This Valentine’s Puppy Chow recipe is the perfect sweet treat to enjoy on the traditional day of love, or anytime for that matter. The ideal delicious treat if you have a sweet tooth you will thoroughly enjoy it.
When looking for the perfect treat this Valentine’s day then look no further than this Valentine’s Puppy Chow. Packed full of strawberry, white chocolate, and sweet flavors, it is such an easy thing to create. You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this Valentine’s Day puppy chow recipe and the whole family is going to love it.
There are a few different ways to make the Valentine’s Strawberry Muddy Buddies, but we have come up with the simplest way to make this Valentine’s day treat. Simple and tasty you really can’t go wrong! They also make incredible DIY edible gifts.
We love to share incredible recipes and if you have a soft spot for all things strawberry flavored then this Strawberry shortcake milkshake is something you have to try. Sweet and delicious you are going to love it.
The post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
💕 Why You’ll Love The Valentine’s Puppy Chow
- Versatile and customizable – You can add lots of tasty treats to your puppy chow mix.
- Kid-friendly – a sweet delicious snack the kids are going to love
- Eye-catching – the different colors really make it on-point with the Valentine’s theme.
- Delicious – Ideal if you have a sweet tooth.
🍓 Ingredients Needed
- Strawberry cake mix
- White chocolate chips or almond bark
- Red candy melts
- Vegetable oil
- Corn Chex cereal
- Powdered sugar
- Valentine’s M&Ms
Helpful Tools
Baking sheet or cookie sheet
- Top-rated NaturalsBakeware collection is made of pure aluminum for superior heat conductivity and produces consistent evenly browned baked goods every time.
- These premium pans have a lifetime durability and will never rust.
- Encapsulated galvanized steel rims prevent warping.
- Baker's Delight Set includes one Quarter Sheet, Jelly Roll and Half Sheet Pan for the ultimate set.
Thermometer
- Easy-to-read large temperature ranges for different candy types. Double scales temperature ranges in Celsius (40°C to 200°C) and Fahrenheit (100°F to 400°F)
Ziplock bags
- Perfect for storing fresh food items like fruits, vegetables, meat, fish or cheese in the fridge or freezer
Large bowl
- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: Delivering power, precision and performance, our stand mixer features a 5.5-quart capacity with a 500-watt motor, die-cast metal construction, and 12-speeds that allow for nuance and excellence in performing a variety of preparation tasks
Microwave-safe bowl
- SUPERIOR FUNCTION: Delivering power, precision and performance, our stand mixer features a 5.5-quart capacity with a 500-watt motor, die-cast metal construction, and 12-speeds that allow for nuance and excellence in performing a variety of preparation tasks
Mason jar for storing
- MEASURE IT, CAN IT, LABEL IT! Pickling is pure joy with JoyJolt Mason Jars because every jar in this set features with measurement markings (cups/oz/ml) and black chalk labels so every preserve is accurately measured and labelled. Set includes 6 Jars, 12 Canning Lids, 12 Bands, 12 Adhesive Labels.
How To Make The Valentine’s Puppy Chow
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, spread the cake mix out and bake for 5 minutes. Use a candy thermometer or meat thermometer to ensure that the temperature reaches at least 160°F in order to be able to consider it heat treated. Set it aside.
- Divide the Chex mix into 2 large bowls. Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl using the microwave. To do this you can microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval until it is mostly melted. Then stir chocolate until smooth and fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate into one of the bowls full of Chex mix, and mix the chocolate on the cereal until it is completely covered.
- Melt the red candy melts the same way you melted the white chocolate chips. Pour it over the second bowl of Chex mix and stir until it’s completely covered.
- Place ¼ cup powdered sugar and ½ cup of the heat treated cake mix into two gallon sized ziplock bags. Pour the white-covered Chex mix into one bag, and the red Chex mix into the second bag. Close both bags and shake until the powdered sugar mix is fully covering the chocolate covered Chex mix.
- Pour the covered and coated Chex mix into a large bowl, and mix the M&M’s in.
- Add to your mason jars and seal. Enjoy or give as gifts. Yummy!
Recipe Variations
Add different flavors. You could split the Chex cereal into quarters and use small bowls. You could then add a peanut butter mixture to one and some milk chocolate to the other. Yum!
