Quick and easy Christmas Muddy Buddies with a red and green holiday flair! This irresistible snack is made with just 3 main ingredients and 15 minutes of prep, perfectly festive for at-home or classroom parties and also makes a great edible holiday gift.
Christmas Muddy Buddies – Puppy Chow
Affectionately called muddy buddies or puppy chow, nobody can deny how irresistible they are! Crunchy cereal coated in silky melted chocolate, then tossed in powdered sugar. The hardest part about this recipe is not hoarding all the servings for yourself!
This Christmas muddy buddies recipe uses Rice Chex, melting wafers, along with red and green food coloring, so they’re super festive for the holiday and great for parties or packaged up in little clear bags as gifts.
Ingredients Needed
You only need 3 main ingredients, plus food coloring to make this muddy buddies recipe.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Rice Chex Cereal
- Vanilla Ghirardelli melting wafers
- Powdered sugar
- Red and Green food coloring
Recipe Variations
- Try a different cereal. Corn Chex or even Crispix can be used instead of Rice Chex, if preferred.
- Adding in nut butters. I’ve seen these made with peanut butter and other nut butters, but I omitted that for these red and green Muddy Buddies so the powdered sugar would stay a true white.
- Use candy melts. I chose to make these using white/vanilla Ghirardelli melting wafers and food coloring, but candy melts are super convenient, too. Simply use a bag of red candy melts and a bag of green candy melts instead.
How to Make Christmas Muddy Buddies
These red and green muddy buddies are made in just minutes without any oven or chilling needed.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Get the cereal ready. Place half of the cereal into a large mixing bowl.
- Melt and dye half the Ghirardelli wafers. In a microwaveable safe bowl, melt half the melting wafers according to package directions until silky smooth. Stir in a few drops of red food coloring; whisk vigorously until completely combined and smooth.
- Coat the cereal. Drizzle the melted chocolate evenly over cereal in sections, folding gently with a spatula until evenly coated, being careful not to crush the cereal. Separate any pieces that are stuck together.
- Toss with powdered sugar. Transfer the chocolate coated cereal to a gallon sized re-sealable food storage plastic bag. Add half the powdered sugar, seal bag and toss gently until all the cereal is well-coated.
- Repeat the process. Repeat the entire process with the other half of ingredients, using the green food coloring this time.
- Combine and enjoy. Place both colored mixtures in a large bowl and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Use regular food dye, not food gel. Food gel colors are deeper and produce a truer color, BUT gel (as opposed to liquid dye) makes the melted chocolate seize up, so it’s nearly impossible to drizzle. Regular liquid food dye is the better option.
- Ghirardelli melting wafers vs. Candy melts. I love candy melts for candy making, but I’ve been using Ghirardelli melting wafers more and more. They have a smoother, looser consistency once melted and also harden perfectly, but not immediately, so you don’t need to race to add in any mix-ins.
- Avoid regular white chocolate chips, if possible. Be very careful when melting regular white chocolate chips as they have a tendency to burn and can be a little finicky when mixed with food coloring.
Serving Suggestions
Muddy buddies are great set out in a large serving bowl for a crowd, or in individual cups for a portable snack. It also makes a great party favor or gift in cellophane bags tied with a cute red and/or green ribbon.
Proper Storage
- Storing leftovers. Once the coating has set, muddy buddies will last for up to a week at room temperature in an airtight container. (Keep out of direct sunlight and heat to avoid melting the chocolate.) BUT I highly recommend keeping them in the refrigerator – having it cold and extra crunchy is fantastic!
- Freeze. This muddy buddies recipe will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months stored in a freezer-safe ziploc bag or airtight container.
More Christmas Snacks:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Christmas Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 12 ounce box Rice Chex Cereal , divided
- 12 ounce bag white/vanilla Ghirardelli melting wafers , divided
- 1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar , divided
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
Instructions
- Place half of the cereal into a large mixing bowl.
- In a microwaveable safe bowl, melt half the melting wafers according to package directions until silky smooth.
- Stir in a few drops of red food coloring; whisk vigorously until completely combined and smooth.
- Drizzle the melted chocolate evenly over cereal in sections, folding gently with a spatula until evenly coated, being careful not to crush the cereal. Separate any pieces that are stuck together.
- Transfer to a gallon sized re-sealable food storage plastic bag. Add half the powdered sugar, seal bag and toss gently until all the cereal is well-coated.
- Repeat the entire process with the other half of ingredients, using the green food coloring this time.
- Place both mixtures in a large bowl and toss to combine. Try not to eat it all in one sitting! HA.
