Maybe you’ve heard of this chocolatey-peanut-buttery snack mix as “Puppy Chow” or “Muddy Buddies” – but I think those are terrible names! So maybe “Chocolate Chex Crunch” isn’t very creative, but at least it’s descriptive (and a little more appetizing). Easier to make than Rice Krispies Treats, this Chex™ cereal recipe should be in every chocolate lover’s repertoire. Truth be told, I can’t stop eating the stuff – to the point where my kids have started to hide the container from me (“for my own good”). I use good-quality Ghirardelli semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, so the addition of vanilla (per the Chex recipe) isn’t really necessary. You can find the original recipe on the back of Chex cereals, or my version below.
Like Nestle Toll House cookies or Campbell’s green bean casserole, this is an example of a “back of the package” recipe that brand managers really get excited about. In the biz we called these “killer apps” – long before smart phones or the App Store even existed. Can you believe that over 30 million green bean casseroles (made with cream-of-mushroom soup) will be made between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year? My molten chocolate cake recipe was meant to be the on-package killer app for the best product never launched: Dove® Baking Chocolate. But that’s another story! Bottom line: use good chocolate whenever possible, and check product packages for well-tested, popular recipes.
A vintage package of a great baking product that never made it out of test market.
Chocolate Chex Crunch Print Subee’s Recipe
Makes 18 ½-cup servings (or 9 realistic servings)
- 9 cups unsweetened Chex cereal (I use 5 cups Rice Chex and 4 cups Corn Chex)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup Ghirardelli (or other) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
Add cereal to a large mixing bowl.
My preferred mix: Corn Chex and Rice Chex.
Add powdered sugar to a gallon-size zip-lock bag; turn out the top of the bag and set aside.
The little cuff at the top of the bag helps cut down on chocolate mess.
Add butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips to a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute, or until butter and chocolate chips have just melted. You might need another 30 seconds, depending on microwave strength.
Confession: I don’t measure the peanut butter. I just eyeball a 1/2-cup blob.
Stir to smooth, and then pour over cereal mix. Stir/fold gently to coat cereal with chocolate mixture.
It might look like the chocolate won’t coat all of the cereal, but it will.
Nicely coated.
Transfer mixture to plastic bag; seal and shake to cover cereal pieces with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
Feel free to add a little more powdered sugar if you want a whiter coating.
The Chocolate Chex Crunch monitors!
Original Chex Muddy Buddies Recipe (available on most Chex boxes)
An interesting article on back-of-the-package recipes:
http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/back-of-package-recipes
