Fall Muddy Buddies

No ratings yet

Fall Muddy Buddies are the ultimate sweet and salty treat—chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, and festive M&M’s all in one crunchy, addictive mix!

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Fall Muddy Buddies

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $10.42

Equipment

Extra-large bowl, for mixing
2 Gallon-size resealable plastic bags for tossing mix with powdered sugar

Ingredients

9 cups Corn Chex cereal
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet, see note 1
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
2 cups powdered sugar divided
1-1/2 cups pretzel twists broken
1 cup M&M’s red, orange, yellow, and brown, or Reese’s pieces
1 cup miniature Reese’s see note 2

US - Metric

Instructions

Place the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, chocolate chips, butter, and salt. Heat the mixture in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval until smooth and fully melted. If desired, stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the melted peanut butter-chocolate mixture over the cereal. Gently stir to coat each piece evenly, taking care not to crush the cereal.
Divide the coated cereal into 2 batches. For the first batch, use a large resealable plastic bag and layer as follows: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and half the cereal mixture, followed by another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Seal the bag and shake well until the cereal pieces are well-coated with sugar. Remove the contents to a clean bowl. Repeat this process for the second batch of cereal, then combine both sugar-coated batches in the same bowl.
To the bowl of sugar-coated cereal, add the broken pretzels, mini Reese’s cups, and 3/4 cup of the M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces. Gently mix to incorporate. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces over the top for decoration.

Notes

Note 1: The type of chocolate chips affects the final taste. Milk chocolate chips will make the mixture sweeter and creamier, while semi-sweet chips will provide a richer, more robust chocolate flavor. Use high-quality chocolate chips for the best melting and flavor.

Note 2: If you can’t find minis Reese’s, just chop up some regular-sized Reese’s peanut butter cups. If you like Trader Joe’s, try their milk chocolate mini peanut butter cups—they’re my fave!

Storage: Serve immediately, or keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Alternatively, you can freeze it and enjoy straight from the freezer (so good!)

Nutrition