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This Key Lime Pie Puppy Chow recipe features the sweet and tangy flavors of the classic dessert in an irresistible Chex mix that is impossible to resist and perfect to bring to a party. Quick and easy, these white chocolate Muddy Buddies are a no-bake treat that takes less than 10 minutes to make!
Easy Key Lime Pie Puppy Chow Recipe
The no-bake snack mix with a name that confuses people, but a taste that is incredibly addictive! The classic Chex snack mix gets a citrusy makeover. Whip up a batch in minutes for your next party and the bowl will be empty in no time. It is definitely, a fun snack to make with the kids.
This is a departure from the traditional Muddy Buddy recipe. First, it swaps out the milk or semisweet chocolate chips and peanut butter for white chocolate chips and butter. Then lime juice and zest add that fresh and tart flavor.
As for the cereal part, swap some of the Chex for graham cracker pieces to give it a bit of “crust” since it is a nod to Key Lime Pie, and you can’t have pie without crust!
Just try to keep your hands out of the bowl!
Is it called puppy chow or muddy buddies?
OK, let’s talk about this Key Lime Pie Puppy Chow Recipe. Or do you call them Muddy Buddies? You know, the cereal squares coated in melted chocolate and peanut butter, then shaken all up with powdered sugar. Or, as I like to call them – my kryptonite!
Honestly, I never know what to call this stuff. I mean, I suppose Muddy Buddies work when you use dark or milk chocolate because they do have kind of a muddy look about them. And when you make them with white chocolate, it totally doesn’t work.
So there is also just Chex Mix, but to me, that conjures up images of pretzels and peanuts and something salty for snacking while watching football. And you know, trademarks and all. Cereal Treats – those are bars made with melted marshmallows. Not gonna work.
Sugary Cereal Square Snack Bites Treats Mix Awesome Deliciousness?
Oh gosh, I’m done. I went with Key Lime Pie Muddy Buddies. Then changed it to puppy chow. Well, whatever you call it, for the citrus lovers out there – seriously addictive, people! And the fact that it takes about five minutes to make. Umm, yeah…
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar: To give your Muddy Buddies a sweet coating.
- Chex cereal: You can use your favorite variety, just be sure to use rice or corn to make it gluten free.
- Graham crackers: Break them into pieces similar in size to the Chex. If you are gluten free you can use additional Rice or Corn Chex, Cinnamon Chex, or buy or make your own Gluten Free Graham Crackers.
- White chocolate chips: Or white coating chocolate. Note that Ghirardelli white chocolate chips are NOT gluten free.
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Lime zest: Use a zester to zest the lime before you juice it.
- Lime juice: Juice that lime after you zest it because fresh lime juice give it the best flavor.
How to Make Key Lime Pie Muddy Buddies
The puppy chow recipe is super duper easy to make.
Get things ready: Place powdered sugar in a large zip top plastic bag and set it aside. Line a sheet pan with a nonstick baking mat or wax paper. Break up the graham crackers and gently toss together the Chex and graham cracker pieces in a large bowl.
Melt the chocolate: Combine the white chocolate chips, butter, vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice in a bowl and gently melt in the microwave or over a double boiler. If doing it in the microwave, use 50% power and stir every 15-30 seconds until melted. Note that because of the lime juice, it may be a little thick.
Coat the cereal: Pour the chocolate mixture over the Chex mixture and gently stir and toss until fully coated., breaking up any large clumps of chocolate and cereal that may form. Because the white chocolate gets thick, it may not coat as smooth an evenly as with milk or semisweet chocolate, but it’ll coat enough for the sugar to stick.
Toss in sugar and cool: Transfer the cereal mixture to the plastic bag with the powdered sugar seal and toss until fully coated.
Cool and enjoy: Pour out onto a sheet pan lined and allow to cool and harden.
Storing Puppy Chow
Key Lime Pie Muddy Buddies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tips for Success
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use Rice Chex or Corn Chex. You can use gluten free graham crackers or just use additional Chex. Cinnamon Chex would give that hint of warm spice like graham crackers. Also be sure your white chocolate chips are gluten free because some brands such as Ghirardelli, are not.
Use one lime: You should only need one lime. Just be sure to zest it before you juice it.
Melt the chocolate with the lime juice: If you add the lime juice to the melted chocolate, it will seize immediately and won’t coat well.
Work quickly: Make sure you have the Chex and graham crackers ready before you melt the chocolate. Since it is thick, it starts to harden quickly. While it doesn’t have to coat the cereal perfect smoothly, you don’t want it to seize and form lots of big clumps right away.
