Where did muddy buddies come from?

The history behind Muddy Buddies: “Multiple Midwesterners happily shared stories of the prevalence of puppy chow going back to the '60s, but General Mills, the owner and producer of the Chex cereal brand since 1996, says that the Muddy Buddies recipe was developed in 2002 .

What is a nickname for a muddy buddy?

Muddy buddies can go by a lot of alternate names; you may have heard them referred to as puppy chow, monkey munch, reindeer chow, or doggy bag . They get the crazy names from their appearance, sometimes looking like dog food or animal treats.

What is the original name for muddy buddies?

Puppy Chow vs Muddy Buddies Some people call it puppy chow, while others know it by different names: muddy munch, monkey munch, or muddy buddies. Muddy Buddies is actually the official name of the recipe marketed by General Mills, the maker of Chex cereal.

Who came up with muddy buddies?

In 2002 General Mills developed Muddy Buddies, the same recipe as Puppy Chow. But it can't be said that General Mills invented the recipe since Midwesterners recall seeing it and eating it long before the early 2000s.

When was muddy buddies invented?

According to General Mills, Muddy Buddies (a.k.a. Puppy Chow) was developed in 2002, however, in reality, the same recipe, in some form or another, had been around way longer in the American home cook communities.

Is puppy chow and Muddy Buddies the same thing?

Puppy Chow (also called Muddy Buddies) is one of my favorite holiday recipes. This recipe is made using only four ingredients and it takes less than ten minutes to make!

Is puppy chow a wisconsin thing?

Is Puppy Chow a Midwestern thing? Yes, people across the Midwest loved this sweet and crunchy snack year-round. The “puppy chow belt” runs through Wisconsin and Michigan, North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska .

Valentine's Day Muddy Buddy Recipe (2024)

Published: Jan 4, 2015 · Modified: Jan 19, 2023 by Jennifer · This post may contain affiliate links · 19 Comments

You are going to love this Valentine's Day Muddy Buddies Recipe - or Puppy Chow, whatever you prefer to call these tasty, sugary Valentine Muddy Buddies snacks!

I found a ton of gorgeous little Valentine's Day sprinkles in the $1 Spot at Target last week and decided to get a jump start on my Valentine's Day goodies and whipped up these super easy Valentine's Day Muddy Buddies for you!

Well, it was mostly for me, but I thought I'd share it with you since you all liked my Valentine's Day Skillet Cookie recipe so much!

Ingredients You will need to make this Valentine Muddy Buddies Mix

Keep in mind that all of the specific ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

Instructions for making this Valentine's Muddy Buddy Recipe

While this process is quite easy to follow, the most important part is to make sure that you don't burn your candy melts!

Put your Wilton candy melts into a microwave safe bows. Heat for 45 seconds, then stir, put back into the microwave and heat an additional 30 seconds, then stir. If your candy melts aren’t completely melted after stirring, repeat at 20 second intervals until the candy is completely melted.
Add ¼ teaspoon shortening and stir – this helps liquefy the candy melts and makes it easier to coat the rice cereal without getting too thick and bumpy.
In a gallon sized Ziploc bag, pour Chex Rice Cereal and the melted candy melts.
Gently shake the bag, rolling slowly, to completely coat the Rice Cereal with the melted candy melts. Pour in the powdered sugar and shake until the cereal mixture is completely coated.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and empty rice cereal mixture on a cookie sheet. Spread the cereal mixture out as flat as possible and break apart - gently - any clumps. Shake the mixture around on the sheet to redistribute the powdered sugar.
I like to bounce a handful at a time in a sifter to remove all of the excess powdered sugar, but it's not really necessary.
Place the waxed paper in the fridge for about five minutes to harden. Add sprinkles and serve!

Note: you can also sprinkle the candy-coated rice cereal with sprinkled or colored sugar before coating in confectioner sugar for extra effect!

Hint: These Wilton Candy Melts are regular old pinkcandy melt flavor - so the Valentine Muddy Buddies will just taste like white chocolate. You can add a teaspoon of peanut butter, Nutella, etc to your candy melt mixture if you want to get adventurous and give it a special flavor.

Variations of Muddy Buddies You Can Make

We have shared a few kinds of Puppy Chow Recipes over the years and they all follow the same simple process. Check these different versions out!

Saint Patrick’s Day Muddy Buddies Recipe - this is a great way to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day!
S'mores Muddy Buddies- these are great any time of year, but especially during the Summertime!
Cake Batter Puppy Chow Recipe - if you are a die hard Cake Batter fan, you are gonna love this version!

If you love Muddy Buddies, you are going to love this Colorful Easter Muddy Buddies Mix Recipe!