Can’t get hold of Corn Chex? Any rice cereal will work if you want to use what you already have at home.
Use an alternative cake mix. If you can’t get your hands on a Strawberry cake mix then a red velvet cake mix will work just as well. Of course, the strawberry flavor won’t be there but you could add some strawberry-flavored candies to this Chex mix cereal.
Tips & Tricks
- The cake mix must be heat treated as instructed in step one to avoid the risk of salmonella poisoning since there is flour in the cake mix. Do not skip this step!
- Be careful not to melt the white chocolate too much as it can burn and create a bitter flavor.
Storage
This muddy buddies recipe will keep for about a week at room temperature if kept in an airtight container such as a sealed mason jar or a sealed plastic bag.
FAQ
When could I make this strawberry puppy chow?
You could easily recreate this for Christmas and the holiday season by using festive treats and or Christmas m&m treats. You could also use green candy melts and split the Chex cereal into different quantities. Have fun with it.
You could also make them for baby showers. Using different colored candy melts can help you to create different looks.
Why is it called puppy chow?
It has been named puppy chow because the overall look strongly resembles dog food. Don’t let this fool you though, it tastes nothing like what you would feed your beloved pet pooch.
What other names does this have?
As you may have seen in the title, some folks call this snack Muddy Buddies. It’s also known as:
- Monkey munch
- Muddy munch
- Reindeer chow
- Doggy bag
It’s a common Midwestern snack!
Is raw cake mix safe to eat?
No! It isn’t. That’s why we heat treat the cake mix first so it is safe to consume. As you may or may not know, raw flour is not safe to eat and needs to be heat treated to kill any bacteria or other things.
Other Strawberry recipes
- Strawberry Acai Refresher – This Strawberry Acai Refresher copycat recipe is simple, cheaper than driving to Starbucks and waiting in line, and is absolutely delicious!
- Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing – Tired of eating boring old salads? The fresh strawberries and sweet honey create the perfect homemade dressing!
- Strawberry Yogurt – This Instant Pot Strawberry Yogurt is easy to make and tastes incredible. A versatile healthy breakfast recipe that you can make yourself. It also doubles as the perfect smooth, fruity, snack!
More Valentine’s Recipes
- Strawberry Champagne Marshmallows
- Cupid’s Cocktail
- Valentine’s Popcorn
- Sugar Champagne Grapes
- Champagne Popcorn Balls
- Strawberry Protein Overnight Oats
- Homemade Red Velvet Ice Cream
- Strawberry Kiss Cookies (coming soon)
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies (coming soon)
- Red Velvet Heart Crinkle Cookies
Valentine’s Day Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberry cake mix (138 grams)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips or almond bark (140 grams)
- 1 cup red candy melts (140 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 5 cups corn chex cereal (157 grams)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (52 grams)
- 1 cup Valentine’s M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, spread the cake mix out and bake for 5 minutes. Use a candy thermometer or meat thermometer to ensure that the temperature reaches at least 160°F in order to be able to consider it heat treated. Set it aside.
- Divide the Chex mix into 2 large bowls. Melt the white chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl using the microwave. To do this you can microwave the chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval until it is mostly melted. Then stir chocolate until smooth and fully melted. Pour the melted chocolate into one of the bowls full of Chex mix, and mix the chocolate on the cereal until it is completely covered.
- Melt the red candy melts the same way you melted the white chocolate chips. Pour it over the second bowl of Chex mix and stir until it’s completely covered.
- Place ¼ cup powdered sugar and ½ cup of the heat treated cake mix into two gallon sized ziplock bags. Pour the white-covered Chex mix into one bag, and the red Chex mix into the second bag. Close both bags and shake until the powdered sugar mix is fully covering the chocolate covered Chex mix.
- Pour the covered and coated Chex mix into a large bowl, and mix the M&M’s in.
- Add to your mason jars and seal. Enjoy or give as gifts. Yummy!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest to keep up with all our new recipes. Tag us if you make the recipe on IG or share your thoughts by commenting on the pin on Pinterest.
Keep On Sippin’ On Something Sweet
Pin It For Later
