I never understood why the delicious chocolate, peanut butter, and rice cereal treat was called “Puppy Chow.” In fact, I didn’t call it by that name because I thought it was weird. I thought people would find it unappetizing if I served “Puppy Chow.”
Well today, while making this tried and true recipe, I finally understood why it’s called Puppy Chow…

I noticed in my peripheral vision a little friend named Belle conveniently sitting right where I needed to be, watching my every move. It clicked! Chocolate, peanut butter, Chex Rice cereal, butter…all of Belle’s favorite flavors! No wonder they call this Puppy Chow!

Needless to say, Belle assisted with every step. Always ready and willing to taste test!

And so with dog approved confidence, I would say this is some pretty good chow! Try it for yourself and see! *I make my recipe using 6 cups of cereal instead of 9 to increase the chocolate coating per piece, trust me, you’ll never go back to using 9 cups!
Ingredients
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir. Put the bowl back into the microwave and heat for an additional 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth when stirred. Add the vanilla extract and stir again.
- Pour the cereal in a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate peanut butter mixture and gently stir until cereal is evenly coated. Pour the coated cereal into a large Ziploc bag. Add the powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake until the cereal is well coated. Spread on parchment paper or waxed paper. Let sit until cool and chocolate is set.
- Store the puppy chow in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If it is warm in your kitchen, store the puppy chow in the refrigerator.
xoxo Rachel