St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow is a fun treat made with crunchy chocolate Chex cereal, covered in a green crème de menthe candy coating.
Are you looking for sweet St. Patrick's Day treats? This puppy chow recipe is green to fit a St. Paddy's Day party and takes just minutes to make!
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What Is Puppy Chow?
Also called muddy buddies, monkey munch, or reindeer chow, puppy chow is a square breakfast cereal coated in a chocolate or candy coating and then finished with a powdered sugar top coat. It is typically made with rice or corn cereal and can be any flavor or color.
Why You'll Love this St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow!
If you love mint chocolate chip ice cream, thin mint cookies, or Grasshopper Cocktails you will absolutely love this puppy chow.
Puppy chow has remained a favorite snack treat because of its versatility to be reimagined with whatever flavors and colors are popular or fit a theme.
In this recipe, the puppy chow is green and both minty and chocolatey. It's like an irresistible, crunchy, after-dinner mint!
This makes it perfect for St. Patrick's Day and for any time you want a chocolate-mint party treat.
In addition to being sweet and minty, this puppy chow is gluten-free and also does not contain any peanut butter. Doesn't this sound delicious?
Oh... and by the way, if you're planning a St. Patrick's Day menu, be sure to include traditional corned beef and cabbage as the main dish!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate Chex Cereal - Chex is the classic square breakfast that gives this treat its classic "puppy chow" look and chocolate Chex gives this puppy chow a chocolate flavor.
- Candy Melts in Dark Green - Candy melts are a candy coating similar to almond bark coating and are made of vegetable oil, sugar, dry milk, and flavorings including vanilla. They are smooth melting and come in a variety of colors. The darkest green will give you the best green color for this puppy chow.
- LorAnn Crème de Menthe Oil - This culinary essential oil has the best mint flavor and will flavor the candy melts without changing the texture if the melted candy. It is very strong in flavor so only the tiniest amount is needed.
- Powdered Sugar - Powdered sugar helps set the candy and gives another layer of sweetness.
Please see the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow
Step 1 - Prepare. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the chocolate Chex to a large mixing bowl. Set both aside.
Step 2 - Melt and Flavor Candy Melts. Put the candy melts in a glass or other microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring for 30 second periods until the candy is melted and smooth. Stir in the crème de menthe oil.
Step 3 - Coat the Cereal. Pour the melted candy over the chocolate Chex cereal and gently fold and mix with a silicone spatula until all of the cereal is coated with the melted candy.
Step 4 - Set the Coating. Put the powdered sugar into a large, zippered, 2.5 gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add the candy-coated cereal, seal the bag and vigorously shake the bag until all of the cereal is covered in powdered sugar.
Step 5 - Let the Candy Set. Pour the puppy chow onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool and set.
My Top Tips
♡ Broken/Crushed Cereal - When measuring your cereal avoid including crushed and broken pieces which will clump together. The taste will still be good, but the puppy chow won't look as pretty.
♡ Shake the Bag Hard - The harder you shake the plastic bag the better the puppy chow is coated in powdered sugar.
♡ Add More Mint - I prefer a soft mint flavor, but if you like a stronger mint add up to ⅛ teaspoon of the crème de menthe oil.
♡ Make it Sweeter - You can add up to 1 ¼ cups of powdered sugar if you like sweeter puppy chow. Please note that adding more powdered sugar will lighten the green color.
Variations
You can make this puppy chow with any colored candy melts and any flavoring oil or extract. Great combinations are:
- Red Peppermint - Use red candy melts and peppermint flavoring.
- Yellow Banana - Use yellow candy melts and banana flavoring.
- Cotton Candy - Use pink candy melts and cotton candy flavoring.
- Key Lime - Use green candy melts and key lime flavoring.
As you can see, any flavor is possible!
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead. You can make St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow up to 5 days in advance.
- Storage. Puppy chow keeps well in a sealed container and this version does not require refrigeration.
More Delicious Treats and Dishes for St. Patrick's Day
♡ Did you love this recipe for St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow? Please leave a star rating and let me know how things went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
St. Patrick's Day Puppy Chow
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Ingredients
- 5 Cups Chocolate Chex Cereal
- 12 Ounces Dark Green Candy Melts
- 1/16 Teaspoon LorAnn Crème de Menthe, Food Grade Essential Oil
- ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the chocolate Chex to a large mixing bowl. Set both aside.5 Cups Chocolate Chex Cereal
- Melt and Flavor Candy Melts. Put the candy melts in a glass or other microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring for 30 second periods until the candy is melted and smooth. Stir in the crème de menthe oil.12 Ounces Dark Green Candy Melts, 1/16 Teaspoon LorAnn Crème de Menthe
- Coat the Cereal. Pour the melted candy over the chocolate Chex cereal and gently fold and mix with a silicone spatula until all of the cereal is coated with the melted candy.
- Set the Coating. Put the powdered sugar into a large, zippered, 2.5 gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add the candy-coated cereal, seal the bag and vigorously shake the bag until all of the cereal is covered in powdered sugar.¾ Cup Powdered Sugar
- Let Candy Set. Pour the puppy chow onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and let cool and set.
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
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