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Home » Recipes » No Bake Treats

Strawberry Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)

Modified: Feb 14, 2025 · Published: Jan 19, 2020 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 974 words. · About 5 minutes to read this article.

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Strawberry puppy chow snack mix recipe.
Strawberry puppy chow snack mix recipe.
Strawberry puppy chow snack mix recipe.

Strawberry muddy buddies, also known as puppy chow, is a sweet and crunchy treat that's perfect for Valentine's Day, party favor bags, and snacking. Chex cereal is coated in white chocolate and tossed in a strawberry sugar mixture.

Red heart shaped bowl filled with pink chex mix.

Why you'll love this recipe

Flavor/texture: Sweet, crunchy, real strawberry flavor.

No artificial flavors. This recipe is made with freeze-dried strawberries for real strawberry flavor and color.

No-bake. There's no baking involved, so it makes a great last-minute treat!

Perfect for: Valentine's Day, birthday parties, baby showers, everyday snacking.

Similar to: Lemon Muddy Buddies and Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies

Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients and substitutions
  • How to make strawberry muddy buddies
  • Tips and tricks
  • Storage
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Recommended
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a granite counter top.
  • Chex cereal - I recommend using rice chex or corn chex. However, any type of plain chex works as a substitute - choose your favorite.
  • White chocolate chips - Can be substituted with white chocolate melting wafers.
  • Freeze-dried strawberries - These are a must. They add the strawberry flavor and pink color to your muddy buddies. Either use freeze-dried strawberries that are processed into a powder, or purchase freeze-dried strawberry powder.
  • Confectioner's sugar - Coats your cereal mixture and clings to the white chocolate coating.

How to make strawberry muddy buddies

Making strawberry muddy buddies in a plastic bag.
  1. Carefully warm chocolate chips (or melting wafers) in a microwave safe bowl and stir until melted.
  2. Pour over chex cereal and stir until coated.
  3. Add to a plastic bag along with the freeze-dried strawberry powder and confectioner's sugar.
  4. Seal and toss until evenly coated. Pour out onto a sheet pan and allow chocolate to set before serving.

Tips and tricks

Grinding freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor.

Freeze-dried strawberries - For this recipe, you'll need freeze dried strawberries as well as a food processor or spice/coffee grinder. Crunchies brand of freeze-dried strawberries is the brand I like to use. It is available in a .8 ounce bag (the exact amount needed for this recipe).

How to make strawberry powder - Add your freeze-dried strawberries to the bowl of a food processor and grind until they resemble a fine powder. It should only take about ten seconds.

Serve a crowd - As written, this recipe makes about eight half-cup servings. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

Mix in a bowl or bag - For easy cleanup, mix your muddy buddies in a large, gallon-sized plastic bag. It's easy to seal and shake to mix. Otherwise, a large bowl and spoon can get the job done.

Excess sugar? - Don't worry if you see excess confectioner's sugar in the bottom of the bag or bowl. Not all of the sugar is meant to stick on the cereal - this is normal.

Storage

Muddy buddies will last about 1 week when stored in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, but is best within 3 to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

Pink strawberry puppy chow.
What are the names for muddy buddies?

Muddy buddies is also known as puppy chow, reindeer chow, reindeer mix, or muddy munch.

Why is it called puppy chow? You shouldn't feed chocolate to dogs!

It should go without saying, but (after receiving several comments about this) muddy buddies is for humans only, not dogs. This popular American snack was nicknamed "puppy chow" due to its similar look to the dog food with the same name.
For more information, check out: Wikipedia: Puppy chow (snack)

Why is my muddy buddies soggy?

Allow your muddy buddies to dry completely before storing. Otherwise, the wet chocolate can build up moisture in the container it's stored in and make the cereal soggy.

Do I need to refrigerate muddy buddies?

No, it can be stored safely at room temperature. I'd recommend storing in the refrigerator if your home is very warm and the chocolate begins to melt.

Can I add other mix-ins to my muddy buddies?

Yes! I'd recommend adding in about 1 cup of mix-ins for every 4 cups of chex cereal used. Here are a few ideas to get you started: mini pretzels, mini marshmallows, M&M's candies, crushed cookie pieces, almonds, or cashews.

Can I use fresh strawberries instead of freeze-dried strawberries?

No, this recipe only works using freeze-dried strawberries because the moisture has been removed. This not only concentrates the flavor, but also allows us to use it in recipes where excess moisture would make the other ingredients soggy.

Recommended

  • A green bowl filled with Christmas puppy chow.
    Christmas Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)
  • Puppy chow in a bowl on a wooden counter top.
    Snickerdoodle Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)
  • A decorative white bowl filled with lemon puppy chow.
    Lemon Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)
  • Golden grahams and chex coated in a sugar glaze in a red bowl.
    Sweet Chex Mix

📖 Recipe

Pink strawberry puppy chow.
Pin Print Rate
4.56 from 58 reviews

Strawberry Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)

Strawberry muddy buddies, also known as puppy chow, is a sweet and crunchy treat that's perfect for Valentine's Day, party favor bags, and snacking. Chex cereal is coated in white chocolate and tossed in a strawberry sugar mixture.
Prep Time5 minutes minutes
Resting Time15 minutes minutes
Total Time20 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 259kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chex cereal
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips, or melting wafers
  • .8 ounces freeze-dried strawberries
  • ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add cereal. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, microwave white chocolate chips for 30 seconds, stir. Microwave for additional 30 second increments until chips are melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over cereal and stir carefully to fully cover but not break the cereal. Pour cereal mixture into a large gallon size plastic bag.
  • In a spice grinder or food processor, grind freeze dried strawberries into a powder.
  • Pour ground strawberry powder and confectioner's sugar over cereal and seal bag. Shake to evenly coat cereal.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and pour cereal mixture into a single layer. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes (or until chocolate has hardened). Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Equipment Recommendations

  • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
  • Cuisinart 9-Cup Food Processor
  • Dry Measuring Cups
  • Red Spoonula Set

Notes

  • Storage: Muddy buddies will keep for up to a week in a tightly sealed container at room temperature and will lose its crunchiness over time.
  • Optional mix-ins: Try adding 1 cup of mix-ins for every 4 cups of cereal used: pretzels, m&m's candies, or cookie pieces.
  • How many does this serve?: This recipe serves about 8 heaping half cups. For a large party, try doubling or tripling this recipe. 

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 0.5heaping cup | Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 337IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 10mg
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American

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    4.56 from 58 votes (53 ratings without comment)

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  1. Barb

    February 13, 2025 at 3:47 pm

    Great recipe.!!

    Reply
  2. Linda Moore

    December 12, 2024 at 9:20 pm

    I plan to try these over the holidays. I wondered about mixing the strawberries into the melted white chocolate, to tone down the pink fingers situation all over my house. Do you think that would wreck the chocolate?

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 13, 2024 at 8:58 am

      Hi Linda, I haven't tried this so I can't say for sure how it would turn out. My instinct says that the powder could make the chocolate clumpy, and the acidity of it could make the chocolate seize. If you do decide to give it a try, let us know how it works out!

      Reply
  3. Jenny

    August 23, 2024 at 3:05 pm

    Can you use nestle quick strawberry mix or strawberry jello for the strawberry flavor?
    Thanks Jenny

    Reply
    • Heather

      August 23, 2024 at 5:55 pm

      I haven't tried either of these options so I can't say for sure how they'd turn out. If you give either a try, let us know how it goes!

      Reply
  4. olive

    April 06, 2024 at 3:51 pm

    can’t wait to try this! thanks for sharing! just wondering how much strawberry powder to use if you dont grind them up?

    Reply
    • Heather

      April 06, 2024 at 4:05 pm

      Hi olive, I used an entire .8 ounce bag, which is 23 grams if you have a kitchen scale. I didn't measure it with measuring spoons but I'd estimate it's between 3 and 4 tablespoons of powder. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!

      Reply
  5. Shelly Mcelroy

    March 03, 2024 at 10:52 am

    could you use chocolate chips and have a chocolate covered strawberry situation??

    Reply
    • Heather

      March 03, 2024 at 11:39 am

      Yes, milk chocolate or dark chocolate would work.

      Reply
  6. Amelia

    February 21, 2024 at 6:39 pm

    This was the perfect recipe for my galentines party a few days ago! Unfortunately I spilled powdered sugar all over my freshly resurfaced floors, so the cleanup was insane, but the recipe was worth it! I added pink and red M&M's as a mix-in and it was so good. Can't wait to try out different variations.

    Reply
  7. Ari

    February 04, 2024 at 11:56 am

    Can I sub dark chocolate for white chocolate?

    Reply
    • Heather

      February 04, 2024 at 12:04 pm

      Yes, dark chocolate would work.

      Reply
  8. Dawn S.

    February 18, 2023 at 1:03 pm

    These are fantastic!! I substituted candy melts for the white chocolate but the strawberry flavor is what really shines here. I carefully researched and chose this recipe because it used real strawberries instead of cake mix or jello and my intuition was right. The strawberry flavor is authentic and amazing. Will make again and again!!

    Reply
  9. Shawn

    October 25, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    I tried this. 1/4c white chocolate, 1/4c mounded with peanut butter chocolate, roughly a 1/4c (No added sugar) skippy peanut butter, pinch of salt to taste. Then followed recipe. Came out pretty good. My take on PBJ muddy buddies.

    Reply
  10. Mary

    June 30, 2022 at 10:52 pm

    Could do 3 batches of it and do 1 strawberry, 1 plain white and 1 blueberry. 4th of July celebration.

    Reply
    • Heather

      July 01, 2022 at 7:53 am

      Hi Mary, what a fun idea! This could definitely work - the freeze dried strawberry powder could be substituted with other freeze dried fruits, like blueberries or bananas if you can find them. You can also omit the freeze dried powder to make a plain 'white chocolate' version. Or, add a few dots of food coloring to the melted chocolate to add color.

      Reply
  11. Ashley

    March 23, 2022 at 2:16 am

    Can this be made ahead and stored? If so how long would it last?

    Reply
    • Heather

      March 23, 2022 at 8:55 am

      Hi Ashley, puppy chow will last up to a week in a sealed container at room temperature, and will start to get less crunchy over time. It can easily be made a day or two ahead of an event.

      Reply
  12. Becky

    April 25, 2021 at 8:50 pm

    I love sweets, but this was too much. Perhaps it was because I used Ghirardelli white chips, which aren't chocolate. I might mix it with plain corn Chex to cut back on the sweetness.

    Reply
    • Heather

      April 26, 2021 at 2:57 pm

      Hi Becky, I'd suggest cutting down the confectioner's sugar if you try it again. Maybe start with 1/4 cup or less and see if that coats the cereal before adding more.

      Reply

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Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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