Valentine Muddy Buddies is a crunchy, creamy mix of peanut butter and chocolate-coated cereal, dusted in sugar and speckled with Valentine-colored M&M’s!
Best Valentine Muddy Buddies
I love Muddy Buddies (you might know them as Puppy Chow) in my house! I even created these no-bake Muddy Buddy Bars for a fun twist.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I had the perfect excuse to whip up another batch of one of my favorite treats.
It’s my go-to recipe (the best I’ve ever tried), but with a festive twist—Valentine’s M&M’s and pink sprinkle sugar! The perfect way to celebrate and show someone you love them!
Valentine Muddy Buddies Ingredients
- Corn Chex Cereal: You can also use Rice Chex if you prefer.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Avoid natural peanut butter to keep it from being too oily.
- Chocolate Chips: Choose high-quality for better melt and flavor; milk for sweetness, semi-sweet for depth.
- Unsalted Butter: Lets you control how salty it gets.
- Salt: A little bit helps bring out the flavors.
- Powdered Sugar: This is for the sugar coating!
- Pink Sparkling Sugar: You can also throw in some V-day sprinkles!
- Valentine-themed M&Ms: Or just use the red ones from a regular pack.
How To Make Valentine Muddy Buddies
- Cereal: Use a big bowl to avoid spilling when mixing.
- Pb-Chocolate Mixture: Stir every 20 seconds to prevent burning the chocolate.
- Coat Cereal: Use a spatula to stir gently and keep the cereal whole.
- Sugar Coating: Use two bags if it doesn’t fit.
- Mix-Ins: Let the cereal cool a little before adding the M&Ms so they don’t melt.
Quick Tip
Be Gentle: Shake the cereal gently with the melted chocolate in the bag to evenly coat and keep from crushing the cereal.
Storage
What To Do With Leftovers
Store Valentine Muddy Buddies in an airtight container at room temp. For longer shelf life, freeze in a sealed container or bag. Enjoy straight from the freezer for a delicious treat!
Gift ‘Em!
- Mason Jars: Fill, tie with a ribbon, add a tag.
- Cellophane Bags: Secure with a twist tie or ribbon.
- Tin Containers: Use decorative tins, line with parchment.
- Custom Boxes: Fill small boxes with tissue paper and snack mix.
More Valentine’s Treats:
- Valentine’s Pretzels only 3 ingredients
- Valentine M&M Cookie Bars soft and chewy
- Chocolate-Covered Wafers just 3 ingredients
- Valentine’s Popcorn made with two kinds of chocolate
- No-bake Heart Oreo Truffles
Valentine Muddy Buddies
Equipment
- Extra-large bowl, for mixing
- Two-gallon-sized resealable plastic bags for tossing mix with powdered sugar
Ingredients
- 9 cups corn Chex cereal
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter Skippy recommended
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet, see note 1
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar divided
- 6 tablespoons pink sparkling sugar
- 1 cup Valentine M&M’s red, pink, and white M&M’s
Instructions
- Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, chocolate chips, butter, and salt. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until the mixture is smooth and fully melted.
- Pour the melted peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal. Stir gently to evenly coat each piece of cereal, taking care not to crush them.
- Open a 2-gallon zip-top bag. Layer inside the bag: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp pink sparkling sugar, half the cereal mixture, another 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and another 2 tbsp sparkling sugar. Seal the bag and shake well until the cereal pieces are uniformly coated. Transfer to a clean bowl. Repeat with the remaining cereal mixture. Combine both batches of sugar-coated cereal in the same bowl.
- Add 3/4 cup of Valentine-themed M&M’s to the sugar-coated cereal. Mix gently. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of M&M’s on top for decoration.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
