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Patriotic Puppy Chow

Patriotic puppy chow (aka muddy buddies) is a no-bake Chex mix dessert with a glossy white chocolate coating and a powdered sugar dusting. Tossed with red and blue M&Ms and star sprinkles, it’s an easy 4th of July party snack that looks piled-on from the first scoop.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 530
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chex base
  • 9 cups Chex cereal Use rice or corn Chex.
White chocolate coating
  • 12 oz white chocolate chips or white melting wafers Choose chips or melting wafers.
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter Use unsalted butter for the coating.
Powdered sugar coating
  • 2 cups powdered sugar For the signature dusted look.
Patriotic mix-ins
  • 1 cup red M&Ms Fold in after cooling so they stay bright.
  • 1 cup blue M&Ms Fold in after cooling so they stay bright.
  • 1 Red and blue star sprinkles Add for the red/white/blue sparkle.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the Chex
  1. Measure 9 cups Chex cereal into a very large bowl and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter
  1. Melt 12 oz white chocolate chips or white melting wafers and 4 tbsp unsalted butter together in a microwave-safe bowl using 30-second intervals, stirring until completely smooth.
Coat the cereal
  1. Pour the melted white chocolate over the Chex and stir gently until every piece is evenly coated.
Dust with powdered sugar
  1. Transfer the coated cereal into a large zip-lock bag, add 2 cups powdered sugar, seal, and shake vigorously until all pieces are well coated.
Cool to set
  1. Spread the coated cereal onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and let cool for 30 minutes until set.
Toss and serve
  1. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 1 cup red M&Ms, 1 cup blue M&Ms, and red and blue star sprinkles, then serve in a big bowl or individual bags.

Notes

Pro tip: let the cereal cool fully before adding the M&Ms so the candies stay intact and the white coating remains crisp. Store covered in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days (bring to room temperature before serving). Freezing is not recommended because the powdered sugar can become gritty. For a dairy-free swap, use dairy-free white chocolate chips or melting wafers in the same amount.