Puppy Chow, AKA Muddy Buddies or Reindeer Chow, is one of my favorite snacks during the holidays, so I’m offering up a lil’ twist on the classic by using peanut butter pretzels instead of Rice Chex!

I haven’t had puppy chow in AGES, but I do remember the first time I had it, and that was when I was in Girl Scouts. One of the other girl’s mother made a massive bag of it for a Christmas-time sleep over we had and I was hooked. I’ve had the idea to make it with peanut butter pretzels for a few years now, but I’m guilty of eating all of my PB pretzels before saving enough to use.

The salt-dotted exterior of the pretzels, plus the crunch, and peanut butter centers make these bulk-section snacks the perfect option for making muddy buddies – though I do love the alliteration of peanut butter with puppy chow. Because there is PB inside of the pretzels, I cut down a little bit on how much PB would typically be used in the chocolate coating. I used Two Peas and Their Pod’s puppy chow recipe for a little guidance on ratios!

Puppy Chow Substitutions + Tips:
- Peanut butter pretzels – basically any brand that I’ve seen of these has been accidentally vegan, but make sure to check the ingredients for dairy or egg just in case! I get mine from either Costco or the bulk bin at Sprouts Market.
- Gluten-free option – Quinn’s has a gluten-free peanut butter pretzel, if you’re avoiding gluten!
- Semi-sweet chocolate – I feel that this is the best balanced chocolate to use here because you’re mixing salt with powdered sugar, and a sweetened dark chocolate could push it to the edge of too sweet. It’s fairly easy to find dairy-free semi-sweet chips.
- Creamy peanut butter – now, I use a lot of “natural smooth” peanut butter in recipes, but for this one I used a no-stir creamy peanut butter from Sprouts that doesn’t separate and is less gritty.
- Refined coconut oil – to help solidify the outer chocolate coating, I used this “flavorless” coconut oil instead of butter. So, if your kitchen is pretty warm, store the Puppy Chow in the fridge.
- Powdered sugar – make sure that you sift the sugar before attempting to coat the chocolate-covered pretzels, as it will help avoid clumps and get a more even coating.

Other holiday sweets:
- Gluten-free Black Sesame Snickerdoodles
- Vegan “Toffee” Cookie Bars
- Vegan Candy Cane Cookies
- Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Peanut Butter Pretzel Puppy Chow

Puppy Chow is one of my favorite snacks during the holidays, so I'm offering up a lil' twist on the classic by using peanut butter pretzels instead of Rice Chex! This is one of those desserts that you should make if you're not up for baking because it is so dang easy.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (185 g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup (60 g) creamy, no-stir peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) refined coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups (500 g) peanut butter-filled pretzels, GF if necessary
- 1 1/4 cups (145 g) sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and coconut oil. Microwave for 45 seconds, stir together, then microwave another 45 seconds. Stir until completely smooth, if the chips are still chunky, microwave another 20 to 30 seconds, but do not burn the chocolate. Add vanilla to mixture and stir until well-combined.
- Place pretzels in a large bowl and cover with chocolate mixture. Gently stir mixture together until all pretzels are evenly coated, and there isnt much excess chocolate at the bottom of the bowl.
- Carefully transfer chocolate-covered pretzels to a large (gallon-sized) zip-top bag, and add powdered sugar
- to the bag. Close the top and shake everything around for about a minute, open up the bag and check to see that all pieces are evenly coated in sugar (for the most part). Once that is the case, transfer puppy chow to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Once firm, you're welcome to enjoy straight off of the baking sheet, or store in airtight jars/bags/containers to gived to others. These will last about 7 days at room temp (at 67F or cooler), or much longer refrigerated.
Notes
- Gluten-free option - Quinn's has a gluten-free peanut butter pretzel, if you're avoiding gluten!
- Creamy peanut butter - now, I use a lot of "natural smooth" peanut butter in recipes, but for this one I used a no-stir creamy peanut butter from Sprouts that doesn't separate and is less gritty.
- Refined coconut oil - to help solidify the outer chocolate coating, I used this "flavorless" coconut oil instead of butter. So, if your kitchen is pretty warm, store the Puppy Chow in the fridge.
- Powdered sugar - make sure that you sift the sugar before attempting to coat the chocolate-covered pretzels, as it will help avoid clumps and get a more even coating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 161mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 29gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information is calculated by a plug-in, and isn't always accurate. Please calculate your own with the products that you use, as it will be different for everyone.
And if I don’t post again ’til next year, I hope you all have an amazing holiday season!

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - Vegan Yack Attack
Thursday 4th of January 2024
[…] Enter: My Holiday Platter. This gorgeous piece is large, so you can really pile on the cookies. There’s also a cute holly design that decorates the plate, and a gold rim that is oh-so-fancy! It’s perfect for serving up my Glazed Cranberry Orange Scones (minified), my Salted Triple-Chip Cookies (from my VegNews column in issue 101), and these rich Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. Another great addition would be my Peanut Butter Pretzel Puppy Chow! […]
Patty
Saturday 30th of December 2023
AMAZING!! Even my brother who is suspicious of anything vegan said these were great!
Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!
Thursday 4th of January 2024
Woohoo!!