This Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies (aka Puppy Chow) recipe is chock-full of October delight – a little salty, a lotta sweet, with crunchy and chewy textures in each handful thanks to the addition of pretzels, candy corn, chopped Oreos, and Reese’s Pieces.
Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies
The only thing frightening about this Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies is how fast it will disappear! Muddy Buddies (or Puppy Chow as we always called it when I was growing up) is one of our favorite, go-to treats when we want something sweet and crunchy.
We usually make the basic version, which is so good on its own, but when it comes to Halloween, it’s fun to ratchet up the spook factor by playing off the colors of the holiday – orange, black, and white. I mean, just look at all of these mix-ins!
I mentioned before when I posted these Dark Chocolate Halloween Chip Cookies that I sorely lack skills when it comes to decorating holiday-themed treats. So I rely on color schemes instead of technical skills like intricate piping or cutesy arrangements on things like cupcakes to convey the festive Halloween spirit like in these Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies.
And honestly, this recipe came about because I had a whole bag of leftover candy corn after attempting (and failing miserably) at making candy corn cookies with them. I had seen some adorable cookies made with candy corn on Pinterest and even after reading all their tips and tricks for baking with candy corn, I still ended up with a melty, sticky mess and cookies that didn’t look anything like the original post, lol.
So I regrouped and came up with a treat using the rest of the candy corn and some other snacky stuff that I just happened to have in my cupboard. Because doesn’t everybody keep a bag of Oreos on hand for “emergencies”?
And the pretzels are from my stash of kid-snacks that my 5 & 2 year old love. The Reese’s Pieces were also left over from making the Halloween Chip cookies I mentioned above.
When you divide a batch of Muddy Buddies in half and toss one half with the traditional powdered sugar, but then toss the other half with brownie or chocolate cake mix, you get an awesome two-toned Chex mix base with a fun new flavor twist.
Then stir in some pretzels for that salty-sweet crunch that everybody loves, sprinkle in Reese’s Pieces to amp up the chocolate/peanut butter element of traditional Muddy Buddies (I used the mini size candies, but you could use regular size if that’s all you can find), candy corn for chewiness and a true Halloween factor, and chopped Oreos just in case this Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies version wasn’t over the top already.
And hocus-pocus, you have a truly outrageous Halloween treat!
The only real problem with this treat is that it is super addicting. Like, I cannot have it in the house or I will snatch a handful every time I pass through the kitchen.
And I will find excuses to pass through the kitchen all day long. It’s dangerous stuff.
I took a big batch of Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies to an activity with some friends and it was gone in a flash.
A big bowl of these Halloween treats sitting out at a Halloween party won’t last long and looks so festive and fun. And basically irresistible.
Just be gentle with the muddy buddies as you are stirring things together so you don’t crush the cereal too much. I find it’s easiest to use a rubber spatula to just toss the ingredients together in the bowl instead of stirring things in.
The powdered sugar from the cereal base will lightly coat the other mix-ins so if you really want a pop of color contrast, keep a handful of candy corn, Reese’s Pieces, and chopped Oreos in reserve to toss over the top just before serving.
More Fun Halloween Treats
- Halloween Poison Candied Apples
- Twix Caramel Popcorn
- Halloween Chocolate Blossom Sprinkle Cookies
- Halloween Chocolate Cherry Hand Pies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Halloween Chex Mix Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 9 cups Rice Chex
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels slightly crushed
- 1 1/2 cups candy corn
- 1 1/2 cups Oreos slightly chopped
- 1 cup Reese's Pieces
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup brownie mix
Instructions
- Pour the Chex cereal into a large bowl and set it aside.9 cups Rice Chex
- In a microwave-proof bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave for 30-90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds until the chocolate chips are completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup peanut butter, ¼ cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex cereal and gently stir to coat, trying not to crush the cereal. Divide between two gallon-size Ziploc bags and pour the powdered sugar into one and the brownie mix into the other, then seal and shake to evenly coat all of the cereal.¾ cup powdered sugar, ¾ cup brownie mix
- Spread the cereal out on parchment paper to let the chocolate firm up a bit, for about 20 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the chocolate coated cereal with the pretzel pieces, candy corn, Oreo pieces, and Reese's pieces. Store in an air-tight container.1 ½ cups mini pretzels, 1 ½ cups candy corn, 1 ½ cups Oreos, 1 cup Reese's Pieces
Absolueltly delicious- I can’t wait to try the brownie mix as a powdered part!
What size box of cereal is equal to the nine cups?
Well the label on a 12 ounce box of Chex says that there are 12 1 cup servings, so I guess a 9.0 ounce box of Chex would equal 9 cups. Except I don’t think they make a 9 ounce box of Chex! So you will have some cereal left over for breakfast the next couple of days!
Can I use cocoa powder instead of the brownie mix?
Not as an exact substitute since the cocoa powder would be bitter without first being mixed together with some sugar to tone it down, but essentially that’s all brownie mix is – flour, cocoa powder and sugar, so I’m sure this could work. I will have to play around with it and see what I can come up with! Or if you do, let me know what you think about the results!
I’m pretty sure chocolate milk powder would work or hot chocolate powder if you already have it on hand and not the cocoa.
To make this peanut free, can I just cut out the peanut butter and not need another substitute?
No, I think you would need something for the binding property that the peanut butter has. I’ve heard that sunbutter is a good peanut butter substitute in general so maybe that? Another thing I might try would be cookie butter?
So yummy! I added mellowcreme pumpkins and used Oreo thins.
I think there is a typo for how much chocolate to use. I think it needs to be 1 cup. I made it with 1 1/2 cups and it was too much. I looked up the original Muddy Buddy recipe and it calls for 1 cup.
No such thing as too much chocolate! LOL.
Would you refrigerate leftovers or if you make it a few days early for a event?
No, I would just store at room temperature on the counter.
I made this Halloween party mix for the October challenge and it was a hit with the family! They kept eating the Chex during the 20 minute wait. It’s all good though – I can’t really blame them because it tasted so good.
This looks delicious but I was wondering about the brownie mix and it containing flour…. I’ve been hearing a lot that flour needs to be cooked prior to consumption to avoid some sicknesses associated with raw flour,… just wondering your thoughts. Thank you!
If you are concerned you can simply microwave the brownie mix for 60 seconds to kill any bacteria before using it in the recipe.
Always awesome, always addicting!