Nutella Puppy Chow is a highly addicting snack mix perfect for holidays, watching the game, road trips, or vacation. Nutella puppy chow is an easy, delicious twist on the best muddy buddies recipe, and doesn’t use peanut butter so all can enjoy!
Although I thoroughly enjoy eating this Nutella Puppy Chow, that isn’t the real reason I make it.
Puppy Chow provides an anthropological witness, where I get to be entertained by someone’s complete lack of self-control.
My husband, Ryan, is freakishly powerless around this stuff. He can’t physically be in the vicinity without eating it till it’s gone or he’s going to vomit, whichever comes first.
Essentially, he has the willpower of a puppy. Evidently he’s not the only helpless soul out there, which is probably where Puppy Chow got its name.
Doesn’t that make you feel better, honey? 🤗
I made this batch of Nutella Puppy Chow as part of teachers’ Christmas gifts. Therefore, I couldn’t perform my experiment to see if Ryan broke the record for fastest Puppy Chow take down yet.
To make it last until I could put it in gift bags, I had to store it in an incognito tin, with two canisters of granola AND a bag of pears placed on top.
There was no messing around because I wasn’t about to get into a vicious cycle of remaking puppy chow every hour.
How to Make Reindeer Chow or Christmas Muddy Buddies
Turn puppy chow or muddy buddies into a festive holiday snack! Substitute red and green Christmas M&Ms for the traditional ones. Also, add additional decadent treats, such as chocolate covered raisins, peanuts, pretzels, or miniature marshmallows.
Reindeer Chow can also be transformed into a Halloween / fall snack mix by substituting fall colored M&Ms, candy corn, and peanuts.
If giving as Puppy Chow as gifts, pick up small, food-safe gift bags at your local store or check out these cute ones from Amazon.
Puppy Chow Recipe Without Peanut Butter
Nutella puppy chow is allergy friendly since it uses no peanut butter and gluten free cereal. Plus, who doesn’t love nutella? It is an equally tasty substitution for peanut butter!
Nutella is made from hazelnuts, so make sure the person who won’t be able to stop eating this doesn’t have a nut allergy!
Use Corn or Rice Chex cereal to make puppy chow. Chex also makes a wheat version, but I find it too dense for puppy chow and it is not gluten free.
How to Store Nutella Puppy Chow
Any Puppy Chow recipe may be stored at room temperature, refrigerated, or frozen.
Place homemade puppy chow in an airtight container and will keep at room temperature for 2 weeks.
If you want to make puppy chow ahead of time transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for 1 hour, then sprinkle on additional powdered sugar if any fell off during storing.
Place 1/2 cup butter and Nutella in a microwave safe bowl. Heat at 50% powder for 2 minutes, or until smooth and melted. Alternatively, in a pan over medium low heat melt butter and Nutella.
Pour nutella mixture over Chex cereal and mix together until the cereal is coated.
Transfer cereal to a large paper bag. Pour in one cup of powdered sugar, close bag, and shake to combine. Refrigerate for 5 minutes then add additional cup of powdered sugar and shake again.
Add optional ingredients, such as M&Ms, peanuts, and yogurt covered raisins.
Tips / Tricks For Making Nutella Puppy Chow
To make sure the Chex cereal is evenly covered with chocolate mixture, lay the cereal on a baking sheet and pour chocolate over. Mix with a spoon or plastic-gloved hands.
Alternatively, place 1/3 cereal in a large bowl and pour 1/3 chocolate over. Stir to combine, then repeat in 2 more additions.
After the chocolate is evenly mixed with the cereal, let it cool slightly, but don’t allow to completely harden. I throw mine in the fridge for 5 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar in stages as well. After the puppy chow is cooled slightly, mix with 1 cup powdered sugar. Let puppy chow harden completely and then mix with remaining powdered sugar.
You can mix the powdered sugar in a large bowl, but I find it easier and quicker to do in a large paper grocery bag. Just make sure to shake over the kitchen sink in case any powdered sugar escapes from the seems!
Measure cereal into a very large bowl or on a cookie sheet. Set aside
Place Nutella and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat at 50% power for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Pour melted Nutella over cereal and gently toss with a spoon or plastic-gloved hands until cereal is coated. (SEE RECIPE NOTES FOR METHOD OF MIXING IN BOWL). Refrigerate for 5 minutes to cool, BUT NOT HARDEN.
Transfer chocolate covered cereal to large paper bag. Pour in 1 cup powdered sugar, roll top of bag down, and shake over sink to save yourself from cleaning escaping powdered sugar dust. Refrigerate again to fully harden, about 15 minutes. Add last cup of powdered sugar and shake again to combine.
Add optional ingredients, such as M&Ms, covered raisins, and peanuts. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
To mix cereal with chocolate in a bowl, place 1/3 cereal in a large bowl and pour 1/3 chocolate over. Stir to combine, then repeat in 2 more additions.
Add the powdered sugar in stages as well. After the puppy chow is cooled slightly, mix with 1 cup powdered sugar. Let puppy chow harden completely and then mix with remaining powdered sugar.
You can mix the powdered sugar in a large bowl, but I find it easier and quicker to do in a large paper grocery bag. Just make sure to shake over the kitchen sink in case any powdered sugar escapes from the seems!
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