If you love s’mores and easy no-bake treats, this s’mores puppy chow deserves a spot on your must-make list. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, it’s crunchy, sweet, chocolatey, and packed with all the flavors of a classic campfire s’more.
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos and helpful success tips.
Traditional puppy chow (also known as muddy buddies) is usually made with Chex cereal coated in a mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter, then tossed in powdered sugar. Have you ever had it before?
For this s’mores-inspired version, I swap the Chex for Golden Grahams cereal and stir in plenty of mini marshmallows. The result is a snack mix that tastes remarkably similar to a s’more, but requires no campfire, no baking, and just a few minutes of prep.
Kids absolutely love to help with this one!
You can serve this as a snack or dessert, and it’s perfect for road trips, summer gatherings, movie nights, sleepovers, potlucks, and holiday parties. Just be warned: once you start snacking, it’s incredibly hard to stop!
Why You’ll Love This S’mores Puppy Chow
- Only 5 ingredients
- No baking required
- Ready in minutes
- Sweet, crunchy, and chocolatey
- Tastes like a classic s’more
- Easy to make ahead
- Perfect for parties, road trips, and gifting
- Great recipe for kids to help make
Just 5 Ingredients Needed
You only need a handful of pantry ingredients:
- Golden Grahams Cereal: Instead of classic Chex cereal, Golden Grahams serve as the base. Their honey-graham flavor gives this puppy chow its signature s’mores taste and adds lots of crunch.
- Chocolate Chips: Chocolate coats every piece of cereal and creates that rich chocolate flavor we all love in a s’more. Use semi-sweet chocolate chips for the best balance of sweetness. I like Ghirardelli brand. (Not affiliated, just a genuine fan!)
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter helps create a smooth coating for the cereal. The peanut butter flavor isn’t overwhelming at all… the chocolate, graham, and marshmallow flavors take center stage.
- Mini Marshmallows: No s’mores-inspired recipe would be complete without marshmallows. Mini marshmallows mix easily throughout the puppy chow and add soft little bites to contrast the crunchy cereal. (By the way, if you’re ever up for it, I have a recipe for homemade marshmallows!)
- Confectioners’ Sugar: A coating of confectioners’ sugar gives puppy chow its classic look and sweet finish, and helps prevent the cereal pieces from sticking together.
Can I make a nut-free s’mores puppy chow? Yes. If you’d like to skip the peanut butter, replace it with the same amount of Biscoff cookie spread or sunflower seed butter.
Can I add a salty touch? Absolutely. Replace about 1 cup of the Golden Grahams with mini pretzels, or stir in 1 cup of salted peanuts.
In Photos: How to Make S’mores Puppy Chow
This process couldn’t be easier.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together until smooth. Add half of the marshmallows and stir together just until the marshmallows begin to melt:
Add the cereal and gently stir until every piece is coated:
Transfer the coated cereal to a large zip-top bag or container with confectioners’ sugar and shake until evenly coated:
Once everything is covered in confectioners’ sugar, spread the mixture out briefly to cool. Finally, stir in the remaining mini marshmallows and serve.
That’s it, you’re done! Just a few minutes of work for a sweet snack everyone loves.
Perfect for Sharing
Spoon the s’mores puppy chow in treat bags for gifts or bake sales, bring it to parties and cookouts, set out a bowl for movie night, or pack it for road trips and vacations.
This is also a great make-ahead snack because it stays crunchy for several days when stored in an airtight container!
And if you’re craving even more s’mores-inspired desserts, try these s’mores rice krispie treats next.
S’mores Puppy Chow
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: around 8 cups
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you love s’mores and easy no-bake treats, this s’mores puppy chow deserves a spot on your must-make list. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, it’s crunchy, sweet, chocolatey, and packed with all the flavors of a classic campfire s’more.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (125g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 and 1/2 cups (90g) mini marshmallows, divided
- 6 cups (around 250g) Golden Grahams cereal
Instructions
- Pour the confectioners’ sugar into a large zip-top bag. Set aside.
- In a large pot or saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Stir constantly to prevent the chocolate from burning. Once completely melted, add half of the marshmallows (3/4 cup or 45g). Stir until the marshmallows begin to soften and partially melt into the mixture. Remove from heat.
- Add the Golden Grahams cereal and gently stir until every piece is coated in the chocolate-peanut butter mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared zip-top bag. Seal tightly. Shake everything together for at least 60 seconds to ensure each piece/chunk is coated with sugar.
- Spread out onto a lined baking sheet and mix in the remaining marshmallows. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Zipped-top Bag | Large Saucepan
- Can I Make this Nut-Free? Yes. If you’d like to skip the peanut butter, replace it with the same amount of Biscoff cookie butter spread or sunflower seed butter.
- Can I Add Something Salty? Absolutely. Replace about 1 cup of the Golden Grahams with mini pretzels, or stir in 1 cup of salted peanuts when you add the cereal in step 3.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This puppy chow is SO GOOD! I just made it for our camping trip this week and it was a big hit with my family. The only thing I did differently was to use 4 cups of Golden Grahams and 2 cups of rice Chex because I love that in puppy chow. The marshmallows were such a fun addition,great texture!
I tried making this receipe and found that the chocolate and peanut butter mixture got too stiff to really coat the cereal. What did I do wrong?
Just made this with the Trader Joe’s version of Cinnamon Cereal and almond butter. We only used 1 c powdered sugar because the cereal is already very sweet. And Oh. My. Goodness. Kids (and I) are in heaven!! I’m allergic to peanut butter and was never able to enjoy Puppy Chow as a kid. I passed down the allergy, but there are so many options now – Our next batch will be with Cookie Butter :D.
Your inspirations and creations are addicting – both reading and eating!
Hi Jen, so glad that you love this snack mix! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate your kind words!
I have used this recipe since you published it here. I always direct anyone to Sally’s baking addiction because someone always wants to know. I’ve made many of your things but this is just such a perfect snack/treat for our household with 2 kids. Be safe during this crazy time! Regards ☀️
I used cookie butter…..yum!
Omw!!! Why didn’t I think of this before! Thanks for the idea:)) just gained 20lbs looking at this recipe.
O just made it and added pretzels…. adds a good kind of salted twist… super yummy!
Made this today although I replaced the peanut butter with Nutella, it was amazing and a HUGE hit at the party. Everyone wanted the recipe!!!
I made these for the Super Bowl yesterday! These are EVIL! Sooooo yummy and so addicting!
Sooooo good!
I just made this for an event tonight, it is delicious and unfortunately addicting like most puppy chow!! Thank you for the recipe!
I made these for a snack for the Super Bowl and they were such a hit! A good friend asked me to make cupcakes for her husband’s birthday party and immediately was excited to find a recipe on your blog. Thanks for sharing all these yummy recipes!
I found this recipe a while ago and was saving it for my son’s first birthday party. Well, that was yesterday. This stuff is AMAZING. I’ve made puppy chow in the past, but remember it being really messy and time-consuming. This was neither! And oh, so delicious. I made it Saturday night for yesterday’s party, and made the mistake of having my husband taste it. I caught him later with his hand in the bag and said, “You didn’t even close the bag all the way!” He told me that’s because he wasn’t finished LOL. I ended up hiding it from him. Sweet success, Sally, thank you!