This St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow is sweet, crunchy, and festive! Made with chocolate, cereal, and green-colored candy, it’s an easy no-bake treat for parties, gifts, or holiday snacking.
Looking for a quick and festive treat for St. Patrick’s Day? This Puppy Chow is sweet, crunchy, and full of holiday fun. Made with cereal coated in chocolate and green-colored candy, it’s a no-bake treat that’s perfect for parties, gift bags, or simply snacking at home.
Easy to make and totally addictive, this festive mix is sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike! The kids will love to help, and we make it every year along with Leprechaun Bait.
Whether you call it muddy buddies or puppy chow, it is the best treat and so easy to make. Check out all our Best Puppy Chow Recipes. We love making muddy buddy recipe for all the holidays.
This is the perfect treat to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. You might also like Lucky Charms Treats or Lucky Charms Cookies to add some rainbows to your day. I also make St. Patrick’s Day Cake Pops, St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate Covered Oreos and these 15 Easy St Patrick’s Day Desserts.
Table of contents
What Is Puppy Chow?
It is a delicious treat with chocolate, peanut butter and lots of powdered sugar. These simple ingredients are mixed with Chex Mix cereal for a delicious treat. It is the perfect party mix.
This milk chocolate treat isn’t safe for dogs or intended for pets. It is just a fun name for sweet treats.
You might hear it referred to as monkey munch or muddy buddies.
Ingredients
- Chex Cereal. Use fresh cereal for the best crunch—stale cereal will make the Puppy Chow soggy.
- Peanut Butter. Creamy peanut butter melts smoothly and gives the perfect texture for coating the cereal.
- Green Candy Melts. These melt easily and add festive color to your Puppy Chow. White vanilla candy melts can be used as an alternative.
- Powdered Sugar. Adds sweetness and a classic Puppy Chow coating.
- Green Sprinkles (Optional). Sprinkle on top for extra holiday fun and festive flair.
- Green M&Ms (Optional). Adds color and extra chocolatey crunch—perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
Find the entire ingredients in the recipe card.
Variations
- Lucky Charm Marshmallows. Add lucky charms marshmallows to make these even more festive.
- Mint Flavor. Try using mint extract if you like mint flavor.
- Holidays. You can use different colors for other holidays. We also make Christmas Puppy Chow Recipe and Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow Recipe.
- Nuts. Another fun idea to add is nuts.
- Morsels. Add chocolate chips, peanut butter morsels or dark chocolate.
- Topping. If you prefer white chocolate, you can use 2 cup chocolate chips and green food coloring.
- Baileys Irish Cream. You can add a tbsp bailey.
How To Make St Patrick’s Day Chex Mix
Step 1 – Combine Ingredients – In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the green candy melts, peanut butter and vegetable oil.
Step 2. Next, microwave on high for 30 second. Stir and cook in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth.
Step 3. Pour the cups rice Chex cereal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted peanut butter and candy mixture over the cereal. In a ziplock bag, pour a portion of powdered sugar. Then pour ½ of the coated cereal into the gallon bag. Seal close and shake to coat the cereal. Follow this process in the 2nd bag as well.
Step 4. Pour the batch on a parchment lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Then sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top and the green sprinkles and M&M.
Pro Tips
- Melt Candy Slowly. Heat green candy melts in short 20–30 second intervals, stirring between each. Candy melts can burn easily, so let residual heat help finish melting any remaining chunks.
- Coat Cereal Immediately. Once the candy is melted, coat the cereal right away. If the coating cools too much, it will not stick properly to the cereal.
- Use a Large Mixing Bowl. Make sure your bowl is big enough to hold all the cereal and candy coating without spilling. A large bowl makes tossing easier and less messy.
- Allow to Cool Completely. Let the coated Puppy Chow set and cool completely before storing to ensure the coating hardens and the mix holds together.
- Add Mix-Ins at the Right Time. Wait until the Puppy Chow has cooled before adding chocolate chips, M&Ms, or sprinkles. Adding them while warm can cause them to melt or lose their shape.
- Stir Gently. When tossing the cereal with melted candy or powdered sugar, stir gently to avoid breaking the cereal pieces.
- Optional Festive Toppings. Sprinkle green M&Ms or festive sprinkles over the top for added color and texture once the candy coating is still slightly tacky.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Refrigeration: To extend freshness, keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Before Serving:
Bring to room temperature if refrigerated, so the candy coating is not too hard and the mix is easy to eat.
Layering Tip:
If stacking in a container, use parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
More Puppy Chow Recipes
More St Patricks Day Desserts
- St. Patrick’s Day Rice Krispie Treats
- Edible Gold Oreos
- St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- Irish Potato Candy
- St. Patrick’s Day Cake Mix Cookie
- Guinness Brownies
Make this festive St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow for a sweet and crunchy holiday treat everyone will love! We’d love to hear from you—leave a comment below to share how your Puppy Chow turned out or any fun twists you tried.
St Patricks Day Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 8 cups chex cereal
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups green candy melts – https://amzn.to/2QCtSUz
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 one gallon ziplock bags
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup Green M&Ms
- 1/4 cup Green Sprinkles
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the green candy melts, peanut butter and vegetable oil. Microwave on high for 30 second. Stir and cook in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth. (mine took about 60 seconds).
- Meanwhile, pour the chex cereal in a large bowl.
- Pour the melted peanut butter and candy mixture over the cereal and quickly stir to coat.
- In a one gallon ziplock bag, pour the ½ of the total amount of powdered sugar. Then pour ½ of the coated cereal into the gallon bag. Seal close and shake to coat the cereal. Follow this process in the 2nd bag as well.
- Pour onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet and allow to cool.
- Once the puppy chow is coated with the powder sugar, sprinkle the white chocolate chips and M&Ms over the top and stir to combine together. Sprinkle with the green sprinkles.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week and enjoy!
