Butterfinger Puppy Chow – Sweet & Crunchy Party Snack
Right, Let’s Talk About Butterfinger Puppy Chow (Because You Need This!)
You ever find yourself craving something that’s sweet, crunchy, and—let’s be honest—a little bit chaotic? Enter: my favorite sort-of-guilty pleasure, Butterfinger Puppy Chow. We call it ‘Muddy Buddies’ half the time because that’s what Aunt Lisa always said, but I say there’s a difference. The Butterfinger twist started because one Halloween I had, like, 4 leftover fun-size bars and no self-control. Next thing I know, I’m mixing chocolate with peanut butter and accidentally discovering a snack that my friends now request for every game night. I mean, it’s so easy—even if you get interrupted by the cat or wander away to answer the phone (yes, that’s happened), you’ll still end up with something addictive and delicious.
Why This Stuff Is Honestly Too Good
I make this when I’ve got to bring something to a party but don’t want to turn on the oven (which, in summer, is always). My family absolutely loses their minds for it, though my brother tries to convince me it’s a breakfast cereal, which… nice try, Larry. It’s crunchy, chocolatey, nutty, and surprisingly not too heavy. Plus, if you’ve ever had regular Muddy Buddies and wished they had a bit more oomph, this is the recipe you need. Also, confession: I used to get so mad about globs forming (you know, where the coating clumps up and you get like three cubes stuck together) but now I call those “snack clusters” and pretend I meant to make them. It’s fine.
What You’ll Need (Plus My Swaps and Shortcuts)
- 6 cups (about half a box) Rice Chex cereal – Sometimes I get wild and use Corn Chex. Honestly, whatever’s on sale.
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips – I’ve used milk chocolate in a pinch. My grandma used to insist on Ghirardelli, but I can’t always justify that!
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter – Once I tried crunchy for ‘texture’ and… it wasn’t ideal.
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, sliced – Salted is okay, just skip the pinch of salt later, unless you’re a salty-sweet fanatic.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract – Real is best, but that artificial stuff does the trick if that’s what you’ve got (no shame).
- 1 1/2 cups Butterfinger bars, crushed (about 9 fun-size)—sometimes I toss in a Butterfinger baking bits bag from the store if I see one.
- 2 cups powdered sugar (ish) – Maybe more; I never actually measure this exactly.
So, How Do I Actually Make This?
- First, grab a BIG bowl. No, bigger. (Every time, I use one that’s too small the first try!) Dump your Chex cereal in there and just… let it hang out.
- In a medium (microwaveable) bowl, zap the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter together for about 1 minute. Stir, then keep microwaving in little bursts (like 20 seconds at a time) stirring each time, until it’s all melted and glossy—don’t overthink it. If it looks a little separated, just keep stirring; it sorts itself out.
- Stir in the vanilla—as in, just dump and swirl.
- Pour that mixture over your cereal. Now, use a big spatula, a wooden spoon, or even your hands if you’re feeling wild—gently fold and coat. This is where I usually sneak a bite (for quality control).
- Add in about 1 cup of the crushed Butterfingers now. Don’t worry if it all goes in one spot; it gets prettily uneven and that’s half the charm.
- Sling everything into a giant ziptop bag (a grocery sack works, in an emergency, if it’s clean). Add the powdered sugar, seal, then shake it like you’re making a cocktail. Side note: this is weirdly satisfying.
- Pour it out onto a sheet tray (or just spread it over parchment on the counter, which is what I usually do) to cool and set a bit. Sprinkle the rest of the Butterfinger bits over the top because, well, why not?
Notes, AKA What I’ve Learned the Hard Way
- Don’t melt the chocolate too fast or it can seize. Ask me how I know (hint: ruined a good batch last Christmas).
- Cereal basically explodes if you stir too hard. Be gentle—I once crushed it into dust by accident. It was… powdery.
- If you run out of powdered sugar, you can blitz granulated sugar in a blender. It’s not quite the same, but it works in a pinch.