Double it: If you are bringing Key Lime Pie Puppy Chow to a party, make sure you have plenty because it will disappear fast.
Shop the Recipe
PLASTIC STORAGE BAGGIE HOLDER: As shown in the video, one of the best gadgets to make this simple snack even easier is this holder to hold the zip top bag open while you pour in the coated cereal pieces.
MICROPLANE: The best tool for zesting citrus, as well as finely grating chocolate, ginger, or parmesan cheese.
WAX PAPER: Make sure you line your baking sheet so the puppy chow doesn’t stick.
WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Nestle white chocolate chips are gluten free, if that is a concern for you.
Key Lime Pie Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 cups Chex cereal your favorite variety
- 1 cup graham crackers broken into pieces similar in size to the Chex (see Note for a gluten free option)
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Place powdered sugar in a large zip top plastic bag and set aside.
- Gently toss together the Chex and graham cracker pieces in a large bowl.
- Combine the white chocolate chips, butter, vanilla, lime zest and lime juice in a bowl and gently melt in the microwave or over a double boiler. If doing it in the microwave, use 50% power and stir every 15-30 second until melted. It may look slightly thick and clumpy.
- Pour chocolate mixture over the Chex mixture and gently stir and toss until fully coated, breaking up any large clumps that may form.
- Transfer the cereal mixture to the plastic bag with the powdered sugar seal and toss until fully coated.
- Pour out onto a sheet pan lined with a nonstick baking mat or wax paper and allow to cool and harden.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
More Muddy Buddies recipes
If you like this key lime pie puppy chow recipe, you can see 30 more puppy chow recipes here!
- Coconut Almond Butter Muddy Buddies tastes like Almond Joy.
- Chai Tea White Chocolate Muddy Buddies are bursting with warm spices.
- Muddy Buddies Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball is coated in that addictive snack mix.
- White Chocolate Reese’s Muddy Buddies from High Heels & Grills are an epic peanut buttery treat.
I was so excited for this but my chocolate seized and i followed directions to the T. Ugh. I was hoping it would be salvageable but it ended up tasting off because of the chocolate. ?
White chocolate is definitely temperamental. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Not sure what type of white chocolate you used, but candy coating chocolate or almond bark sometimes work better than chocolate chips or the bars you get in the grocery store.
Made these using real key lime (aka Mexican lime) juice from our tree. The mix was delicious! Will make again using peppermint extract for flavor.
Everytime I try this recipe, the chocolate seizes.. am I doing something wrong here?
Ashley, I’m sorry you’re having difficulty with the white chocolate. All chocolate is very sensitive to heat and other liquids. If the chocolate gets too hot, it will seize up, and if you get even a drop of water in bowl with the melted chocolate, it will seize up. If you’re melting the chocolate on a stove top, it might help to place the chips in a metal bowl and place it over the top of a saucepan with simmering water. You don’t need much water in the pan at all… you don’t want the bottom of the bowl to touch the surface of the water.
If you’re melting it in the microwave, use 50% power and stir every 15-30 seconds, just until the chocolate melts.
LOVE LOVE LOVE anything citrus and can’t wait to try these!!! Just a thought…. for the “graham-y” part….how about throwing some graham cracker crumbs into the mix instead of the pieces???
I think that would work great! I was trying to give it the feelig of Key lime pieces and crust pieces, but I love your idea!
These look delicious, my husband would love them! Pinning, and thanks so much for sharing this at Creativity Unleashed!
Thanks! They were a yummy version of this snack mix.
My husband is going to flip! He absolutely loves key lime pie and anything even remotely similar to it. I’ll have to try these soon.
Oh yay! Enjoy!
Hi, how do you join the improv baking challenges? It sounds like a lot of fun! Merry Christmas!
I think I’d just call them delicious. The cinnamon chex idea for gf is brilliant, too.
I love puppy chow! It’s so addictive. I make all different kinds and making them fruity is a great idea. I wondered if fruit juice and zest could be added. Most orange/lime/lemon versions I see use cake mix or something weird so I love this!
Key lime pie is my favorite dessert and I love muddy buddies- this sound awesome!
I have had Muddy Buddies recipes “pinned” for ever & still have not made any! Since Key Lime is the hubs’ absolute favorite dessert, I must try your recipe. Thanks!
Oh yay! Enjoy!
Yummy! I grew up calling these Puppy Chow, but I think Muddy Buddies is more common. That’s what Chex calls them. Your key lime version sounds really good. Can’t wait to try it!
I always said Puppy Chow, but figured I should go with the new trend 🙂