Hot chocolate muddy buddies are the perfect winter time snack treat. With all the flavors of hot cocoa, this puppy chow recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth! Perfect for movie night or any time you are feeling sweet and snacky.

Hot chocolate is definitely one of my favorite parts about winter. What’s not to love?

It’s chocolate and marshmallows after all! Yum! And I definitely don’t limit hot chocolate to Christmas.

There is still a lot of winter when anything hot chocolate flavor is totally fair game like this hot chocolate cake roll or these hot chocolate muddy buddies.

Muddy Buddies versus Puppy Chow- What’s the Difference?

Muddy buddies and puppy chow are two names for the same kind of snack. You might also call this cereal based snack monkey munch, muddy munch, or reindeer chow.

It all depends on where you’re from. Whatever you call this delicious treat, it’s a cereal based snack.

This hot chocolate muddy buddy recipe calls for cereal to be tossed with melted chocolate, powdered sugar, hot chocolate mix, and mini marshmallows.

The result? A delicious indulgence you won’t be able to get enough of!

How to Make Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies

Hot chocolate muddy buddies are so easy to make!

To start, measure out 4 cups of Chocolate Chex and put it in a large bowl. Set the bowl of Chocolate Chex aside.

Then, you can put your chocolate chips and oil in a smaller microwave safe bowl. Microwave them for 30 seconds before you take them out and stir. Then microwave them again for 10 seconds. Stir.

Repeat this until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Once the chocolate is smooth and melted, pour the melted chocolate over the cereal.

Toss the cereal in the melted chocolate with a spatula until every piece is coated. Then you can scoop the chocolate coated cereal into a large ziplock bag.

Next, you want to add the powdered sugar and hot chocolate mix into the bag. Seal the bag and give it a good shake so that the powder sugar and hot chocolate mix coats all of the cereal pieces evenly.

Once you have coated the chocolate covered cereal with the sugar and cocoa mix, you can pour the cereal out onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Let it harden on the wax paper lined cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Once it’s hardened, you can scoop it into a bag and sprinkle on some mini marshmallows and Hershey kisses.

Then you’re ready to enjoy!

Tips and Tricks to Make the Best Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies

This easy muddy buddy recipe turns out perfectly each time I make it. If you follow these tips and tricks your muddy buddies will too!

Don’t skip the vegetable oil when you are melting the chocolate. The oil thins the chocolate out enough to make it easier to coat.
Make sure you allow the muddy buddies to set after you toss them in the powdered sugar and hot cocoa mix. Otherwise, they will be very messy and clump together in the bag.
If you are making these before the holidays, toss in some colored M&M’s or holiday sprinkles for an extra festive touch. They’re easily customizable!

Other Muddy Buddy / Puppy Chow Recipes You Might Also Enjoy

These hot chocolate muddy buddies are a family favorite! Make this treat for your next family movie night and see why we love them so much!

If you’ve tried this HOT CHOCOLATE MUDDY BUDDIES, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!