Protein Puppy Chow

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This protein puppy chow tastes like traditional puppy chow (or muddy buddies, reindeer poop, whatever you want to call it) but has less sugar and more protein! This treat is full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor and is extremely addicting!

Protein puppy chow dusted with powdered sugar, in a jar on top of a plate. Pieces of puppy chow scattered around. Chocolate chips in the forefront and a jar of milk in the background.

How Do You Make Muddy Buddies

This treat has many names - puppy chow, muddy buddies, reindeer poop.. I've heard it been called many things. The one constant is it tastes amazing and it's very hard to stop eating! The chocolate peanut butter combination is a classic, making this treat simply delicious.

Even more good news: it's easy to make. Melt dark chocolate and natural peanut butter in the microwave and stir in a tablespoon of avocado oil until combined. Stir in cereal until evenly coated. Toss chocolate coated cereal in a gallon bag with powdered sugar and protein powder mix. That's it! The hardest part is to not eat the whole bag.

Protein puppy chow on a plate, dusted with powdered sugar. Pieces of puppy chow scattered around as well as chocolate chips.

Vegan Puppy Chow

To make this protein puppy chow vegan, simply use your favorite vegan dark chocolate and protein powder instead of regular dark chocolate and milk-based protein powder! Be sure to use a protein powder you like, as the cereal is coated in it so you want it to taste good.

Ingredient Highlights

Cereal - I have found Chex rice cereal to be the best cereal because the little holes in each piece soak up the chocolate peanut butter mixture so the flavors come through in every bite.
Dark chocolate - you can use any type of chocolate here (milk, dark, white).
Peanut butter - I prefer to use natural nut butters because they contain no trans fats and have an ideal ingredients list (nuts and maybe salt). You can use any nut butter!
Avocado oil - this helps to thin out the chocolate peanut butter mixture while contributing some healthy monounsaturated fats.
Protein powder - this obviously provides protein but also some flavor! Be sure to use a protein powder you like the taste of, as it coats the cereal and the flavor will be in each and every bite.
Powdered sugar - you can't have puppy chow without powdered sugar!

Recipe FAQ

Does puppy chow have protein?

Traditional puppy chow will have protein from the peanut butter, but not a lot. This recipe, however, will have more protein than traditional puppy chow (or muddy buddies) because of the protein powder/powdered sugar coating!

Does puppy chow need to be refrigerated?

This protein puppy chow does not need to be refrigerated and will last at room temperature for about a week. However, storing in the fridge can increase it's shelf life (if it even lasts that long)!

What protein powder should I use for protein puppy chow?

I highly recommend using your favorite third-party tested protein, ideally vanilla or chocolate flavored. The protein powder is a main ingredient in this recipe and the taste will be in every bite so you want to use a protein powder you like!

A jar of protein puppy chow tipped over with protein puppy chow spilled onto a plate.

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Rate & Review

If you made my protein puppy chow recipe, please rate and review my recipe below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!

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5 from 2 reviews

This protein puppy chow tastes like traditional puppy chow (or muddy buddies, reindeer poop, whatever you want to call it) but has less sugar and more protein! This treat is full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor and is extremely addicting!

Author: Lauren
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 7 cups 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Mixing
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

5 cups (192g) Chex cereal
1 cup (107g) vanilla or chocolate protein powder
¾ cup (160g) dark chocolate chips or melts
¾ cup (156g) natural peanut butter
½ cup (54g) powdered sugar
1 Tbsp avocado oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)

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Instructions

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter (~1 minute). Be careful not to burn the chocolate! I recommend heating in 30 second increments and stirring after each bout.
Stir in avocado oil once chocolate and peanut butter have melted.
Toss in cereal and stir until evenly coated.
In a large resealable bag, mix protein powder and powdered sugar.
Add chocolate coated cereal to bag and toss until cereal is evenly coated.
Enjoy!

Notes

Store at room temp for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- You can also freeze this protein puppy chow!
You can use any type of chocolate you'd like (milk, dark, white).
Chocolate protein powder would work in place of vanilla if you like a lot of chocolate flavor!
You can use an additional ¼-1/2 cup of powdered sugar if you like it sweeter.

Nutrition

Serving Size: ⅓ cup
Calories: 120
Sugar: 7
Sodium: 149
Fat: 7
Saturated Fat: 2
Unsaturated Fat: 5
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 14
Fiber: 1
Protein: 7
Cholesterol: 1

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