(Almost) Healthy Puppy Chow Recipe

This is Puppy Chow, or Muddy Buddies, or The Perfectly Addictive Food. And it is. It's sweet, salty, crunchy, peanut butter-y, and chocolaty all rolled into small tasty morsels that you can grab by the fist-full. I love the stuff and I set out to create a healthier version on which to snack.

As you may know, I like to find healthier versions of fantastic foods because if you're going to eat them, you may as well be getting something out of them. Doing this with Puppy Chow seems like looking for a healthier version of a candy bar, however I have done it and it is (almost) healthy.

I have tried various combinations of cereals including Kashi Go Lean, Kix, Kashi Puffs, and others but ultimately the pieces I pick out are the Chex. Traditionally it is made with rice or corn or some other nutritionally-void-Chex. I use the 100% whole wheat kind and I don't use Chex, I use the generic kind that is $1 cheaper.

Originally, you would melt butter and peanut butter and chocolate chips at about a 1:2:4 ratio. That is 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. pb, and 1 c. chips. And I'm sure that most people use the terrible excuse for peanut butter that consists of hydrogenated oils, sugar, and lots of other things that aren't peanuts. I use natural peanut butter and I've found that the kind with only salt added is best, and smooth is better than crunchy.

The chocolate is the last thing that I have figured out. Chocolate chips are good, however the finished product was very sweet. I won't say too sweet, just very, especially considering that the finished product is coated generously with powdered sugar. I have found that using unsweetened baking chocolate provides the flavor, the health benefits of 100% cocoa, and doesn't compromise the final effect.

So here's my recipe: It makes a lot.

1 box unsweetened chocolate
1 jar smooth, natural peanut butter
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
1-2 boxes of 100% whole wheat Chex-type cereal
butter if desired
powdered sugar

I don't really measure.
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth. If you think it's too thick, you can add some butter, but I usually don't. You could use coconut oil if you wanted to be healthier. When it's smooth, add your vanilla and turn off the heat.
Dump the cereal into a large bowl, I usually end up using 1 1/2 boxes, but if you want it really saturated use 1, or a lighter coating, 2.
Pour the melted mixture over the cereal and stir gently to coat.
At this point you could transfer it to a large bag to shake the sugar on or just leave it in the bowl like I do. Pour powdered sugar onto the cereal and stir gently yet firmly to coat each piece. I don't know how much I use, but you want the finished product to not be too sticky.
For best results, store it in the freezer so that it is extra crunchy.
Enjoy, knowing that at least you're getting a little extra fiber, protein, and antioxidants compared to the original recipe Puppy Chow!