Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies - Sugar-free Puppy Chow

These Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Muddy Buddies (also known as puppy chow), are a classic holiday treat that is always guaranteed to be a crowd favourite. Keto cereal is coated with a combination of melted sugar-free chocolate and peanut butter, then tossed in a combination of vanilla protein powder and powdered sweetener for the ultimate easy keto snack. 

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Keto Puppy Chow Recipe

The first time I tried this easy keto snack, it was referred to as “puppy chow”. After only one bite, I was hooked! Then, on a trip to the grocery store, I noticed that Chex had their own commercially prepared Muddy Buddies. At over 23 grams of carbs per ⅓ cup serving, I knew that I could come up with a copycat muddy buddies recipe that could easily fit into any keto diet.

Copycat Muddy Buddies Recipe

Traditionally, puppy chow is a cereal that has been coated with a melted mixture of chocolate chips, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, then dusted with powdered sugar.

I’ve tinkered with the recipe over the years, significantly decreasing the amount of carbs, to create a keto chocolate peanut butter muddy buddy recipe that is sure to rival any carb-laden original version.

By simply using a very-easy-to-find keto cereal and then upping the peanut butter, and swapping out some of the powdered sweetener with some vanilla protein powder (this helps to reduce the "cooling" effect that powdered erythritol creates), I have mastered sugar-free muddy buddies that are sure to become your favourite easy keto snack.

Addictive?....Absolutely!...So don't say I didn't warn you!!

Ingredients

Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.

• Cereal - I was recently able to pick up a large bag of Catalina Crunch cereal at Costco so I used this instead of Chex. However, if you can not get your hands on Catalina Crunch, you can use any keto cereal or use this 5-Minute Skillet Keto Granola.
• Chocolate - I LOVE the sugar-free chocolate melting wafers by Bake Believe. You can buy them online or at most Walmarts. If you want to use sugar-free chocolate chips, you can use them as well.
• Peanut Butter - you will want to use commercially prepared peanut butter such as Natural Peanut Butter by Member's Mark. I do not suggest using chunky peanut butter or all-natural peanut butter for this recipe.
• Butter - the butter creates a more liquid consistency which helps to ensure all the keto cereal is well coated.
• Vanilla - I almost always add vanilla to my keto desserts as it adds an extra level of flavouring.
• Protein Powder - use a vanilla (or chocolate or peanut butter!) protein powder to coat the keto chocolate peanut butter muddy buddies. You can use pea protein or casein; I do not suggest whey protein powder as I do not believe it will coat the sugar-free muddy buddies as well. My favourite protein powder for this recipe is either the Vanilla Casein by Naked Nutrition or their Vanilla Pea Protein powder.
• Sweetener - since the protein powder I used is not overly sweet, I like to add a little extra sweetness by sprinkling on some powdered sweetener. I like to use Swerve Confectioner or powdered Allulose.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Healthy Easy Keto Snack

By reducing the traditional powdered sugar with a combination of powdered sugar-free sweetener AND vanilla pea protein powder (or casein), you get the absolute best copycat muddy buddies recipe.

My favorite protein powder company on the market today is Naked Nutrition.

Why do I love this company so much? Well, according to their website, Vanilla Naked Pea has only three ingredients: vanilla, coconut sugar, and pea protein extracted from yellow split peas grown on US and Canadian farms. Pea protein is easily absorbed by the body, making it an excellent plant-based alternative to whey protein.

Vanilla Naked Pea is free of additives and artificial sweeteners. We are committed to shortening the steps between our farms and you. Independent third-party tested for heavy metals.

And even though there is some coconut sugar in this protein powder, the total amount is minimal when you consider that this recipe serves 16.

Instructions

This easy keto snack recipe comes together in under 15 minutes from start to finish!

Place the cereal on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Taste the mixture and add an additional dusting of powdered sweetener until the desired sweetness has been reached.

Hint: After you have coated these keto chocolate peanut butter muddy buddies with the vanilla protein powder, let the mixture firm slightly. Then, have a taste and add the powdered sweetener. This way, you can end up with a keto puppy chow recipe that is the perfect level of sweetness to suit your taste!

Substitutions

If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.

• Cereal - use any type of keto cereal or this 5-Minute Skillet Keto Granola
• Butter - use coconut oil or palm shortening. If you use coconut oil, these keto chocolate peanut butter muddy buddies will have to be stored in the fridge.
• Vanilla Protein Powder - use all powdered sweeteners (such as Swerve Confectioner or Allulose) or your favourite vanilla protein powder.

You can also make your own cereal by simply following these recipes by All Day I Dream About Food, Food Faith Fitness, or Wholesome Yum.

Peanut butter options and substitutions

Creamy peanut butter is the number one option for muddy buddies. I prefer brands like Jif or Member's Mark; avoid natural-style peanut butter that has oil separation, as it will be too oily for this recipe.

If you need a peanut-free substitution, these will work:

• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Sunbutter
• Sugar-free Nutella for extra chocolate!

Want to make your own nut butters? Check out my post Easy Homemade Nut Butters my website!

Variations and mix-in ideas

Even though I absolutely adore these sugar-free muddy buddies just as they are, there are a million different variations you could try.

Here are some different ideas:

• Toss homemade sprinkles in the powdered sugar before coating the muddy buddies.
• Stir in sugar-free chocolate chips 
• Stir in sugar-free crushed candy canes for some festive holiday flavour.
• Add some crushed keto Oreos for cookies and cream version (use sugar-free white chocolate instead!) - check out my Keto Oreo Icebox Cake recipe for a different take on cookies and cream!
• Add chopped nuts – peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.
• Adjust the flavoring by using different extracts.

Chocolate tips

My preferred sugar-free chocolate to use is Bake Beleive Melting Wafers – they are the easiest keto-melting chocolate and the tastiest (I do not suggest buying their sugar-free chocolate chips as they do not taste as good as Lily's or Choczero)

However, if you do not like your sugar-free muddy buddies' extra sweet, you can use any type of sugar-free chocolate.

My preferred melting method is in the microwave (see instructions in the recipe below), but if you do not have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a heatproof bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until completely melted and smooth.

Storage

Once the coating is set, you can store muddy buddies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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