The Simple Swap That Makes Puppy Chow More Sophisticated

Though its true origin and the reasoning behind its name remain shrouded in mystery, anyone attending elementary school from the 1970s onward likely has fond memories of enjoying puppy chow as a snack, especially those growing up in the Midwest. When it was dubbed Muddy Buddies in 2002 by General Mills and codified with an official recipe, puppy chow recipes in vintage cookbooks throughout the U.S. clearly served as inspiration, since both include Chex cereal, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. 

Despite what its name indicates, puppy chow is definitely meant for human consumption. The idea is to melt together the chocolate and peanut butter — sometimes with regular butter for added richness — and fold in the Chex cereal. The sweet, ganache-like mixture seeps into the lattice-shaped cereal pieces, creating little bites of crunchy, chocolatey joy. The pièce de résistance is the powdered sugar, which is tossed into a bag with the gooey cereal and shaken until everything is coated in sugary white goodness.

Of course, like anything nostalgic, puppy chow is often too sweet for adult palates, but there's an easy swap that makes this childhood snack more sophisticated in a snap: simply replace the peanut butter with tahini. Not only does tahini take boxed brownies to the next level, it's also the perfect nutty addition to puppy chow. Earthy and a little astringent, tahini tames the sweetness of the powdered sugar while emphasizing the dark notes in the chocolate and the cereal's toastiness, bringing a touch of smokiness and nuance to an otherwise rather one-note sweet snack.

Part of the genius behind this snack upgrade is how simple it is. Since tahini is made from ground sesame seeds and peanut butter is, of course, made from ground peanuts, they have comparable consistencies and fat content. That means if you have a puppy chow recipe that calls for peanut butter, you can easily replace it in a one-for-one swap with tahini. Just keep in mind that if you usually use stabilized peanut butter instead of the natural stuff, tahini will be a little runnier, but that shouldn't throw off your ratios — it may just need a little more time to set.

Spreading it evenly on a parchment-covered baking sheet helps this treat harden by facilitating even airflow over the sugary cereal pieces. Once set, you may notice that tahini puppy chow has a smoother texture than the classic recipe — that's because tahini adds luscious creaminess to things like hot chocolate, ganache, and pretty much anything else it touches. Sprinkling on sesame seeds while the puppy show sets adds a touch more crunch and a fresh nuttiness.

Though this version of puppy chow is super tasty eaten on its own, it also makes a delicious and unique ingredient to elevate your next snack mix, especially one that combines sweet and salty flavors. Think salt and pepper roasted cashews, cheese crackers, cocoa-dusted almonds, mini pretzels, or even dried fruit like banana chips and craisins. Don't be afraid to experiment to find your new favorite snack combo.