This easy fall puppy chow is an autumn twist on classic peanut butter chocolate puppy chow, loaded with Reese’s Pieces, candy corn, harvest candy corn, and candy pumpkins.

If you’ve been around my site before, you may have noticed I like making puppy chow (or muddy buddies, if you prefer.) So, with fall coming around, I started researching some variations. I ended up going with my classic puppy chow recipe and adding some fall favorite sweet treats. It’s a colorful fall-themed muddy buddies recipe that’s perfect for autumn parties, Halloween, or Thanksgiving.

If you’re looking for more puppy chow recipes or have questions about making puppy chow that aren’t answered below, check out the page dedicated to Puppy Chows/Muddy Buddies. Or if you’re looking for a specific easy treat for fall, check out my Fall Pretzel Kisses.

This easy fall puppy chow is an easy autumn twist on classic peanut butter chocolate puppy chow, loaded with Reese’s Pieces, candy corn, harvest candy corn, and candy pumpkins.

Notes About Recipe

Fall puppy chow is- like most puppy chow recipes- straight-forward to make. A couple of quick notes, though.

• Chex cereal. I purchased a 12 oz. box of rice Chex for this. The recipe calls for 9-10 cups of Chex, which works out to be exactly one 12 oz. box. The actual amount (cup-wise) varies slightly from box to box.

• Mix-ins.
I mixed in Reese’s pieces, traditional candy corn, harvest candy corn, and a few mellowcreme pumpkins. You can include all, a few, or just one of these options. Whatever you would like.
You can also try mixing in: pretzel sticks, mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips.

• Butter. The butter is not 100% necessary…but it results in a smoother chocolate/peanut butter mixture that coats the cereal better. If you absolutely want to skip it, the final product will still be good.

FAQ About Making Puppy Chow

First, the Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies page has answers to all your puppy chow questions. Exhaustively. I’m not going to copy and paste all of them below. I’m just including the most important. But the page is available if you have questions I haven’t answered.

• What is the best cereal for puppy chow?
Rice Chex is preferred. Corn Chex can also be used. I would avoid wheat Chex. If you’re somewhere Chex is hard to find, you can try out Crispix.

• What is the best chocolate for puppy chow?
This recipe calls for semi-sweet and that is what I recommend. If you can’t find semi-sweet, you can also try milk chocolate chips, but you’ll have a sweeter final product.

• Can you make puppy chow without peanut butter?
Yes, you can. But the final results are going to taste different. Please see the “puppy chow” page in the “ingredients FAQ” section for a detailed list of what to substitute, when, and some of the effects.

• Can I skip the butter and/or vanilla extract?
Yes, either or both can be skipped. The butter allows for a thinner coating but the recipe will work without it. The vanilla extract results in a richer flavor. But, again, the recipe will work without it.

• How do I store puppy chow? How long will it last?
I suggest a Ziploc bag, but you can also use any airtight container. Preferred storage method is at room temperature out of direct sunlight for up to 7 days. You can also store (in airtight bag) in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freezer for 2-3 months.

Fall puppy chow (aka: Thanksgiving puppy chow)

Print Pin

No ratings yet

Fall Puppy Chow

This easy fall puppy chow is an autumn twist on classic peanut butter chocolate puppy chow, loaded with Reese’s Pieces, candy corn, harvest candy corn, and candy pumpkins.

Prep Time 15

Resting time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

9-10 C. Chex cereal rice or corn
1.5 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C. creamy peanut butter
1/4 C. unsalted butter cut into smaller pieces
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 & 1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. Reese’s Pieces
1/2 C. candy corn
1/2 C. harvest candy corn
1/2 C. mellowcreme candy pumpkins optional

Instructions

Pour cereal into a large mixing bowl.
Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, and chopped butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir well, even if nothing looks melted. Continue heating at intervals (20 seconds each at 50% power), stirring between each heating cycle, until chocolate is melted and ingredients are well-mixed.
Stir vanilla extract into chocolate mixture.
Pour chocolate and peanut butter mixture over cereal. Stir gently to coat all the cereal.
Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.
Pour half of the powdered sugar in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add half of the coated cereal. Toss gently until cereal is well-coated in powdered sugar and any chunks are broken up. Lay out on a cookie sheet to dry.
Repeat with remaining powdered sugar and remaining coated cereal.
After mix is dry, toss coated cereal with candies (Reese's pieces, candy corn, and candy pumpkins.)

Notes

*The bowl of chocolate, peanut butter, and butter should never be too hot to touch with your bare hands. Chocolate scorches easily. If bowl becomes too hot, allow to cool, stir mixture, and then continue heating.

*The 3-5 minute rest after coating cereal helps prevent a soggy final product or having the powdered sugar start to melt. Don’t allow it to rest too long- the chocolate/peanut butter mix still needs to be wet enough for the powdered sugar to stick to it.

What Did You Think?

What did you think of this fall puppy chow? Did you like the candy mix-ins? Anything else you’re planning on adding to it? Comment below letting me know!

Is there anything you loved? Anything you didn’t like? Let me know by rating the recipe (using the stars on the recipe card).

Could you do me a quick favor? If you enjoyed this post, could you share it with your friends? Share buttons are at the top.