Strawberry Puppy Chow

Strawberry Puppy Chow is a salty and sweet, pink and white twist on traditional Muddy Buddies. This easy and eye-catching dessert snack mix is perfect for spring and summer get togethers, bridal showers, and Valentine's Day parties. Bursting with strawberries and cream flavor, this unique and tasty party mix will have everyone reaching for more!

I'm typically not one to jump on dessert bandwagons, but I must admit Chex's Muddy Buddies are super fun to make and eat.

Whether you call it puppy chow (as many Midwesterners do) or stick with the original coined name, there's no denying that awesome crunch and salty vs. sweet flavor.

While the original recipe was all about chocolate and peanut butter, this recipe is all about strawberries and cream--plus a few extra fun additions.

With a combination of vanilla and strawberry coated rice cereal, dehydrated strawberries, vanilla chips, and tiny pretzel twists, this sweet and savory snack is always a party hit!

Disclaimer: Despite its cute name, this recipe is not dog food. Please do not feed it to your pet!

Jump to:

👪Why you'll love it
🥘Ingredients
🔪Instructions
🥣Substitutions
📖Variations
🍽Equipment
🍶Storage
💭Top tip
🗨️FAQ
🥄Related
📋Recipe
💬 Comments

👪Why you'll love it

Easy, no bake recipe- The hardest part about this recipe is trying not to gobble it up before you serve it...making it is the easy part😁!

Crowd pleaser- Both kids and adults love the salty and sweet crunch of puppy chow...show up at your next party or event with this dessert snack mix and you're sure to get raves!

Customizable- Fun and colorful puppy chow makes a great gift, and it's very easy to add or subtract ingredients. I made this particular recipe for a breast cancer awareness fundraiser; I've also added red, white, and pink M&Ms to the mix for Valentine's Day parties. You can switch out the flavors and colors for a variety of occasions and holidays.

🥘Ingredients

rice squares cereal- store brand works just find here; make sure you're buying rice squares, which are the easiest to coat because they aren't covered in sugar
white candy melts- I like Wilton brand, which can be found in most grocery stores
strawberry flavored gelatin- for a fun and sugary flavored coating--all you have to do is shake it on
powdered sugar- just a little bit is mixed with the gelatin for a good coating base
mini pretzels- the saltiness counteracts with the sweet quite nicely; I really like Snyder's Itty Bitty Minis for snack mixes
freeze dried strawberries- in order to add a little fruit, use freeze dried rather than fresh (you can't have any moisture in the mix); Great Value (Walmart brand) is one of the most affordable
white chocolate or vanilla flavored baking chips- just a little extra sweetness to fit the theme

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪Instructions

Step 1: Divide rice cereal; coat half with white candy melts and set aside on cookie sheet to dry.

Step 2: Coat other half of cereal with white candy melts, then pour into large zipper bag filled with dry gelatin and powdered sugar; shake until coated.

Step 3: Spread pink coated rice cereal on cookie sheet to dry.

Step 4: Add dried white and pink coated cereal, pretzels, strawberries, and baking chips to large serving bowl; gently toss until well mixed.

Hint: It's helpful to have the gelatin and powdered sugar already mixed in the bag before coating the cereal. That way, as soon as the cereal is wet, it can immediately be transferred to the bag so that the pink powder will stick.

🥣Substitutions

Lower sugar option (gelatin free)- If you want to cut back on sugar in the recipe, substitute the strawberry gelatin with freeze dried strawberry powder. You can either buy the powder or grind it yourself in a food processor (you'll need an additional 1 oz. of freeze dried strawberries). It's recommended that you increase the powdered sugar in the recipe to ⅓ cup to counteract the tartness of the powder (this still has far less sugar than a box of gelatin).

📖Variations

Blueberries and cream puppy chow - switch out the strawberries for freeze dried blueberries; use blue raspberry gelatin
Raspberries and cream puppy chow - switch out the strawberries for freeze dried raspberries; use raspberry gelatin
Key lime pie puppy chow - omit freeze dried fruit; use lime gelatin; add 2 cups Golden grahams or Teddy Grahams to the mix

See Cajun Snack Mix for a spicy, savory snack mix featuring rice squares cereal.

🍽Equipment

measuring cups
large mixing bowls
medium sized microwaveable bowl
mixing spoons
rimmed cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper
gallon size or larger zippered plastic bag
large trifle dish or mixing bowl (for serving)

🍶Storage

Store Strawberry Puppy Chow in an airtight container for up to 1 week; keep away from moisture and DO NOT refrigerate.

💭Top tip

Spread the white coated cereal on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Take time to separate the pieces from each other as best you can (otherwise, they will stick together as they set).

🗨️FAQ

Why is it called puppy chow?

The original recipe is brown and white and is thought to resemble dog kibble. Despite the name, it isn't suitable for dogs or any animals.

Do you put muddy buddies in the fridge?

Depending on the ingredients used, that can be helpful. For this recipe, however, I advise against it due to the gelatin coated pink cereal. If it accumulates moisture, it will affect the the consistency and color.

How many boxes of Chex for muddy buddies?

A 12 oz. box is all you need for most recipes, including this one (you will have a little bit leftover).

🥄Related

Looking for other recipes like Strawberry Puppy Chow? Try these:

📋Recipe