Whether you call these Puppy Chow Bars or Muddy Buddy Bars, you’ll LOVE the nostalgic chocolate peanut butter flavor of this easy no-bake treat!

Gluten-Free Muddy Buddy Bars, cut into squares

Muddy Buddy Bars = A Classic Childhood Treat With A Twist!

Whether you grew up calling them Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow, this classic chocolate peanut butter treat is always a nostalgic one. These Muddy Buddy Bars (or Puppy Chow Bars!) are a fun twist to try next time you get the craving:

They’re EASY. You don’t even have to turn on the oven! This no-bake treat is made with simple ingredients and no fussy techniques. If you can measure and stir, you can make these bars!
They’re DELICIOUS. All the classic chocolate peanut butter flavor you love in traditional Muddy Buddies, just in bar form!
They’re LESS MESSY. Since we’re using less powdered sugar and not losing any to the inside of ziplock bags, I find these bars are easier to work with and make less of a mess.

Happy baking! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

This puppy chow bars recipes uses most of the same basic ingredients as in classic muddy buddies, with one little exception. Let’s take a look:

Rice Chex Cereal or Corn Chex Cereal. My personal preference is Corn Chex, since that’s what my family likes best, but Rice Chex Also work!
Peanut Butter. I usually use creamy peanut butter for Muddy Buddy Bars, but crunchy peanut butter also works! I find I get the best results with a classic peanut butter spread like JIF or Skippy, but natural peanut butter can also work here.
Butter. This helps thin out the peanut butter chocolate mixture so it can evenly coat the cereal. Don’t skip it, but feel free to use vegan butter for a dairy-free option, if needed.
Chocolate Chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips work well here to balance all the sweetness going on.
Vanilla Extract & Salt. One of my FAVORITE flavor tricks for better Muddy Buddies or Rice Krispie Treats.
Mini Marshmallows. Our magic ingredient! This is what keeps these bars soft & gooey, and helps them stick together so they hold their shape. Make sure to use fresh marshmallows or they won’t melt well.
Powdered Sugar. To finish and give these bars their classic look.

How To Make Puppy Chow Bars, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Measure Your Cereal & Prep The Ingredients. This recipe moves quickly once you get started, so make sure you have everything close by and in reach! Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt Chocolate Peanut Butter Mixture. In a large saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter and salt together over low heat or medium-low heat, stirring the whole time, until smooth and glossy, with just a few tiny lumps or bumps left.
Stir In Marshmallows and Vanilla and stir over low heat JUST until the marshmallows are melted.

Coat The Cereal. Pour the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture over the Chex cereal and stir to combine, until the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture.
Dust, Spread & Dust. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of the powdered sugar into the bottom of your prepared pan (I use a fine mesh sieve). Transfer the cereal mixture to the pan and spread into an even layer, packing it down slightly with the spatula. Dust the top of the bars with the remaining 2 TBSP of powdered sugar.
Chill To Set. Transfer the whole pan to the fridge and chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set up completely.
Slice & Serve. Cut into 9-12 slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

Gluten-Free Puppy Chow Bars, stacked next to a bottle of milk

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Muddy Buddy Bars

Can I Make These In the Microwave Instead? Yes, though I like the stove so I have better control over the heat. To make them in the microwave, melt the butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and salt together in a large microwave-safe bowl in 20-30 second increments, stirring in between each interval, until just a few small lumps and bumps remain. Add marshmallows and vanilla and microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until the mixture is smooth.

Dairy-Free Option. To make these Puppy Chow Bars dairy-free, make sure to use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) and dairy-free chocolate chips (like Guittard or Enjoy Life). All of the other ingredients are naturally dairy-free!

Gluten-Free Tips. Make sure to only use Corn Chex or Rice Chex for this gluten-free muddy buddy bars recipe, since Wheat Chex are NOT gluten-free!

Can I Double The Recipe? Yes! You can double the ingredients and make them in a 9×13 pan for a crowd. They’ll probably just take a bit longer to set up in the fridge. 🙂

More Fun Cereal Treats To Try

a bowl of cookies and cream muddy buddies with chopped gluten-free oreos

Cookies & Cream Muddy Buddies

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Crisp Rice Treats, cut into squares

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Chex Scotcheroos

Lucky Charms Treats

🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our gluten-free Muddy Buddy Bars recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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Gluten-Free Muddy Buddy Bars (Puppy Chow Bars)

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Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Whether you call them Muddy Buddy Bars or Puppy Chow Bars, you'll LOVE the nostalgic chocolate peanut butter flavor of this easy no-bake treat!

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Chill Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Print Pin Rate

Servings: -16 Servings

Ingredients

4 cups Corn Chex Cereal or Rice Chex Cereal (120 grams)
4 Tablespoons Butter (57 grams)
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Dark Chocolate Chips (170 grams)
¾ cup Creamy Peanut Butter (192 grams)
5 oz. FRESH Mini Marshmallows (142 grams)
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar (30 grams)

Instructions

Measure Your Cereal & Prep The Ingredients. This recipe moves quickly once you get started, so make sure you have everything close by and in reach! Measure the cereal into a large bowl and set aside. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Melt Chocolate Peanut Butter Mixture. In a large saucepan, melt butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter and salt together over low heat or medium-low heat, stirring the whole time, until smooth and glossy, with just a few tiny lumps or bumps left.
Stir In Marshmallows and Vanilla and stir over low heat JUST until the marshmallows are melted.
Coat The Cereal. Pour the melted chocolate peanut butter mixture over the Chex cereal and stir to combine, until the cereal is evenly coated in the chocolate mixture.
Dust, Spread & Dust. Sprinkle 2 TBSP of the powdered sugar into the bottom of your prepared pan (I use a fine mesh sieve). Transfer the cereal mixture to the pan and spread into an even layer, packing it down slightly with the spatula. Dust the top of the bars with the remaining 2 TBSP of powdered sugar.
Chill To Set. Transfer the whole pan to the fridge and chill the bars in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set up completely.
Slice & Serve. Cut into 9-12 slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days.

Notes

Peanut Butter. I find I get the best results with regular peanut butter spreads, like JIF or Skippy, but you can use natural peanut butter, if desired. Keep in mind, it’ll be a bit more gritty and the bars may not stay quite as soft.
Dairy-Free Option. To make these Puppy Chow Bars dairy-free, make sure to use vegan butter (like Earth Balance) and dairy-free chocolate chips (like Guittard or Enjoy Life). All of the other ingredients are naturally dairy-free!