Mint chocolate muddy buddies are an easy, but indulgent snack mix that taste like your favorite Girl Scout cookie. This gorgeously green puppy chow, also known as Leprechaun Bait, makes the perfect St Paddy’s Day snack for both kids & adults.
No matter how old I get, I’ve never grown out of my love for holidays.
Any holiday in our house is an excuse for fun activities and whipping up yummy treats.
St Patrick’s Day is no exception!
This year we decided to give one of our seasonal favorites and minty green spin, perfect for the infamous Irish holiday.
These Mint Chocolate Muddy Buddies are so yummy I could eat them any day.
A perfect minty twist to regular puppy chow- this version tastes like the infamous Girl Scout thin mint cookies.
And it’s made with only 6 ingredients too- making it quick and easy to whip up, even at the last minute.
Is It Called Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow?
Depending on where you’re from you may be familiar with this classic dessert snack mix by a variety of different names: muddy buddies, puppy chow, monkey munch, muddy munch, or even reindeer chow.
The recipe originated in the Midwest in the 1960’s as puppy chow due to it’s resemblance of dog food.
While it may not sound appetizing, it was a huge hit and caught on quickly.
The name changed as the snack mix spread.
General Mills, the makers of Chex square rice cereal, published their version of the recipe called ‘Muddy Buddies’ in the early 2000’s.
Whichever name you know it by, every one always agrees it’s a yummy favorite!
Ingredients Needed
To make this minty muddy buddy recipe, you’ll need:
- Cereal – You’ll need square shaped rice cereal, any brand will work.
- Chocolate – This recipe uses both chocolate chips and green colored candy melts.
- Sugar – Powdered sugar is used to coat the chocolate covered cereal, preventing it from being sticky and giving it a sweet powdery outer coating.
- Candy – You’ll need two kind of mint flavored candies- m&m’s and Andes mints. The mint chocolates should be roughly chopped in half. You could also do 1/3’s if smaller pieces are more to your liking.
That’s all you need to make this mint chocolate muddy buddies recipe.
How To Make
Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, it’s time to get this puppy chow mix going.
Start by melting the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
To do this heat them for 20 seconds, then stir.
Heat them again, for another 15-20 seconds and then stir.
Continue heating and stirring in 15 second intervals, just until the chocolate chips are melted and smooth.
Add 5 cups of the cereal to the melted chocolate, stirring together until evenly combined.
Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to the bowl, again stirring just until evenly combined.
In a separate microwave safe bowl, melt the green candy melts in the same method you used for the chocolate chips.
The candy melts will melt and come together smoothly much more quickly.
Once melted and smooth, add the remaining cereal to the bowl and stir to completely combine.
Add one cup of powdered sugar, and stir until evenly coated.
Alternatively, you can add the chocolate covered cereal to a large ziplocking bag and add the powdered sugar to that.
Seal, and shake until evenly coated.
Either method will work, although the plastic bag method will mean less dishes to wash in the end.
Add both coated cereal mixes to a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
Add both cups of candies to the mix, and stir again until evenly incorporated into the muddy buddy mixture.
Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to harden properly.
Serve & enjoy!
Storing
This mint chocolate muddy buddies recipe can be stored in an airtight container, or ziplocking bag, for up to a week at room temperature.
Refrigerated, again in an airtight container, it will keep up to two weeks.
Can I Freeze Puppy Chow?
Yes!
Frozen in an air tight container, puppy chow will keep up to three months.
When ready to eat you can dig straight in and enjoy it frozen, or allow it to thaw to room temperature first.
What If I Don’t Have Powdered Sugar?
I hate when I got to make a recipe and find I’m out of powdered sugar.
But if you’ve got regular white granulated sugar, cornstarch, and a blender, you’ve got everything you need to make some.
Add both 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to a high powdered blender or food processor.
Blend together until light and fluffy, then use the mixture as instructed.
If you don’t have cornstarch you can use just the sugar, although it won’t be quite as fluffy and adherent.
The longer you blend the sugar, the more powdery and fluffy it will be.
TIPS & TRICKS
- For a delicious twist, try making these mint chocolate muddy buddies using dark chocolate!
- There’s two ways to make this, in a bowl or a zip lock bag. My favorite way is the zip lock bag because it’s less mess and one less dish to wash.
- Don’t skip the 10 minute chill at the end. It may seem silly, but without it the snack mix will be sticky since the chocolate won’t have had time to set up properly.
And lastly
Turn It Into Leprechaun Bait
Give this snack the ultimate St Patrick’s day twist, by turning it into Leprechaun bait.
Add a variety of golden sprinkles and some golden sixlets to give it a ‘pot of gold’ spin.
Other Easy Snack Mix Recipes
These mint chocolate muddy buddies make an indulgent combination any thin mint enthusiast will adore.
Make them for an easy snack or dessert for a holiday celebration, or any time a craving strikes!
Looking for other easy snack mix recipes to try?
Try these:
If you’ve tried these MINT CHOCOLATE MUDDY BUDDIES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Mint Chocolate Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 10 cups square rice cereal
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 6 oz green candy melts
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup mint m&ms
- 1 cup chocolate mints like Andes mints
Instructions
- Melt chocolate chips in a large microwave safe bowl, stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Pour 5 cups of the cereal squares into the chocolate and stir until completely coated. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix.
- In another large microwave safe bowl melt the green candy melts carefully, stirring every 10 seconds. Once melted add 5 cups of the cereal squares and stir. Pour into a big zip lock bag and add 1 cup of powdered sugar, zip up and shake until everything is coated. You can either do both in a bowl and stir or both in a zip lock bag and shake whichever you like!
- Combine both mixes of the coated squares into one zip lock bag (or divide into two) mix in 1 cup of m&ms and 1 cup of the mints, zip up and shake until well mixed.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Notes
- For a delicious twist, try making these mint chocolate muddy buddies using dark chocolate!
- There’s two ways to make this, in a bowl or a zip lock bag. My favorite way is the zip lock bag because it's less mess and one less dish to wash.
- Don't skip the 10 minute chill at the end. It may seem silly, but without it the snack mix will be sticky since the chocolate won't have had time to set up properly.
Nutrition
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