comment icon 52 more comments Puppy chow is just one of those simple pleasures that takes a hangout / cabin weekend / road trip / evening at home on the couch to a better emotional place, know what I mean? No situation can’t be made better with a handful of this happy little snack. I’m a child of the 90s and I grew up in the Midwest, so yes, I’m experienced in this area. Oh, the joy and delight of that extra-chocolatey cold crunch! I hope this helps you live a little more lightly. HAPPY MUNCHING. It is one of the great Midwestern food contributions of the 80s and 90s (my roots!) and because of my strong opinions on freezing it, I’m making my case today that it’s the perfect sweet snack / fun thing that you should be making to bring joy into your life for these last few weeks of summer. I’m calling this “Extra Good” – it only differs from the recipes on the back of the Chex boxes by having a lot more of that chocolate-peanut-butter coating, therefore making it extra thick, extra clustery, extra delish.
How To Make Puppy Chow
How To Get A Better Puppy Chow Cluster
Puppy chow is best when it’s: Midwestern kids of the 90s (hello) will agree with me that mixing the chocolate coated cereal in a paper grocery bag is the authentic and proper technique. I mean, is it really puppy chow without the paper bag? But in reality, any big bag (ziplock, paper bag, even a big mixing bowl that you can toss very gently so as not to break the cereal) will get the job done. I normally use a couple baking sheets lined with parchment which I then transfer to the freezer because FROZEN PUPPY CHOW IS LIFE CHANGING. (For optimal clustering, so don’t spread it out too much! just kind of let it lay how it wants to lay and the freezing process will help the clusters form.)
EXTRA COLD EXTRA CRISP EXTRA CHOCOLATEY EXTRA CLUSTERED
Let me present to you how I think puppy chow should always look: Beautiful, chunky clusters. The puppy chow I grew up with was more like individual pieces of cereal that were completely coated with powdered sugar. It was served room temperature and you ate it one piece at a time. But do you know what’s even more fun? If you go for MORE chocolate and MORE peanut butter and MORE butter, you’re going to get MORE sticking-together, and that’s going to create magical little clusters. And if you make it very cold, it’s… well, it’s a thick and crispy little bite that is just super delicious. That jumbo cluster you’re looking at in that picture is just a grown up’s version of the original. This stays true to the basics but just dials up everything good: the chocolate, the peanut butter, the butter. It gives just a little more excitement with the texture, the shape, the temperature. It makes for supremely satisfying grazing. It’s a real delight.
How To Store Puppy Chow
Absolutely store this addictive bounty in the freezer. I keep it in airtight containers (like a lidded plastic food storage container, for example) or just in a Ziplock bag. Yes, the fridge works, the counter will even work. But the freezer is WHERE IT’S AT for an extra crispity satisfying crunch. Plus, it travels well and makes it last longer. Puppy chow (especially out of the freezer) is the absolute perfect snack to grab for:
cabin weekends road trips bonfire snacking pool days kids and teenagers in general (we don’t often have teenagers in our house, but recently we did and when we brought the puppy chow out, there were actual cheers and then it was pounded) just grabbing a cluster or five for a little cool crunchy treat after dinner
More Chocolatey Dessert Recipes
Golden Grahams Bars Best S’mores Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Cheesecake Bars The Best Easy Peanut Butter Pie The Ultimate Chocolate Granola
5 from 22 reviews Okay, I know that logically it makes more sense to put the powdered sugar in the bag first; however, I find that I get better clustering when I put the sugar on top of the cereal and shake to coat it that way.
