Even before the first hints of fall appeared, I began craving all things butterscotch. Which is kind of strange, considering that butterscotch-y treats were never big in my family and I’m fairly certain I’ve never made anything with butterscotch…ever. But cravings are cravings, so I whipped up a batch of this peanut butter butterscotch puppy chow to satisfy my sweet tooth, and it certainly did the trick!
The saltiness of the roasted peanuts and the peanut butter balance out the sweetness of the butterscotch chips (which, to be honest, I find cloyingly sweet on their own), and just for fun, I tossed in some colored candies and sprinkles to add a bit of fall-time flair.
Things have been a little hectic around here lately, which is why puppy chow was at the top of my list of recipes to curb the butterscotch craving. As those of you who have made puppy chow before know, it’s incredibly easy…not to mention incredibly addictive! The recipe is also easy to scale up or down, so it’s great for parties, movie nights, or even just a quick after-dinner treat! And I’ll leave it at that for today, since I have to go report for jury duty (happy Monday, huh?). At least there’s peanut butter butterscotch puppy chow waiting at home for me when I return!
- 4 1/2 cups corn or rice squares cereal
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons nonpareils (optional)
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 1/2 cup peanut butter candies
- Place the cereal in a large mixing bowl.
- Place the butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring in between each interval. Once smooth, add the contents of the bowl to the cereal and stir until the cereal is coated.
- Transfer the cereal to a large, sturdy plastic bag (or if your mixing bowl has a lid, use the lid). Add the nonpareils, seal the bag, and shake until the nonpareils have stuck to the cereal. Add the powdered sugar and shake until the cereal is coated.
- Add the peanuts and peanut butter candies and shake to combine. Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet to dry. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
I can see how this colorful snack mix could be addictive! What puzzles me is the “Puppy Chow” in the name of the recipe…
Happy October!
Oh I know – I’ve never fully understood the name either! I guess I can *kind of* see a passing resemblance, but it certainly doesn’t make it sound very appealing…
I’ll take butterscotch year round! I’ve never made puppy chow before, but it sounds like the perfect snack to carry along on my next hike 😀 Have a great time at fulfilling your civic duty 😉
Ooh yes, you should definitely try it out – it’s SO easy and yet SO delicious! Thankfully, the only case scheduled for today settled within two hours, so I didn’t have to spend much time at the courthouse 🙂
This is super festive, and I love that combo of peanut butter and butterscotch! Shared on Facebook, Yummed, and Pinned! 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us at The Wednesday Showcase!
Thanks so much for spreading the word! I really appreciate it 🙂
For a minute I thought this was a recipe for puppy treats, you know…canine?! Coz I was actually looking for homemade treats for Skye. But I wasn’t disappointed either knowing that these are great for humans. Puppy chow, human chow, they’re all good! 😀
Haha sorry for the confusion! But I do have some dog treat recipes as well – Phoebe really loved these peanut butter pumpkin cookies (and they freeze really well too!).
Ugg Jury Duty☹️
I hope you got excused quickly!
These look delicious! I love butterscotch chips….in recipes too!
The fall sprinkles are the perfect touch!
Have a great day!
Michelle
Thankfully, I only had to be there for about two hours! I’m glad this recipe caught your eye – and yes, I was so happy to find fall-colored sprinkles (as opposed to the spookier Halloween-colored mixes) that I snapped them up immediately! I found them at Michaels, in case you want to snag some for yourself 🙂
What a pretty delicious snack. My daughter always loved puppy chow and now that she’s a teacher I think I’ll make this for her as a halloween treat to share with her co-workers. Thank you for such a great snack recipe Mara!
Thanks, Julie! If the rate at which ours disappeared is any indication, I think your daughter and her co-workers will enjoy this tremendously!
Puppy chow is the BEST! It’s not really a thing here though, thank god for the internet! gotta try this one, looks delicious! Love anything butterscotch
Haha yes, it somehow does seem like a very American treat, doesn’t it? Let me know what you think if you try this 🙂 And thanks so much for sharing this on Twitter!
My kids would love this! So festive and delicious!
Oh I bet! I hope you get a chance to try it sometime. Thanks for stopping by, Antonia!
I could eat my weight with this! Yum!!
You and me both! Thanks, Debbie 🙂
I’ve never heard of this before – sounds absolutely wonderful! And the addition of the little colored candies makes me want to make this Fall treat! Thanks for sharing on Fiesta Friday! 🙂
The puppy chow is delicious on its own even without the candies or sprinkles, but they really do add a nice visual element, don’t they? Thanks for stopping by and for hosting this week!
Butterscotch is my weakness! Scheduled to pin! So glad I found you at Welcome Home Wednesday! YUM!!
I’m so glad this caught your eye, and thanks for pinning the recipe! I stopped by your site as well…and now my stomach is growling!
Oh, I seriously love the salty + sweet combination in desserts, Mara! And I do love butterscotch…although I don’t use it near enough. This sounds like Fall on a baking pan…and soon to be Fall in my mouth! Jury duty, huh? Hopefully you were able to get in and out and not get stuck on a super long trial! I’m due to get a summons here soon. I got one right when Robbie was born, but I was able to defer it… Maybe if I bring the judge some of this puppy chow, he’ll let me go? Haha! 🙂
I was lucky – there was only one case scheduled that day and they settled, so all the potential jurors were free to go after 2-3 hours. Hopefully yours will be short as well! Even if the judge doesn’t respond to food bribery, I’m sure your fellow potential jurors would appreciate a tasty snack…
This is basically all of my favorite things in one. I’ve never made puppy chow before, but now I think I am definitely going to have to change that. Pinned!
Puppy chow is ridiculously tasty – you’re going to love it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