Puppy Chow (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

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Puppy chow is a classic dessert that comes together quickly. Made with rice cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate, this dessert is sure to be a hit.

I am HIGHLY AWARE that this recipe deviates far from my norm. But, is anything normal right now? No. Nothing is normal. We're staying at home making the best of this. There is nothing healthy about this recipe. There is zero nutrition, it is made mostly of processed ingredients, and it is comfort food at its finest. So, gather your ingredients and let's get down to creating some comfort food.

On a recent cold and gloomy day, my daughter was reminiscing about this puppy chow. She told me in detail how they made it over a campfire and how the campers would all eat it together by the handful out of a giant pot. I mean, that is some major childhood memories in the making right there.

So, on the tail of that memory, we decided to get down to business and make some of this ourselves. We opted to go sans campfire and do it in our kitchen, but she said the resulting puppy chow tasted exactly the same. Sweet (literally and figuratively).

What is puppy chow?

Wait a second! Isn't puppy chow for...puppies? Not this puppy chow! This puppy chow is a classic comfort food made with 5 simple ingredients: rice cereal (like Rice Chex), chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar. You can make this simple dessert in less than 15 minutes and is easy enough that your kids can do almost all the work.

How to make puppy chow

To begin, melt the chocolate, butter and peanut butter together. You can make puppy chow using a microwave or on the stove top. I think the microwave is faster, but I know many people don't have microwaves or don't think they're safe. Either method will give you the same end result.

Microwave method: add the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter to a large microwave safe bowl. Next, microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds, then stir. The rest of the melted ingredients will help the remaining chocolate chips to melt while stirring. If needed, microwave in 15 second increments until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Stove top method: add the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter to a large pot over medium-low heat. Stir the chocolate mixture constantly until the chocolate is mostly melted, then remove from the heat and continue to stir until completely melted and smooth.

Next, for either method, add the cereal to the pot or bowl with the melted chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and cereal together until the cereal is completely coated with chocolate. Next, add half the powdered sugar and stir to coat the cereal. Add the rest of the powdered sugar until the cereal is evenly coated with powdered sugar. You can eat this right away or allow to dry and eat later. This will keep on the counter in an airtight container for up to a week. But I guarantee it won't last that long!

A few safety tips

• I just have to say it. Wash your hands.
• Kids: If you're melting the chocolate in a microwave that is above the stove, have an adult pull it out of the microwave so you don't accidentally dump it on yourself.
• I know, I know. I said in the video it's perfectly acceptable to eat it right out of the bowl. But right now, during this pandemic, let's scoop it out with a spoon into another eating vessel. Just to be safe. Thank you.

Now, go forth into your kitchen and make this delicious treat! Enjoy!!

Looking for more quick and easy desserts? Check out my peanut butter cups and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies recipes!

📖 Recipe