Halloween Dog Food (Halloween Muddy Buddies)

The addition of Halloween candies and fall colors transforms this into the ultimate festive party snack, whether you name it Halloween puppy chow, Halloween muddy pals, or Monster Munch. Serve this with a dish of Halloween candy bark and cinnamon buttered rum popcorn balls at your next party (for the adults, of course).

What exactly is Halloween?

It’s the American holiday when we teach kids to be charming or frightening so that people will give them candy, and then they go all wired on sugar and behave like small crazy people until they sleep on the living room floor dressed up like Batman in a pool of sticky drool.

And so I decided I’d go right into the sweet deep end with this Halloween Chex mix muddy pals predicament.

Ingredients for Halloween puppy chow

Chex coated with chocolate, peanut butter, and devil’s food cake mix
Chex cereal with sprinkles, white chocolate, and powdered sugar
Pumpkins with candy corn and mellowcreme
M&Ms
Bits of Reese’s
Mini Reese’s white chocolate cups
Miniature marshmallows
Worms in Gummy Form
Eyeballs made with candy

This is not a refined gluten-free, sugar-free, or dairy-free product. But wait! I made it using gluten-free Chex cereal! But I believe when you add everything else on top of that, it loses its relevance. Womp, womp, womp.

So be it. I won’t say I didn’t try.

Adding candy to make it Halloween-themed

I simply wanted to throw something out there. That wouldn’t be a very nice Halloween treat if there wasn’t anything creepy or unpleasant in it, would it? I chose gummy worms and sweets that resembled eyes. Modest, yet powerful.

Variations

You may obviously use anything you want in this! Replace the M&Ms with caramels or the marshmallows with cinnamon sugar coated roasted chickpeas (its a thing).

You may also use Nutella for the chocolate in the coating, or white chocolate for a different kind of chocolate melts. Substitute red velvet cake mix for the devil’s food cake mix.

If the gummy worms, eyes, and other Halloween sweets were removed, this could easily be a Thanksgiving dish.

My friends, the possibilities for dog chow are limitless.

Let out your inner sugar-fueled Batman.

Halloween Puppy Chow (Halloween Muddy Buddies)

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Prep Time: 30mins

Cook Time: 5mins

Total Time: 35mins

Servings: cups

✓ Read the recipe beginning to end

✓ Check oven calibration

✓ Check expiration dates

✓ Properly measure ingredients

✓ Check butter temperature

Description

Whether you call it Halloween puppy chow or Halloween muddy buddies, the addition of Halloween candy and autumn colors turn this into the perfect festive party snack!

Equipment

Sheet pan with a high side
Paper made with parchment (precut)
blending bowls
Little frying pan

Ingredients

9cups Divided Chex, Corn, Rice, or Both
a cup of dark chocolate chips
a cup of creamy peanut butter
2tablespoonsbutter
a teaspoon of vanilla extract
cake mix for devils
6 oz. white candy melts
granulated sugar
Sprinkles for Halloween
Brachs Assorted Halloween Mellowcreme Candy, 11 oz.
1 cup M&Ms (Fall Harvest)
1 cup of Reese’s Pieces
8 oz. Reese’s White Mini Cups
1 cup miniature marshmallows
6 oz. gummy worms

Instructions

Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and divide the Chex equally between two big mixing basins. Set aside.
9 cups Chex cereal
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 cup dark chocolate chips, 4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 teaspoons butter 1
Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until smooth and blended.
1
Toss 2 cups devil’s food cake mix to blend and coat.
1
Pour over the Chex in one dish and mix to blend and coat completely. Stir in the Devil’s Food Cake Mix.
Let to sit for at least 15 minutes on one of the prepared baking sheets.
Microwave white chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.
White candy melts, 6 oz.
Toss with 2 cups powdered sugar to coat. Toss in the sprinkles to blend.
1
Pour the white chocolate over the remaining Chex cereal and gently swirl to incorporate. Stir in the powdered sugar
Pour onto the second baking sheet and leave aside for at least 15 minutes.
To mix, throw everything together. Until ready to serve, store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
11 oz. package of Halloween sprinkles Brachs Halloween Mellowcreme Assortment 1 cup M&Ms, 1 cup Reeses Pieces, 8 ounces Reeses White Mini Cups, 1 cup tiny marshmallows, 6 ounces gummy worms

Stir together all prepared Chex mixes and all other ingredients in a large mixing basin.

Notes

Note: Nutrition information will vary based on the candies you choose to include.

Nutrition Facts

This piece was first published in October 2017 and has now been edited and reprinted for clarity.

FAQs

Is puppy chow the same as Muddy Buddies?

Puppy chow, also known as monkey munch, muddy pals, muddy munch, reindeer chow, or doggy bag, is a handcrafted confection created mostly in the Midwest of the United States.

What came first Muddy Buddies or puppy chow?

Muddy Buddies (a.k.a. Puppy Chow) was created by General Mills in 2002, although the same recipe, in some form or another, has been around for much longer in the American home cook community.

What is Muddy Buddies puppy chow called?

Puppy chow was called by its similarity to dog kibble and is supposed to have originated in the Midwest. Chex later recognized the snack’s appeal and started printing a recipe for ‘Muddy Buddies’ on the back of its boxes, which is why the two common names exist.

Is puppy chow a midwest thing?

Puppy Chow, also known as Muddy Buddies, is a classic Midwest snack that is enjoyable to prepare and consume all year, but particularly during the holidays. Something about chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar-covered Rice Chex resembling scrumptious tiny snow balls or something.

Why is puppy chow hard to find?

What is the cause of the pet food shortage? If the pet food aisles seem to be sparse, this is most likely owing to supply chain concerns. Supply chain concerns have touched practically everything you can think of in recent years, making them a common issue for retailers and customers.

Why is puppy chow out of stock everywhere?

Puppy and cat food have been in limited supply since early this year, after a surge in demand that began in 2020, when lockdowns resulted in many individuals adopting a furry family member.

Why are my Muddy Buddies soggy?

Why is my Puppy Chow soggy? If you do not thoroughly chill the Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow after pouring the chocolate on top, the chocolate fats might break down the cereal and make it mushy. Spread the whole mixture out in a single layer and let it cool fully.

Why are my Muddy Buddies stale?

Second, after you’ve completed the recipe, put the Muddy Buddies in an airtight container or sealed ziplock bag. Air, particularly chilly refrigerator or freezer air, will cause the cereal to get stale over time.

Why is it called puppy chow?

Puppy chow is so called because it closely resembles dog food*. It begins with Chex or Crispix cereal (rice or corn—gluten-free before gluten-free was a thing), which is then covered in a peanut butter, chocolate, and butter combination and sprinkled with powdered sugar. In a nutshell, pour, melt, stir, pour, stir, pour, shake.

Is puppy chow a wisconsin thing?

The puppy chow belt extends from the Dakotas through Iowa, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, and then spreads out into the neighboring territories. Every potluck, picnic, and holiday party table has it.

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