Puppy Chow for Adults

Nostalgic 80s Treat: A Grown-Up Puppy Chow Recipe to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Take a trip down memory lane with our grown-up version of Puppy Chow! This deliciously rich recipe, inspired by the carefree days of the 80s, combines Chex cereal with peanut butter, chocolate, and a touch of maple syrup. Perfect for a no-mess, no-fuss sweet treat.

It was 1980 something... Growing up in the 80s was so freeing.

We didn't have cell phones tracking our every move. We were free until the street lights came on, then we had to rush home!

There were Cabbage Patch Kids growing in the garden...

Saved by the Bell episodes to be seen... the dream boat, Zack Morris, thinking up new mischief every week.

The Smurfs, with their toadstool houses and only one female in sight...

Michael Jackson's Thriller, with dancing zombies, mading me hide under my blanket every time he turned into a ghoul. And those eyes at the end? Yikes!

Pee-Wee's Playhouse, ha, haha...

The Breakfast Club... where do I even begin?

And on, and on, and on... 

The 80's, they were pretty amazing when you think about it, weren't they?

I think every generation thinks their childhood was the best, but compared to today, I like to think the 80's were the best. 

During those wonderful years of childhood innocence, my great-aunt introduced me to Puppy Chow.

My first thought was, 'You want me to eat dog food?' 

No thank you, I will pass on this treat. 

I imagine my facial expression said it all... not one able to hide what I am thinking all that well, my face saying a thousand words.

I recall hearing, come on, give it a try, you will love it!

Once I smelled that peanut buttery goodness coated in chocolate, I decided even I could risk a taste of puppy chow.

And so it began, a love of Chex cereal coated in peanut butter and chocolate all through my school career. 

My great-aunt made this delicious treat religiously for my cousin and I to snack on after school, and on the weekends. It became our go-to sweet treat. 

When I learned the recipe, I took it home and said, 'I want to make this! 

I haven't thought about that recipe in years, but just the other day, I decided I wanted something sweet, and so that particular recipe popped into my mind, along with a slew of memories. 

Funny how the past sometimes comes a knockin'...

I thought to myself, I will use puppy chow as my inspiration for a new recipe... and so that is what I did.

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups rice Chex cereal
2. 1/4 cup butter 
3. 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
4. 3/4 c any nut butter, or peanut butter 
5. 3 T real maple syrup 

Instructions:

• Melt butter, nut butter, and chocolate chips together in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
• Once melted and mixed, add maple syrup and stir well.
• Pour over cereal and mix well.
• Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, then cut into squares for easy distribution.
• Store in the fridge.

My husband's response: This is rich!

 

I sometimes get a hankering for something sweet, and then once it is made, I no longer have a craving. 

I know, strange, but I did try a square, and he was right, this is rich, but mighty tasty.

I skipped the powdered sugar that was all over the puppy chow of the past. What a mess, and putting all of the pieces into a paper bag, and then shaking it up?

Too messy for this gal. I guess you could say I grew up a bit, and long for a no muss, no fuss kind of sweet treat these days.  

The simpler and fewer the steps, the more I like a recipe. 

What it boils down to, I do not like big messes to clean up in the kitchen, so I make life easy and breezy around here when it comes to creating recipes.

I sure did enjoy taking a stroll through 1980 something though, which brought a smile to my face, and a load of memories floating through my mind, along with Saturday morning cartoons and childhood laughter. 

Oh to be a child again... wasn't life so much more simple?

We hope you enjoy our grown-up version of Puppy Chow today.

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Ciao,

Cara