Leprechaun Puppy Chow is an amazing dessert recipe for St Patrick’s Day! A sweet and salty snack for the holiday.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
A twist on the classic muddy buddies, this Leprechaun Puppy Chow is perfect for St Paddy’s Day!
Colored cereal is coated with powdered sugar for a sweet and salty snack or treat.
This homemade puppy chow recipe is also gluten free by using corn Chex.
Ingredients
This is what you will need to make the puppy chow:
- Chex Cereal (the plain cereal, not the flavored snack – any flavor/grain is fine but I like to use Rice because it is a light flavor and gluten free)
- Green Candy Melts
- Orange Candy Melts
- Bright White Candy Melts
- Powdered Sugar
Candy melts are pretty sweet, but they provide the perfect color for colored puppy chow.
You can get Green Candy Melts, Orange Candy Melts, and bright white candy melts for the Irish muddy buddies online or at your local craft store.Â
Can I use white chocolate and color it?
I do not recommend using white chocolate and trying to color it, because white chocolate does not melt very well and it takes a lot of coloring to make bold colors.
If these are too sweet on their own, you could mix them with something salty like little pretzels or peanuts.
Equipment
This is the equipment you need for the colored puppy chow:
- Fine Mesh Strainer
- Medium Bowls
- Spoon
- Large Resealable Bag
- Measuring Cups
Instruction Overview
Melt your candy melts according to package directions. This can be done in the microwave, but reduce the power. If it is too strong and too hot, the candy will not melt properly.
Then toss the cereal with the candy melts gently to coat.
Immediately place in a large resealable bag with powdered sugar and shake!
Now at some point in the process, you are probably going to think at least one of the following (if not all, like I did):
- There is NO WAY that little amount of candy melts will cover all this cereal!
- OH NO the cereal is BREAKING!
- WHY DO THEY ALL LOOK WHITE! I MESSED UP! I CAN’T SEE THE COLOR!
But it’s okay, all of the above are FINE. The candy melts DO cover that much cereal, just keep stirring.
The cereal might break a little but that’s okay! Just be gentle.
And the colors DO look pretty white when they come out of the bag. But shaking them in the fine mesh strainer gets rid of all that extra powdered sugar and you will see the color! Have faith!
Modifications and Substitutions
I do not recommend using white chocolate.
Using vibrant green candy melts in place of orange, or in addition to, is a great way to add more color!
Kim’s Tips
Shaking with a strainer or other fine mesh sieve is key to bringing that color though!
Regular white candy melts has a little yellow tint to it, so bright white is best to use. You can also find candy melts at your local craft store.
FAQs
Where can I buy candy melts?
Links to each color of candy melts are included in the post above as well as the recipe card below. They can also be bought at your local craft store.
Why do they call puppy chow?
It was named because the traditional brown recipe closely resembles dog food.
What is the difference between Muddy Buddies and puppy chow?
It is the same thing. Muddy Buddies is the official name that Chex used when they released the recipe.
Leprechaun Puppy Chow
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Large resealable bag
- Sifter
- Medium Bowls
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups rice Chex cereal divided
- 1/2 cup green candy melts
- 1/2 cup orange candy melts
- 1/4 cup bright white candy melts
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
Instructions
- Place each color of candy melts in separate bowls that are large enough to mix the cereal in for each color (I like to use deep soup bowls).
- Place 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a quart or gallon sized resealable plastic bag.
- Melt the lightest color (white) of candy melts in the microwave as per package directions. Stir frequently to encourage melting.
- When fully melted, immediately mix in the Chex mix. (1/2 cup of cereal for white). Gently toss with a spoon to fully coat.
- Immediately transfer the cereal to the plastic bag with the powdered sugar. Seal and shake. Gently massage the bag from the outside to encourage the cereal to separate, but gentle enough so they do not break.
- Pour the bag contents into a sieve (fine mesh strainer) over another bowl. Shake to remove excess sugar.
- Pour the cereal out on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet to dry. If there are any pieces that were stuck together, you can pull them apart, dunk them into the discarded sugar, and shake again.
- Let the candy melts that was left behind in the bag dry for a few minutes, then you can crinkle up the bag to remove the candy melts and make it ready for the next color.
- Repeat the process with the orange candy melts next, using 1 cup of Chex cereal and fresh powdered sugar.
- Repeat the process with the green candy melts next, using 1 cup of Chex cereal and fresh powdered sugar.
- Mix the colors together, or keep separate, and serve. The puppy chow can be stored in a container or bag for up to 2 days.
This is a great snack not only for kids but for the people who have a sweet tooth! It looks great so the flavors will match with it!
This is so colorful and fun. And of course perfect for St. Patrick’s Day which we always celebrate at our house. I’m sure my kids are going to love these sweet treats. I want to tell you that I have never seen them before but reading your instructions I know I can make them without any problems.
This is perfect for our St Patrick’s Day party coming up! Everyone loves muddy buddies!
The kids would love this because it is sweet, tasty, and colorful that will entertain them while they eat it, a great snack indeed!