This 4th of July Puppy Chow featuring M&Ms and pretzels is a fun and patriotic snack, perfect for any July 4th celebration!
I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for holiday-colored M&Ms. To me, they are a key part of my holiday decor from red and green for Christmas to pastel peanut M&Ms for Easter to orange and black ones for Halloween. (Is this not a thing other people do? If so, don’t tell me.)
So the red, white, and blue 4th of July M&Ms always have a place in my house. And this year when I began thinking about a dessert to take to our annual neighborhood potluck, they inspired this 4th of July Puppy Chow recipe.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Just melt 6 ounces of chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter together in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave and stir until mixture is smooth. Then stir in ½ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Next, pour 8 cups of rice Chex cereal into a large bowl and add in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Stir gently until all pieces are coated.
Pour 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar into a large ziptop bag along with 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. The cocoa powder is not traditionally part of the puppy chow recipe, but I think it cuts the extreme sweetness of the confectioners sugar in a good way (and more chocolate is never a bad idea!).
Add coated cereal and shake until well coated. You may need to add a little more confectioners sugar to cover everything.
Spread onto cookie sheet in a single layer to cool.
When cool, put into a large bowl and gently stir in 2 cups of pretzels and 2 cups of M&Ms. The pretzels and M&Ms aren't traditionally part of the recipe, but I love the savory/sweet combination they make.
That's it! Serve and watch your guests devour this in minutes.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
Think of it as Chex Mix’s dessert-y cousin. Puppy chow goes by other names as well, including Muddy Buddies, Monkey Munch, Muddy Munch, and Reindeer Chow. Popular in the midwest United States since the 1960s, this snack (really, dessert) features chocolate peanut butter-covered rice cereal tossed in powdered sugar.
The name comes from the fact that the snack has an unfortunate resemblance to puppy kibble—but I assure you this Puppy Chow is infinitely more delicious. And a great addition to your potluck's dessert table.
This recipe uses Rice Chex cereal, which is the type of cereal traditionally used. There’s even a recipe on the back of the Rice Chex box (though I've altered it slightly for this version—for the better!). You can use Crispix cereal as well.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
Puppy chow can last a week sealed in an airtight container, though I’m willing to bet it won’t make it more than a few days. I had to hide mine from peckish kids and husband when I made it a few days in advance.
You’ll notice that my recipe calls for semisweet chocolate rather than chocolate chips. You can use chocolate chips, but chocolate chips are actually made to hold their shape rather than melt (think of how you want an actual chunk of chocolate in your chocolate chip cookie, not just a melted pool of chocolate).
So whenever your recipe calls for you to melt chocolate, choose to chop up a high-quality chocolate bar rather than using chips.
Want another patriotic sweet treat for your party? How about these 4th of July sprinkle cookies? These Red, White, and Blue Strawberries are also a fun snack. And, if you're looking for a decidedly adult offering to pair with these treats, try these Red White and Blue Jello Shots!
You can also make this dessert for all sorts of holidays—see my Christmas Puppy Chow and my Valentine's Puppy Chow as well! Or, for another holiday dessert idea, how about using my Easter Rice Krispy Treats recipe but substituting chilled red, white, and blue M&Ms for the mini eggs?
Or, get creative and do a 4th of July version of these adorable Halloween Oreo Truffles! You can also get simple and make holiday-themed M&M Cookies.
Love a no-bake dessert? You'll want to check out these deliciously chocolatey Corn Flake Cookies too.
Other Red White and Blue Desserts
Looking for something else for your 4th of July spread? Try one of these desserts that also feature red, white, and blue!
If you try this 4th of July Puppy Chow recipe, I would love to hear from you! Please rate this recipe and leave a comment below—your feedback is invaluable to me.
And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I’d love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!
📖 Recipe
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4th of July Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 cups rice Chex cereal
- 1 ½ - 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups pretzels
- 2 cups M&Ms
Instructions
- Chop chocolate into small chunks and butter into 2-3 pieces, and put both into a microwave-safe bowl.
- Melt chocolate and butter on medium power in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. (It will take around 2 minutes.)
- Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and kosher salt, and mix until smooth.
- Pour cereal into a large bowl and add chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Stir gently until all pieces are coated.
- Pour 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar into a large ziptop bag along with the cocoa powder.
- Add coated cereal and shake until well coated. You may need to add up to another ½ cup of confectioners sugar to cover everything.
- Spread onto cookie sheet in a single layer to cool.
- When cool, put into a large bowl and gently stir in pretzels and M&Ms.
Notes
Nutrition
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this Patriotic Puppy Chow recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I’d love to see your results!
More About Molly
Cooking healthy(ish) meals with seasonal ingredients is my passion. Trained as a French pastry chef, I spent over 10 years as a personal chef. Here you'll find well-tested recipes that you and your family will love!
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