Looking for other fun Valentine's Day Recipes like this Powdered Sugary Treat?

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

43 Valentine's Day Recipes
Valentine's Day Sugar Cookie Cups
Valentine's Day Drinks

Valentine's Day Muddy Buddies Recipe

Jennifer

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

½ bag pink Wilton Candy Melts
¼ teaspoon shortening like Crisco
6 cups Chex Rice Cereal
3 cups confectioner sugar more or less depending on your desired result
Various pink and red sprinkles

Instructions

Put your Wilton candy melts into a microwave safe bows.
Heat for 45 seconds, then stir, put back into the microwave and heat an additional 30 seconds, then stir. If your candy melts aren’t completely melted after stirring, repeat at 20 second intervals until the candy is completely melted.
Add ¼ teaspoon shortening and stir – this helps liquefy the candy melts and makes it easier to coat the rice cereal without getting too thick and bumpy.
In a gallon sized Ziploc bag, pour Chex Rice Cereal and the melted candy melts.
Gently shake the bag, rolling slowly, to completely coat the Rice Cereal with the melted candy melts. Pour in the powdered sugar and shake until the cereal mixture is completely coated.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and empty rice cereal mixture on a cookie sheet. Spread the cereal mixture out as flat as possible and break apart - gently - any clumps. Shake the mixture around on the sheet to redistribute the powdered sugar.
Place the waxed paper in the fridge for about five minutes to harden. Add sprinkles and serve!

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Jennifer

Jennifer, AKA "The Rebel Chick," is a 40-something Gen Xer who strives to help her readers live their best lives possible with easy recipes, travel inspiration and lifestyle tips!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Crystal
January 04, 2015 at 1:31 pm

Muddy Buddies are one of my favorite snack recipes too! They are so yummy, and such a cinch to tailor to your preferences or upcoming holiday.
HilLesha
January 04, 2015 at 8:54 pm

I tried these for the first time earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised about how delicious they were!
Raijean
See Also
Mexican Shepherd's Pie - The Recipe Rebel
January 04, 2015 at 11:31 pm

This looks so delicious, I was looking for a fun Valentines recipe.
Colleen
January 05, 2015 at 6:28 am

This looks so festive and yummy. Perfect for a Valentine's Day snack.
Anne - Mommy Has to Work
January 07, 2015 at 5:00 pm

I love this stuff! I could the whole bowl, that's why i don't make it...
Valentines Day 2015
January 08, 2015 at 2:11 am

That looks delicious. I m gonna try to make some.
Donna
January 08, 2015 at 10:28 am

I'm cutting back on sugar, but I love muddy buddies because you can eat just 2-3 a day and it's not that bad. 🙂
Amanda
January 09, 2015 at 8:43 am

Muddy Buddies are sooooo good! These look great 😀
Cindy
January 09, 2015 at 2:42 pm

found this on the Weekly Linky party and posted on my personal Valentine board, plus 3 other group Valentine's pinterest boards
Garden Chef
January 10, 2015 at 10:57 am

Just perfect for Valentine's! Got you from the blog hop train to Greece!
Liz @ Liz on Call
January 10, 2015 at 11:37 pm

Oh I love the addition of those adorable sprinkles! Thanks for linking up at the Creative Exchange link party!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector)
January 15, 2015 at 5:08 pm

Perfect for class treats! Thanks for linking up with SNF!
Megan
January 21, 2015 at 10:02 am

These look so yummy and I love how easy these are to make!
Thanks for linking up to Motivation Monday!
Chelsey
January 22, 2015 at 8:12 am

I LOVE muddy buddies! Pinning and Stumbling!
Do you mind if I use this in a Valentine's Day round-up next month?
Nicole Neverman
January 22, 2015 at 7:29 pm

This is such a cute Valentine's idea! If you had a spare moment, I would be delighted if you'd drop this (and anything else you'd like to share) by at the #PureBlogLove DIY and recipe link party! You can find me here: http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/
Kirsten Oliphant
January 23, 2015 at 12:30 pm

Adorable! Visiting (and pinning) from the Weekend Re-Treat!
Jenn
January 24, 2015 at 9:57 am

Please feel free to use it in your round up! 🙂
Lou Lou Girls
January 24, 2015 at 2:44 pm

You brought the most delicious treat to our party! Thank you. Pinned and tweeted. We feel honored that you take the time to stop by our party. I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. We love to party with you! Happy Saturday! Lou Lou Girls
shelly peterson
February 10, 2015 at 7:24 am

my family loves Muddy Buddies. l love the added touch of the sprinkles to make it look so festive. I will have to do that next time

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