Puppy Chow Bars

Every now and then, social media overhauls an old-fashioned recipe. While some recipe revamps leave us scratching our heads, others leave us drooling at their delicious genius—and these puppy chow bars are the latest recipe redesign we didn’t know we needed.

Just like a classic puppy chow recipe, puppy chow bars call for coating crisp Rice Chex cereal in that craveable combination of peanut butter and melted chocolate. And much like traditional Rice Krispies treat recipes, gooey marshmallows are used to hold everything together. Then, the mixture gets pressed into a pan and showered with a blanket of confectioners’ sugar. The final result is a crunchy, decadent dessert that—dare we say—might just be better than either of the original recipes.

Are they puppy chow bars or muddy buddy squares? Call them what you like—we’re just going to call them delicious.

Ingredients for Puppy Chow Bars

• Chocolate chips: Chocolate is a hallmark ingredient in puppy chow bars. For the best taste, source a bag of the best chocolate chips. We like dark or semisweet chocolate for this no-bake chocolate dessert recipe.
• Creamy peanut butter: You can use either natural peanut butter or one processed with palm oil (like Skippy or Jif) for this recipe. This dessert bar recipe was tested both ways and resulted in perfect puppy chow bars either way.
• Unsalted butter: Butter adds extra fat to the chocolate and peanut butter mixture, giving it a richer flavor and helping the ingredients blend together smoothly.
• Mini marshmallows: If possible, choose mini marshmallows for this puppy chow bars recipe. They melt faster and more smoothly than regular-sized marshmallows. If you have only the latter, try cutting them into smaller pieces to facilitate their melting.
• Rice Chex cereal: What Rice Chex lacks in flavor, it makes up for in crunch! If you don’t enjoy Rice Chex, you can use Corn Chex or Wheat Chex instead. Leftover cereal is perfect for homemade Chex mix.
• Confectioners’ sugar: You can’t have puppy chow without a generous (read: messy) shower of confectioners’ sugar. We never said these bars would be any less messy than old-fashioned puppy chow, so make sure you have the napkins ready.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the chocolate

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and the peanut butter. Microwave in one-minute increments at 50 percent power until melted and smooth, stirring as needed. Add the butter, and stir until melted and well-incorporated. If necessary, microwave for another 30 to 60 seconds at 50 percent power until completely smooth.

Editor’s Tip: You may also melt the chocolate on the stovetop using a double boiler.

Step 2: Add the marshmallows

Next, add the marshmallows to the chocolate mixture. Stir to coat, then microwave in 30-second increments at high power until the marshmallows begin to puff and become soft. Stir a few times to melt the marshmallows into the chocolate mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Use fresh marshmallows, not stale ones, to ensure they melt smoothly into the chocolate and peanut butter. Stale or dry marshmallows don’t melt as nicely and may result in tough, lumpy puppy chow bars.

Step 3: Stir to combine

Add the Chex cereal to an extra-large mixing bowl. Then, quickly pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal. Gently fold the mixture into the cereal until evenly coated. A few ribbons of marshmallow may still be visible.

Step 4: Press into a pan, cool and serve

Transfer to a parchment-lined 13×9-inch baking pan and use a spare piece of parchment to firmly press the cereal mixture into an even layer. Let cool for a minute or two and then dust generously with confectioners’ sugar.

Cool completely, then cut into squares and serve.

Puppy Chow Bar Variations

• Use crunchy peanut butter: While creamy peanut butter is traditional for puppy chow, you can add a little crunch to the bars version by using crunchy peanut butter instead.
• Try other puppy chow flavors: Have you tried other puppy chow flavors, like lemony snack mix or cookie butter puppy chow? You can turn these recipes into bars by adding marshmallows and applying the same preparation method as this recipe.
• Add more mix-ins: Less is more is not a philosophy that applies to dessert. Add up to 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, almonds, M&M’s, pretzels or chopped candy bars to the mixture before pressing it into bars.

How to Store Puppy Chow Bars

Puppy chow bars should be stored in an airtight food storage container at room temperature.

How long do puppy chow bars last?

Puppy chow bars will stay fresh for up to one week.

Can you freeze puppy chow bars?

Yes! For extended storage (or if you want a make-ahead dessert that’s ready to go for later), cut the puppy chow bars into squares, store them in an airtight food storage container separated by layers of parchment and place them in the freezer. Enjoy within three months. To serve, thaw at room temperature.

Puppy Chow Bar Tips

Why are my puppy chow bars falling apart?

If your puppy chow bars are not holding together, it’s likely that they weren’t pressed firmly into the pan. For best results, make sure you apply firm pressure and compress the bars as best as you can when shaping them. The same rule applies to chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies treats.

What happens if the chocolate and marshmallows set before adding the cereal?

If you didn’t move fast enough, the marshmallows and chocolate mixture may cool into a giant glob before adding the cereal. If this happens, place the chocolate-marshmallow mixture into a deep stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the cereal and gently fold the mixture as it warms. It might take some time, but eventually the marshmallows will soften enough so that you can blend and coat the cereal.