Description
Saint Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow is a no-bake snack mix made with Rice Chex cereal coated in green candy melts, peanut butter, and powdered sugar, then topped with festive M&M’s, sprinkles, and marshmallows. Perfect for parties and celebrations!
Ingredients
For the Base:
- 4 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup green candy melts (find these in the baking aisle near chocolate chips)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (use your favorite brand — I love Jif or Skippy)
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil or canola oil (helps thin the coating for smooth coverage)
- ¾ to 1 cup powdered sugar (start with ¾ cup and add more if you like it extra sweet)
Optional Add-Ins & Toppings:
- ¼ cup green M&M’s (or a mix of green and white for extra festivity)
- ¼ cup shamrock sprinkles
- ¼ cup shamrock marshmallows (pick these out of Lucky Charms cereal!)
Instructions
Add green candy melts, peanut butter, and oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir well. Continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring between each one, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.
Place Rice Chex cereal in a large bowl. Pour the melted green mixture over the cereal, using your spatula to drizzle it evenly. Gently stir and fold until all the cereal pieces are coated. You want to be gentle so you don’t crush the cereal, but thorough enough that every piece gets covered in that beautiful green coating.
Transfer the coated cereal to a large zip-top bag. Add ¾ cup of powdered sugar (you can always add more later if you want it sweeter). Seal the bag tightly, making sure to press out most of the air, then shake, shake, shake! This is the fun part — give it a good vigorous shake until every piece is covered in a snowy layer of sugar.
Spread the sugar-coated cereal onto parchment or wax paper in a single layer. Let it cool slightly for just a few minutes — you want it still a tiny bit tacky so your toppings will stick. Sprinkle on the M&M’s, shamrock sprinkles, and marshmallows, then gently toss everything together with your hands or a spoon.
Allow the puppy chow to cool completely, which takes about 10-15 minutes. Once it’s set and no longer sticky, it’s ready to enjoy! Transfer to a serving bowl or portion into treat bags for gifting.
Notes
- Even coating trick: Work in batches if your bowl isn’t big enough. It’s better to coat the cereal in two batches than to have overflow and mess.
- Color boost: Add a tiny drop of green food coloring to the candy melts if you want an even brighter, more vibrant green.
- Storage success: Wait until the puppy chow is completely cool and set before storing it, or condensation can make it sticky.
- Nut-free version: Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or cookie butter for a nut-free alternative that’s perfect for school parties.
- Taste as you go: Before adding all the powdered sugar, taste a piece. Some candy melts are sweeter than others, so you might need less sugar than you think.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (melting)
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American