow

25 minutes prep + 1 hour Cooling Time
935 kcal
Yields: 6 servings
This fluffernutter puppy chow has crunchy Chex cereal that's coated in the delicious combination of marshmallow + peanut butter and topped with powdered sugar.

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Set a baking sheet nearby and cover with parchment paper.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, add white chocolate chips and butter. Heat in microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to heat in microwave for 30 second intervals until chocolate chips are soft. Using a whisk or a fork, stir chocolate and peanut butter until smooth. Mixture will be a little thick – this is okay.
    1 cup white chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Add creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff to bowl with white chocolate, then mix thoroughly. Fluffernutter mixture will be thick and oily but should stir freely. If needed, heat bowl in microwave for another 15-30 seconds to loosen up the mixture.
    1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • Add Chex cereal to a 13 quart mixing bowl. Pour fluffernutter mixture on top and gently stir with a spatula until all Chex cereal is coated. If mixture is very sticky, be patient and continue to stir; pieces will begin to break off on their own. Once done, set bowl aside.
    3 cup Chex Cereal
  • Add powdered sugar to a Ziploc bag. Working in batches (about 1-2 cups at a time), add coated Chex cereal to bag with powdered sugar, seal or twist the top of the bag closed, and then shake the bag until the Chex cereal is coated with sugar. Remove finished brownie puppy chow and spread out on prepared baking sheet. Repeat step until all the puppy chow is made. When finished, discard plastic bag and any dry brownie mix that remains inside. NOTE: There will likely be small fluffernutter crumbles in bottom of the bowl when finished. You can save these and use them as a candy topping for cakes, cupcakes, popcorn, etc.
    4 cups powdered sugar
  • Let puppy chow cool, dry, and set, about 1 hour.
  • Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 935kcal | Carbohydrates: 151g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 390mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 117g | Vitamin A: 455IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 10mg

I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

Author: Chrisy

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14 comments

    • Andy

    I forgot to pick up Marshmallow Fluff from the store. Is there something else I can use, besides making my own fluff?

    • Susan

    This looks like a nice alternative to regular puppy chow but I think I’m missing something. When I click on the link for the homemade marshmallow fluff, I get redirected to Amazon to purchase a jar of Fluff (which by the way is out of stock). Do you have a recipe for homemade Fluff or should I head to the grocery store?

    • Ashley

    I wanted to double the recipe (because…boys) and after reading reviews of others that didn’t have good luck here’s what I did:

    Melted 1 bag white chips with 1 stick of butter and 2 cups PB (natural). Then I stirred in one 7oz jar marshmallow fluff and microwaved another 30 sec.

    I poured this over the cereal. I ended up using an entire 12oz box of corn Chex. Then I transferred the cereal mixture into a plastic grocery sack (with no holes or there will be a huge mess!) and tossed it with 4 cups of powdered sugar.

    This was perfect for my families preferences! Delicious! I hope this can be of help to others that struggled with it. 🙂

    • Sarah
    • 5 stars

    O my this looks so good! I think I’m going to make this and use the brownie mix to coat instead of powdered sugar. Have you ever tried that?

      • Chrisy

      Love that idea! I’ve made brownie puppy chow before (using the mix) and it was amazing, so I’m sure it’d be a great coating for this as well 😀 There should be enough sweetness in the fluffernutter to carry it 😀

    • Delaney

    For me, this recipe did not work as well as I had hoped (however still very much edible!!) I am confident that I followed the recipe as stated but had a different outcome than what is shown in pictures and described.
    The “batter” was very thick and nearly impossible to coat the chex with. I first tried shaking it in a big bowl with a lid on it (that is what I normally do with puppy chow and have had the best results) but it all clumped into one huge chunk. I then stirred/folded like the recipe said and still had trouble coating the chex semi evenly. I ended up with more little crumbs than full size pieces. I understand the need of 4 cups of powdered sugar that is suppose to coat it to make them not stick together, but it makes it very sweet and like I said before, I ended up with more tiny crumbs. Overall I think the basic taste is wonderful and fluffernutter is a yummy and unique food combo, but I feel like a change in amount of ingredients or maybe different ingredients might make it work out a little smoother.

    • Hey Delaney! Thank you so much for the feedback 😀 This recipe is indeed a little more tricky to stir than your average puppy chow. Another big difference might be that I typically use homemade marshmallow fluff, which tends to be a little more “watery” (if that’s the right word?) than what typically comes in a tub from the store. I’ll have to try making this again with the store-bought marshmallow fluff and see if I can tweak it to work out a bit better.

    • Colleen

    I tried making this recipe today and the flavor is nice. Will have to add more butter or something since the whole thing seized up when I tried mixing it with the cereal. It really is sweet enough, even for my terrible sweet tooth, with a lot less powdered sugar. (The last time I made puppy chow, it was something like 2 cups powdered sugar to 9 cups of cereal, so 4 cups sugar to 3 cups cereal is a lot with the sugar in the peanut butter, chips, and fluff already making it sweet.) Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    • NellieBellie

    So happy to see a fluffernutter recipe! We are fluffernutter addicts! The mix of mallow and peanut butter is just pure perfection. Seriously. We have a problem. We hope you will soon, too 🙂

    • Kacey @ The Cookie Writer

    I hear you. I was making this awesome angel food cake, and was so proud, but I did not have the correct pan for angel food cake so the cake collapsed under all the weight of the topping. Glad you could come up with another amazing recipe!

    • Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert

    I love peanut butter so much, and this looks like a fantastic use for it. We made sprinkles cake flavored puppy chow for my oldest’s birthday, but this totally speaks to my heart.

    • Nutmeg Nanny

    Fluffernutter puppy chow! That is sweet and happy snacking…yum!

    • Marye

    Ok… this is brilliant…and I think it was totally worth your cake fail. 🙂