Got a craving for peanut butter and chocolate? These oversized Peanut Butter Muddy Buddy Cookies have the perfect combination of Muddy Buddy snack mix (Puppy Chow) with the chewy, satisfying texture of a thick peanut butter cookie base topped with a layer of milk chocolate and a dusting of powdered sugar!
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One of our all-time favorite treats is to whip up a batch of puppy chow (aka Chex mix muddy buddies). So it just makes sense to turn our favorite snack mix into a cookie featuring that same peanut butter and chocolate flavor with the extra sweetness of powdered sugar and crunch from the Chex cereal!
My Muddy Buddy Peanut Butter Cookies recipe blends the traditional Muddy Buddies flavors with the comforting, homemade feel of classic peanut butter cookies.
You could call this a copycat recipe for Crumbl Muddy Buddy Cookies, but these are far superior in our opinion. The chewy peanut butter cookies pair perfectly with the crunchy texture of the small batch of muddy buddies you can make for decorating the tops of the cookies. And the chocolate and peanut butter flavor is always a great combination.
If you love peanut butter snacks and treats, then check out my recipes for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies, Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie, Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms, and my Frosted Peanut Butter Blondies!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Uses pantry ingredients. We almost always have all the ingredients we need to whip up a batch of these cookies without running to the store.
- These cookies are always a hit with cookie lovers and can be enjoyed in any setting, from a casual family gathering, to a festive holiday party, or simply as a delicious treat to enjoy at home.
- Whether you're an experienced baker or trying your hand at something new, this quick and easy recipe with basic ingredients is sure to yield delicious results!
Recipe Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Creamy Peanut Butter - Provides a rich and creamy base for both the cookies and the Muddy Buddies mix.
- Butter - Use salted butter to add moisture and a buttery flavor to the cookies.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar - The brown sugar adds a hint of caramel flavor and helps create a chewy texture, and the white sugar helps to crisp the edges.
- Egg - Acts as a binder to hold the cookie dough together.
- Vanilla Extract - Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour - The main dry ingredient that gives structure to the cookies.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda - These leavening agents help the cookies rise and spread just enough.
- Cornstarch - Adds tenderness to the cookie's texture for that soft-baked feel.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor.
- Chocolate Chips - You will need milk chocolate chips for making the chocolate coating that finishes the top of each cookie and semisweet chocolate chips for the small batch of muddy buddies that you will use to decorate the cookies.
- Rice Chex Cereal - The base for the Muddy Buddies mix, which gives it a crunchy texture.
- Powdered Sugar - For dusting the finished cookies, which adds a sweet, snowy finish.
How to Make Peanut Butter Muddy Buddy Cookies
Making the Peanut Butter Cookie Base
- Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or use a handheld mixer. Beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat the eggs and vanilla extract into the peanut butter mixture, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl so everything gets mixed together evenly.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mixture. Mix just until combined, but don't overmix the dough or the cookies will turn out dry and tough.
- Scoop cookie dough. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out ¼ cup balls of dough, then slightly flatten them into a puch shape and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Space them a couple inches apart so they have room to spread a bit. You should get about 18-20 cookies from this recipe.
- Chill then bake. Transfer the trays of cookie dough to the freezer to chill for 15 minutes before baking in a 350°F oven for 12–13 minutes until set around the edges. Let cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate. While the cookies cool, carefully melt milk chocolate chips in a small or medium bowl in the microwave using short 20 second bursts of heat. Stir between each burst of heat just until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the melted milk chocolate on top of each cookie. Sprinkle a few Muddy Buddies on top of the cookies while the chocolate is still warm so that they adhere well. For a beautiful finish, dust the cookies with a little bit of powdered sugar right before serving, after the cookies have cooled and the chocolate is set.
Making the Muddy Buddies
- Melt peanut butter and chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butterin a large microwave-safe bowl for 60-90 seconds, stopping and stirring every 20-30 seconds, until smooth. After the chocolate has melted, stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix in the Chex cereal. Gently stir the Chex cereal into the melted chocolate until fully and evenly covered.
- Add the powdered sugar. Put the chocolate-covered Chex cereal mixture in a large Ziploc bag and add the powdered sugar.
- Shake the bag to coat. Close the bag tightly and shake vigorously until the Chex mixture is covered with the powdered sugar.
Recipe FAQ's
If you prefer less sweetness, you can use less powdered sugar for the Muddy Buddies topping.
To make these cookies gluten-free, simply use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and gluten-free Rice Chex cereal.
Skip the nuts by substituting the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter, and make sure that all other ingredients are nut-free. You could also try using Lotus Biscoff Spread instead of peanut butter.
You can make these cookies dairy-free by using dairy-free chocolate chips and a dairy-free butter substitute.
Yes, the cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months. When you've rolled the cookie dough into balls on the parchment-lined sheet trays, flash freeze, then transfer them to ziplock bags and store them in the freezer. Thaw the dough balls in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh and delicious for up to a week.
Yes. Once the cookies have cooled after baking, place them in a Ziploc bag or a freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for Success
- Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature before starting as this helps the ingredients blend more easily and evenly.
- Overmixing can lead to tough cookies, so when you're combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix them just until they're combined.
- Chilling the dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much and helps concentrate the flavors.
- Use a cookie scoop or a ¼ cup measuring cup to ensure your cookies are roughly the same size for more even results.
- Always line your baking sheet or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat to prevent the cookies from sticking.
- Bake one tray at a time, positioning it in the center of your oven to distribute the heat as evenly as possible.
The Best Way To Melt Chocolate
Melt the chocolate slowly and stir frequently to keep it from burning.
Using a double boiler can give you more control over the melting process than using a microwave would if you find that melting the chocolate in the microwave is giving you trouble.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can substitute unsalted butter for salted butter with an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt for each ½ cup stick of butter if needed.
- I find the best peanut butter cookies are made with creamy peanut butter, but chunky peanut butter or another nut butter like almond butter can be used instead. The texture and flavor will be a little different from the original but they will still taste good.
- You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe, or try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips depending on your preference.
- Feel free to experiment with adding different add-ins to the Muddy Buddies mix, like pretzel pieces, mini marshmallows, chopped nuts, or M&Ms.
More Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes
- Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Easy No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Big, Soft Baked Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
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.
Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, scooped & leveled (375g)
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cup milk chocolate chips
Muddy Buddies
- 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
- â…” cup chocolate chips
- â…“ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out large balls of cookie dough. Shape each ball of dough into a sort of puck shape about 1-inch thick, spacing them apart on the prepared baking sheets. You should get about 18-20 cookies.
- Chill the cookies in the freezer for 15 minutes, then bake for 12–13 minutes until set around the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Carefully melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl using short 20-second bursts of heat, stirring between each burst until melted. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie and spread it around to form a chocolate coating. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with some of the muddy buddies pieces while the chocolate is still melted so they stick.
- Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the chocolate firms up before dusting lightly with a little powdered sugar.
Muddy Buddies
- Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring every 20-30 seconds, until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Gently mix in the Chex cereal until evenly coated in the chocolate peanut butter mixture.
- Transfer the chocolate-covered Chex cereal mixture to a large Ziploc bag with the powdered sugar. Close it tightly and shake vigorously until the Chex mixture is covered with the powdered sugar.
Notes
- Store: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freeze: Once the cookies have cooled after baking, place in a ziplock bag or a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. I would not recommend freezing the assembled cookies with the chocolate coating or muddy buddy topping.
- Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Flash-freeze the cookie dough pucks on the baking sheet, then transfer to ziplock bags and store in the freezer. You can bake directly from frozen by adding a couple extra minutes to the bake time or thaw the dough balls in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
