These Puppy Chow Bars will definitely not go to the dogs after you see how easy and delicious a treat they are. Of course, these are for humans only, but you will probably have a hard time even sharing with other people! By adding marshmallows to the mix, you will have a panful of this delicious and popular snack. Simply add some Golden Grahams to your ingredients to try my S’mores Puppy Chow.
Puppy Chow Bars
When I think of Puppy Chow, I think of being covered in confectioners sugar, or at least, leaving a few sprinkles of it on my face! Yes, it is a messy, but addicting snack, and something everyone can make. These Puppy Chow Bars are a simple way to enjoy all of the fantastic flavors of traditional puppy chow, but you can cut them into bars and not eat the entire batch. This recipe is very similar to my Puppy Chow recipe, except I added marshmallows and did not use vanilla.
How to Make Puppy Chow Bars
With a few yummy and basic ingredients, you will have a pan of Puppy Chow Bars that you can bring anywhere, from your camping trip to a holiday party (if you don’t eat them all ahead of time).
Ingredients
Chocolate: Semi-Sweet was the chocolate of choice for this recipe. You could use milk chocolate too, but that might be too sweet and not have much depth of flavor.
Peanut Butter: The great debate, creamy versus chunky. When it comes to puppy chow, creamy peanut butter is the only way to go.
Butter: The unsalted version is best but to be perfectly fair, you likely won’t notice a huge difference either way.
Rice Cereal: I use Rice Chex, but any waffle shaped cereal will do. This is just the vessel that holds all of the chocolatey goodness together. Did you know that Chex cereal was originally owned by the Purina company? Yes, the Purina company that makes dog food. Ha!
Mini Marshmallows: These will help hold up your bars to make them easy to eat.
Confectioners Sugar: To coat each bar or to sprinkle on top is up to you! I chose to sprinkle the powdered sugar on top for this recipe, but keep reading to see how my mom used to do it!
Melt and Mix
Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals and stir after each session. (It’s usually fully melted in about a minute and a half.)
Here is where you add the marshmallows. Stir them in before you put the mixture back in the microwave. Again, microwave in 30-second intervals to make sure the marshmallows puff and melt.
Pour the cereal into a large mixing bowl. (Bigger than you think you need, this gets messy.) Generously coat the cereal with the marshmallow mixture by pouring it over the cereal and stirring until everything is ooey and gooey!
How Ooey Gooey Should They Be?
This is where you will determine just how much cereal you want to use. If you want a bar with every single piece of cereal coated in the chocolate peanut butter mixture, start by only adding 5 cups of cereal. You can always add more, but you can’t take cereal out, so take your time and make sure they are the exact consistency you want.
Just Chill!
Once you have your desired ooey gooey-ness, put the mixture into a 9×13 inch greased baking and pan and press down firmly. Put the pan in the refrigerator to let the bars chill for 10-15 minutes. (I know, it’s hard to wait…) After the Puppy Chow Bars are chilled, take them out of the refrigerator and sprinkle them with powdered sugar. Cut them into bars and share them. Be ready to make another pan once everyone has tried these!
To Sugarcoat or Not?
As you can see by the images and recipe directions, I opted for a sprinkling on confectioners sugar. My mom used to cut up the bars, toss them in a paper bag (yes, really) add confectioners sugar, and shake shake shake. This meant that every single exposed surface was generously coated in confectioners sugar and I loved it. I opted not to do that for a couple of reasons… it’s messy and it’s not necessary for flavor. If you are going to a bake sale or neighborhood get together, do try completely coating them in the sugar. Folks eat with their eyes and just like with powdered donuts, they will be drawn to these bars!
Don’t Miss These Other Puppy Chow Recipes
Puppy Chow Bars
Ingredients
- 7 cups Rice Chex cereal, (start with 5 cups and check consistency)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (258g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (28g) unsalted butter, can use salted
- 1 bag (10 ounces) mini marshmallows
- 1/4 cup (31g) confectioners sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the Chex cereal and set aside.
- In a separate medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted.
- Add in the mini marshmallows, stir to coat and return to the microwave, cooking again in 30-second intervals until the marshmallows start to puff and melt. The mixture should be thick and creamy.
- Pour the marshmallow mixture over the Chex cereal and stir to coat. (Make sure to stir as much as you need in order to generously coat all of the cereal.)
- Transfer the cereal mixture to a 9x13 inch greased baking pan and press it firmly into the pan. Set in the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
- Lightly coat the top of the bars with powdered sugar. Cut and serve!
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
How many cups of cereal are in one box?
Hi, Lisa! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. A standard 12-ounce box of rice Chex cereal is equal to about 11 cups. I hope this helps, and have a great day!
What can you use instead of peanut butter ?
The name is miss leading. You should add Do NOT Feed to Your Puppies.
It is only misleading to folks who do not read.
Hi, can I use a different cereal? I live in Australia and can not get Rice Chex that easy.