Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

Chocolate peanut butter puppy chow is timeless, but lately we’ve been riffing on the old-fashioned recipe. We’ve churned out versions like lemon puppy chow, ditched the cereal for blueberry puppy chow, and completely reimagined the dessert as puppy chow bars. It’s all led us to our ultimate version (and Test Kitchen recipe editor Maggie Knoebel’s very favorite!): cookie butter puppy chow.

In cookie butter puppy chow, cookie butter—smooth, thick, and rich with notes of gingersnap, brown sugar and warm cinnamon—takes the place of peanut butter. White chocolate stands in place of semisweet to let the rich cookie butter flavors shine. The two are melted together, then mixed with a little extra cinnamon to bring out the warmth, and orange zest and extract to enliven and brighten the flavor. Once the Chex are tossed in the cookie butter glaze, everything is coated in confectioners’ sugar—just like traditional puppy chow.

Ingredients for Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

• Rice Chex: The base of any good puppy chow starts with Chex cereal. It’s the perfect bite-sized shape, and gives just the right amount of crunch. We suggest rice for its mild flavor, but you can use corn or wheat Chex if desired.
• White chocolate: Instead of the usual semisweet chocolate, white chocolate lets the cookie butter flavors shine. It’s also the key to helping the glaze set up.
• Biscoff spread: The Biscoff brand is a fan-favorite, although any good cookie butter spread from the store works here. Store-bought cookie butter is convenient and ready to use, but you can certainly make your own if you’re up for it.
• Orange zest: Just like when you zest a lemon, make sure to only grate the colorful skin. Stop zesting when you see the bitter white pith underneath.
• Cinnamon: There’s a little cinnamon in cookie butter, but it’ll get lost once the confectioners’ sugar and Chex mix are added. Ground cinnamon brings back some of that nuance.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Once your Chex mix are coated in the white chocolate cookie butter glaze, you’ll toss everything in confectioners’ sugar to seal it on and add a little extra sweetness. Want to add a touch of vanilla? Try the new vanilla Whipzi powdered sugar.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the chocolate

Pour the cereal into a large bowl. In a separate large, microwave-safe bowl, stir together the chopped white chocolate and canola oil. Microwave them on high for 30 seconds, then stir them together gently. Continue microwaving on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until the white chocolate is completely melted and blended into the canola oil.

Step 2: Add the cookie butter

Stir in the cookie butter, orange zest, cinnamon, salt and orange extract until the glaze is completely smooth. Pour the glaze over the Chex cereal, and gently stir to coat it.

Step 3: Coat it in confectioners’ sugar

In batches, place the confectioners’ sugar in a large airtight container, then add the cereal mixture. Close the container and shake everything together until it’s all well coated.

Step 4: Let it cool

Spread the cookie butter puppy chow on a baking sheet. Let the mixture stand until the outside is completely set. Store the puppy chow in airtight containers.

Recipe Variations

• Add crushed cookies: After tossing the Biscoff puppy chow in confectioners’ sugar, add a few handfuls of crushed Biscoff cookies to the bowl and toss it again. This inclusion stretches the batch further, giving it more texture and amping up the speculoos flavor.
• Include mix-ins: I love that puppy chow can include a treasure trove of mix-ins, kind of like granola or trail mix. Once you’ve tossed the puppy chow in confectioners’ sugar, feel free to add M&Ms, toasted hazelnuts, Buncha Crunch, mini marshmallows, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Golden Grahams.
• Make it festive: Sprinkles are the best way to dress up puppy chow for themed events. Once you toss everything in the confectioners’ sugar, sprinkle in colorful sanding sugars based on the holiday, or toss it in rainbow sprinkles for a birthday.

How to Store Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

Once your cookie butter puppy chow has cooled completely to room temperature, store it in an airtight container. It needs to be completely cooled to room temperature first, or any heat and moisture will make the Chex soften.

How long does cookie butter puppy chow last?

Cookie butter puppy chow will last up to one week at room temperature. If your kitchen is hot and humid, you may want to store the puppy chow in the fridge so it doesn’t melt or soften.

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow Tips

Why is my white chocolate seizing when I melt it?

Your white chocolate may be seizing when you melt it for a few reasons. The first is if you’re using chips and not a chopped-up baking bar. Chips contain emulsifiers and preservatives that make it much more difficult to melt white chocolate smoothly. I always buy the Ghirardelli premium white chocolate baking bar. You’ll need three of those bars for this recipe.

The next culprit is burning the white chocolate. Melting chocolate in the microwave is tricky. You can only do it in short bursts, and you must stir it between increments, even if it looks like the chocolate hasn’t melted at all. Constantly stirring ensures even heat distribution. If you don’t, the chocolate will burn and seize.

How can you make cookie butter puppy chow gluten free?

Yes, you can make cookie butter puppy chow gluten free. Make sure to stick to rice Chex cereal and double-check that it’s gluten free. Also, order a gluten-free cookie butter online— I love the ChocZero smooth speculoos cookie butter! Finally, ensure all other packaged goods are certified gluten free as needed.

Why isn’t my puppy chow crunchy?

If your puppy chow isn’t crunchy, it may have been stored too quickly, trapping moisture inside the container. Moisture will soften the Chex, and even a little moisture can do a lot of damage. Once your Biscoff puppy chow is completely tossed in the confectioners’ sugar, lay it in a single layer on a baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature, then store it.