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Patriotic Puppy Chow

Patriotic puppy chow (muddy buddies) is a no-bake Chex mix dessert with white chocolate coating and a powdered sugar dusting. It’s tossed with red and blue M&Ms and red-white-blue star sprinkles, then chilled until the coating is set.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
cooling 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chex cereal
  • 9 cup Chex cereal (rice or corn)
White chocolate coating
  • 12 oz white chocolate chips or white melting wafers
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Dusting and mix-ins
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup red M&Ms
  • 1 cup blue M&Ms
  • 1 red and blue star sprinkles

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the Chex
  1. Measure Chex cereal into a very large bowl and set aside.
  2. Melt white chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until completely smooth, until glossy.
  3. Pour the melted white chocolate over the Chex and stir gently until every piece is evenly coated, with no dry cereal visible.
Dust and cool
  1. Transfer the coated cereal into a large zip-lock bag, add powdered sugar, seal, and shake vigorously until all pieces are well coated with a white, powdery layer.
  2. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool for 30 minutes until set, looking matte rather than wet.
Add patriotic mix-ins and serve
  1. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with red and blue M&Ms and star sprinkles so the colors are evenly distributed throughout.
  2. Serve in a big bowl or pack into individual bags, showing bright red and blue pieces against the powdered sugar coating.

Notes

For the cleanest coating, keep stirring the melted chocolate between microwave bursts until fully smooth; any unmelted bits can clump on the cereal. Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days for best crunch, or freeze up to 1 month (thaw at room temperature before serving). For a dairy-free option, use dairy-free white melting wafers instead of butter and white chocolate to keep the same glossy coating.