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The whole family will love this Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow. It uses strawberry cake mix, sprinkles and red and pink M&Ms! In just 20 minutes with 6 ingredients, you’ll have an irresistible Valentine’s themed treat.
In this perfect Valentine’s Day treat, we take the traditional muddy buddy recipe and jazz it up with some Valentine-themed ingredients.
Speaking of muddy buddy recipes, some people call this snack mix muddy buddies and others call it puppy chow. We aren’t quite sure why this tasty treat was named after dog food, but it’s likely because it’s a colorful mix of bite sized pieces.
Whatever name you’re familiar with, this Valentine’s puppy chow is a delicious treat that you won’t be able to stop snacking on.
If you have never tried chex mix puppy chow, this is your warning that it is seriously addictive! We love using different puppy chow recipes as a festive treat, like New Year’s Puppy Chow and m football puppy chow. Something about a themed treat makes for such a special day!
Why You’ll Love This Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow
Here are a few reasons why this fun puppy chow recipe is a favorite in my home:
- Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift Idea. Divide into little bags and tie with a little red string or put it in a cute container and BAM, you have the perfect little Valentine’s Day treats for your kids to hand out to their friends.
- Quick and easy to make. This easy recipe only takes 20 minutes to make and only requires 6 simple ingredients.
- Easily customizable. You can mix in any of your favorite ingredients to the traditional puppy chow recipe. Check out some variation ideas below!
What You’ll Need for Valentine Puppy Chow
- Rice Chex / Rice Squares cereal
- White almond bark
- Strawberry cake mix
- Powdered sugar
- Valentine’s Day Sprinkles
- Valentine’s Day M&Ms
How to Make Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow
This Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow recipe will make you the star of any Valentine’s Day party!
Add cereal. Place the cereal in a large bowl. Set aside.
Melt almond bark. Chop the almond bark into smaller pieces. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the almond bark for 60 seconds on 50% power, stirring and adding more time until fully melted and smooth.
Coat cereal. Pour the almond bark over the cereal and gently stir until all the cereal is coated.
Shake powdered sugar and cake mix. Place the coated cereal in one very large Ziploc bag or 2 gallon sized bags. If using 2 bags, sprinkle half of the powdered sugar and half of the cake mix in one bag and half in the other bag, then shake well.
Sprinkles and M&Ms. Pour your desired amount of sprinkles and M&Ms in each bag. Zip the bags closed, then shake until the cereal is fully coated. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Tips for the Best Puppy Chow Mix
To make the sprinkles stick to the cereal, once the cereal is coated with the powdered sugar and cake mix, spread into a single layer on a large baking sheet. Melt and drizzle additional almond bark over the cereal, shake the sprinkles over the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
To make gluten free puppy chow, be sure to use gluten free approved rice or corn chex cereal.
Substitutions & Variations
There are so many different varieties of muddy buddies, and the best part is that you can easily adjust this recipe to your own preferences. Here are some ideas for different ways to make this puppy chow snack mix:
Adjust the treats to your taste. You can add as many sprinkles and M&Ms as you like!
Make this sweet treat a little salty. If you want a sweet and salty flavor combination, just add some pretzels.
Add your other favorite candies. Some ideas are cinnamon red hearts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, conversation hearts or any other Valentine candy.
Add nuts. If you’re a nut lover and want to add a little more crunch, add your favorite nuts. Just be careful if you plan to have your kids share this treat with their friends at school!
FAQ
Store puppy chow in an airtight container or ziplock plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Yes. Store in a ziplock bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months in the freezer. To thaw, place the container or bag on the counter overnight.
More Valentine’s Day Dessert Recipes
- Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Bars
- Valentine’s Day Donuts
- Valentine’s Slice N’ Bake Cookies
- Layered Strawberry Jello Cups
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Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 10 cups Rice Chex / Rice Squares cereal
- 1 pound white almond bark, 16 oz
- ¾ cup strawberry cake mix
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Valentine’s Day Sprinkles
- Valentine’s Day M&Ms
Instructions
- Place the cereal in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Chop the almond bark into smaller pieces. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the almond bark for 60 seconds on 50% power, stirring and adding more time until fully melted and smooth.
- Pour the almond bark over the cereal and gently stir until all the cereal is coated.
- Place the coated cereal in one very large ziploc bag or 2 gallon sized bags. If using 2 bags, sprinkle half of the powdered sugar and half of the cake mix in one bag and half in the other bag. Shake well to coat.
- Pour your desired amount of sprinkles and M&Ms in each bag. Zip the bags closed, then shake until the cereal is fully coated.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve.
Notes
- Add as many sprinkles and M&Ms as you like.
- If you want the sprinkles to stick to the cereal, once the cereal is coated with the powdered sugar and cake mix, spread it into an even layer on a baking sheet. Melt and drizzle additional almond bark over the cereal, shake the sprinkles over the melted chocolate. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving.
- Use chocolate almond bark instead of white almond bark.
- Store this in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
