It’s that time of year when the backyard grill gets more use than my actual oven. And every time a campfire season winds down, I’m left with a craving for s’mores — the chocolate, marshmallow, graham cracker classic — that a single skewer can’t quite satisfy. So I make this instead.
This is puppy chow, the no-bake snack mix (it goes by muddy buddies in some parts of the country and beyond) that most of us grew up raiding out of Tupperware. The regular version is Chex cereal, melted chocolate and peanut butter, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Mine swaps the Chex for Golden Grahams, folds in mini marshmallows, and tastes like a s’more that never had to meet a campfire.
I’ve made the original since 2012, but this is the version I actually reach for now. Five ingredients, no baking, and it’s on the counter to the table in about 20 minutes. This one passed the Tuesday test, which is the only test that matters in my kitchen.
Why this one works
- Just 5 ingredients, all pantry staples
- No baking — one saucepan and a zip-top bag
- Ready in about 20 minutes
- Tastes like a campfire s’more
- Keeps crunchy for up to a week in an airtight container
- Kids can absolutely help (and do, every single time)
What you’ll need
Everything is shelf-stable, which is the whole point. You don’t need anything you haven’t already got in the cupboard.
- 6 cups (about 250 g) Golden Grahams cereal. This is the base. Golden Grahams is an American honey-graham cereal, and it’s what gives the mix its s’mores flavor. If you’re outside the US, any honey- or graham-flavored square cereal will do.
- 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips. Semi-sweet strikes the right balance — rich, but not cloying. I reach for Ghirardelli, but any good chips work.
- 1/2 cup (125 g) creamy peanut butter. It does the heavy lifting of coating every piece of cereal. Don’t worry: the peanut taste stays in the background. Chocolate, graham, marshmallow — that’s what you taste.
- 1 and 1/2 cups (90 g) mini marshmallows, divided. Half goes in while the chocolate is warm; the rest gets stirred in at the end for those soft little bites.
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180 g) confectioners’ sugar. The classic white dust, and what keeps the pieces from clumping.
Nut-free version? Swap the peanut butter for an equal amount of Biscoff spread or sunflower seed butter. Want something salty in there? Replace about 1 cup of the cereal with mini pretzels, or fold in 1 cup of salted peanuts when you add the cereal in step 3.
How to make it
Prep: 10 minutes. On the stove: 3 minutes. Total: about 20 minutes, and most of that is just standing there stirring. It makes around 8 cups — plenty for a party, or exactly enough to last this household about two days.
- Pour the confectioners’ sugar into a large zip-top bag and set it aside.
- In a large pot over low heat, melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter together, stirring constantly so nothing scorches. Once smooth, add half of the marshmallows (3/4 cup) and stir until they start to soften and melt into the mixture. Off the heat.
- Add the Golden Grahams and stir gently until every piece is coated.
- Spoon everything into the sugar-filled bag, seal it tight, and shake for at least 60 seconds until every piece is evenly coated.
- Spread the mix out on a lined baking sheet, stir in the remaining marshmallows, and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Store it in an airtight container at room temperature — it stays crunchy for up to a week.
What to do with a bowl full of it
Spoon it into little treat bags for gifts or bake sales. Set a big bowl out for movie night. Pack some for road trips. It’s one of those make-ahead snacks that earns its keep — the crunch holds for days, so it’s never a last-minute scramble, which is exactly how I like a Tuesday.
A note from Nora
The first time I made this for a party, I over-shook the bag and the whole thing came out looking like snow had fallen on it. Still delicious. My daughter, who was three at the time, declared it “chocolate snow” and has used that name ever since. Biscuit, on the other hand, is still waiting for his share. Nobody told him it’s a human snack.
Leave a Reply