Puppy Chow Experiments That (Mostly) Worked
One time I swapped in Reese’s Pieces for some of the Butterfingers—tasted awesome, just more peanut buttery. I’ve tried with Cinnamon Toast Crunch…ehhhh. It was kind of odd, though my nephew devoured it anyway. Oh! Mini pretzels smashed in make it crunchier and I liked that more than I expected. If you’ve got another idea, I say try it! Worst case, you eat your mistake.
Essential Tools (But, You Can Improvise Too)
- Large mixing bowl (seriously, as big as you’ve got—trust me, or else you’ll be mopping cereal off the floor)
- A microwave and a microwave-safe bowl (no microwave? Use a stovetop, just don’t walk away from it!)
- Large gallon ziplock bag (if all else fails, use a clean grocery sack or even a big mixing bowl with a plate as a ‘lid’ and shake carefully)
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Baking sheet lined with wax paper—though, plenty of times I’ve just spread it on my kitchen table over an old magazine. Not saying you should, but, you know.
Keeping It Fresh (Or, How Fast It Disappears)
You can store Butterfinger Puppy Chow in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week. But honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day; if it does, I highly respect your willpower. If you need it to last longer, maybe hide it at the back of a cupboard (not that I’ve ever done that, ahem).
How We Eat It (Besides by the Handful, Obviously)
Okay, so in my family, we toss it in a big bowl and let everyone grab handfuls during movie night. But, if I’m feeling fancy, I spoon it into little cupcake liners for parties—makes it seem like I put in way more effort than I did. Once, I even used it to top off a scoop of vanilla ice cream and, whoa, you should try that!
Lessons I’ve Learned (Mostly the Hard Way)
- Do not try to skip the step where you let the mixture cool—if you rush this, you get sad, melty puppy chow. Ask me how I know.
- Make sure your bag is actually sealed before you shake. Powdered sugar has a sneaky way of getting everywhere (still finding it in weird places months later!)
- More is not always better with the Butterfingers. A couple times, I went heavy, and it weirdly overpowered things. Who knew?
Frequently Asked (Or Texted) Questions
- Do I have to use Chex cereal? Nah, I’ve used Crispix when that’s all I had—it worked out okay! Came out crunchier, actually.
- Can I make it nut-free? Hmmm, I’ve tried with SunButter and no Butterfinger (used plain chocolate chips + pretzels instead). It works! Not exactly the same, but still tasty.
- Can I halve (or double) the recipe? You totally can. Just eyeball it, nothing bad happens if you have a little too much or little of the coating. Honestly, I’ve made a quarter batch just for a movie night with my partner and it was the perfect amount.
- What’s the best way to crush Butterfingers? I put them in a ziptop bag and just wack ’em with a rolling pin or bottom of a mug. Feels very satisfying, like kitchen stress relief.
- Where do you buy Butterfinger baking bits? Not sure if they sell ’em everywhere, but Walmart usually has them. I also like Amazon if I’m stocking up; I’ve seen them at Target, too.
- Is it gluten free? If you use gluten free Chex and check the labels on your Butterfingers, it’s pretty safe. But cross check, since recipes and ingredients change (once I got burned by a random label switch, so yeah, check twice).
- Why’s it called puppy chow anyway? No clue! Looks like dog food I guess? But don’t let the name fool you—it’s for humans only.
And a quick (totally unrelated) thought: Last time I made this, my neighbor wandered in and thought it was trail mix, so if you want to really confuse people, take this to the next block party. They’ll be talking about “that weirdly good party snack” for ages!
If you’re after more sweet snack ideas, check out Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Muddy Buddies or the wild variety on Taste of Home. Both have given me fun new directions when I’m feeling adventurous.
Now, go forth and shake some cereal! (And, if you spill powdered sugar all over your counter, just call it good luck.)
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 5 Butterfinger candy bars (fun size), crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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1Add Rice Chex cereal to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
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2In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and unsalted butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and melted.
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3Stir in vanilla extract and salt to the melted chocolate mixture.
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4Pour the melted mixture over the Chex cereal. Gently stir to coat all pieces evenly.
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5Sprinkle most of the crushed Butterfinger bars over the coated cereal and gently fold.
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6Add the coated cereal and powdered sugar to a large zip-top bag. Seal and shake until evenly coated. Pour into a serving bowl, garnish with remaining Butterfinger crumbles, and enjoy.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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