Oh, puppy chow. You never fail to cure a sweet craving, and you come in so many festive flavors.
For the regulars of this little food blog, you’ll know that this red velvet cake batter puppy chow is the fifth muddy buddy recipe I’ve shared, and between you and me, this flavor is easily in my top two.
And maybe that’s because I’ve been craving red velvet lately. Maybe it’s because this time around I added M&M’s, giving this treat an extra dose of lightly crunchy chocolate. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because it’s Wednesday and I always need some sugar-coated comfort midway through the week.
But no matter the real reason, the fact still remains:
There’s a whole batch of this puppy chow in my house, and it’s in danger.
From me.
I plan to do absolutely nothing this weekend but binge-watching Netflix and these red velvet muddy buddies are my guest of honor.
If you’re a fan of red velvet or puppy chow, I highly encourage you to do the same!
But wait, what is puppy chow?
Despite the funny 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.
Ultimately, “puppy chow” refers to any recipe made with Chex cereal that’s been coated in various sweet candies and sugars.
How do you make puppy chow?
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 finished puppy chow cool and harden.
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 can you add to puppy chow?
Puppy chow is always good by itself, but sometimes it’s fun to jazz it up with some other candy. Here are a few of my favorites:
- M&M’s, any flavor
- Whoopers
- Hershey bars, chopped up
- Reese’s Pieces
- Sprinkles, any type
Notes & tips for this red velvet cake batter 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.
- Many recipes for muddy buddies call for vanilla extract, but I didn’t feel it was needed in this case; the red velvet and cream cheese hold the flavor up pretty well. That being said, if you’d still like to add vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon should be plenty.
More great muddy buddy recipes
Other lovely red velvet recipes
Recipe Details
Red Velvet Puppy Chow
Classic puppy chow gets a classy makeover with decadent red velvet and festive M&M's. This red velvet puppy chow is perfect for every day snacking or a fun and festive homemade gift for any holiday or occasion.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a microwave-safe bowl, add white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to heat in the microwave for 30-second intervals until chocolate is soft. Using a whisk or a fork, stir chocolates together until smooth.
- Add cream cheese and milk to chocolate, then whisk thoroughly, making sure that cream cheese is completely incorporated into the chocolate.
- Add Chex cereal to a 13 quart mixing bowl. Pour chocolate mixture on top and gently stir with a spatula until all Chex cereal is coated. Set bowl aside.
- Add dry red velvet cake mix and powdered sugar to a Ziploc bag (gallon sized), then shake bag to combine the sugar and cake mix together.
- Working in batches (about 2-4 cups at a time), add the coated Chex cereal to the bag with the red velvet cake mixture, seal or twist the top of the bag closed, and then shake the bag until the Chex cereal is coated with the red velvet cake mixture. Remove finished red velvet 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 red velvet cake mixture that remains inside.
- Let red velvet puppy chow cool completely before eating. If desired, add candy or sprinkles to puppy chow to make it more festive. Once cooled, transfer to a sealed container and store for up to 5 days.
Helene D'Souza says
Binge watching Netflix with those red velvet puppy chow sounds like a great plan! I am all over your chow. =)
Jennifer says
This is so much fun to make and customize for every holiday!
Ashley M Trezek says
How much chex cereal? I couldn’t find it in the recipe? I’m assuming 9 cups…..thank you!!!
Paula says
I was able to tweak this by subbing the chips for allergy friendly dairy free white and chocolate chips, milk for almond milk, cream cheese for vegan cream cheese alternative and cake mix for a gluten and dairy free chocolate mix. It’s not “red” velvet but it’s decadent and delicious for my gluten free dairy free friends at book club! Thank you! For the non-allergy friends I used white cheesecake and regular valentine M&M’s- so pretty and they fit the theme perfectly! Last note a new cat litter scoop is perfect for getting the mix to separate cleanly and easily. Thank you!!