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S’mores Muddy Buddies are everything you love about a classic campfire s’more, with chocolate, graham cracker crunch, and marshmallows, all tossed together in a no-bake snack mix that comes together fast!
For me, a good snack is one that disappears fast, and y’all, this one does not last long around here. S’mores Muddy Buddies are one of those treats that feels nostalgic the second you take a bite! All those classic campfire flavors are wrapped up in a crunchy, handheld snack mix that requires zero campfire and zero fuss. I’ve made these for movie nights, birthday parties, neighbor gifts, and more school events than I can count!
The trick to seriously good muddy buddies is using two kinds of chocolate. We use semisweet chips for depth and milk chocolate for that classic s’mores sweetness! Then just let everything cool and set completely on the baking sheet before you toss in the Golden Grahams, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows.
Looking for More Muddy Buddy Flavors? You’ll also want to check out my Biscoff Cookie Butter Muddy Buddies, Lucky Charms Muddy Buddies, and Christmas Muddy Buddies!
Why you’ll love this S’mores Muddy Buddies Recipe
❥All the campfire flavor, no campfire required. Every ingredient in this mix is pulling s’mores duty: chocolate-coated Chex, Golden Graham cereal for that graham cracker crunch, real milk chocolate chunks, and chewy dehydrated marshmallows!
❥Ready in about 30 minutes. With just 5 minutes of active prep and 2 minutes of microwave time, most of your “cook time” is simply waiting for the coating to set. Hands-off and stress-free!
❥Perfect for sharing. This recipe makes 12 generous cups, which means it’s ideal for parties, potlucks, school events, gifting, or keeping a big batch in the pantry for snacking all week long.
❥No-bake and beginner-friendly. If you can stir and fold, you can make this recipe. No candy thermometer, no special equipment, no oven required.
❥Nut-Free. As written, this recipe is peanut and nut-free. There are optional instructions in the recipe card to add it in if you would like.
S’mores Puppy Chow Ingredients
- Rice Chex Cereal: These hold onto the chocolate coating beautifully without getting soggy, and they stay crispy all the way through.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: Adds depth and a slightly less sweet chocolate base to the coating.
- Milk chocolate chips: Combined with the semisweet, the two make the most delicious coating.
- Powdered sugar: Creates that signature muddy buddy coating!
- Cocoa powder: I like to mix cocoa powder with the powdered sugar to add an extra layer of chocolate flavor here.
- Golden Graham cereal: The graham cracker element of the s’mores, made easy!
- Dehydrated marshmallows: Use dehydrated marshmallows as opposed to mini marshmallows, since they keep their shape and texture in the mix without getting sticky or melting. Find them in the baking aisle labeled as “marshmallow bits” or “hot cocoa marshmallows.”
- Milk chocolate bar chunks: Broken Hershey’s bars stirred in at the end add real chocolate chunks throughout the mix!
How To Make S’mores Muddy Buddies
✱ Below shows step-by-step photos and instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1 | Prep the Chex Cereal
Measure out Chex cereal in an extra-large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 2 | Combine Powdered Sugar & Cocoa Powder
In another mixing bowl, stir together powdered sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
Step 3 | Melt the Chocolate
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring well in between, until smooth and fully melted.
Step 4 | Mix Chocolate & Chex
Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal. Gently fold with a spatula until evenly coated, being careful not to crush the cereal.
Step 5 | Add Powdered Sugar Mixture
Pour the powdered sugar mixture over the chocolate-covered cereal. Gently fold with a spatula to coat, being careful not to crush the cereal.
Step 6 | Cool on Sheet Pan
Spread the coated cereal onto a baking sheet or parchment paper to cool and set, and gently break up any clusters.
Step 7 | Cool & Mix with Additional Ingredients
Let cool and set for about 20-30 minutes. Transfer cereal to a serving bowl and gently stir in Golden Grahams cereal, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows.
Easy Variations for S’mores Snack Mix
- Swap Rice Chex for another cereal. Corn Chex, Crispix, or a similar store-brand rice cereal all work well here.
- Use all one type of chocolate chip. All milk chocolate makes it sweeter and more classic, and all semisweet makes it a little richer and less sweet. Either way, it’s delicious!
- Substitute Golden Grahams with crushed graham crackers or Teddy Grahams. If you can’t find Golden Grahams, break up a few full-size graham crackers into chunks, or use Teddy Grahams for a smaller, bite-sized crunch.
- Add mini marshmallows instead of dehydrated. If you can’t find dehydrated marshmallows, you can stir in regular mini marshmallows; just add them right before serving so they stay fluffy.
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality chocolate chips. Better chocolate melts more smoothly, coats more evenly, and gives you a noticeably richer flavor in every bite. I used Ghirardelli for this recipe, and it was delicious!
- Melt the chocolate in short intervals. Microwave the chocolate chips in 30-second bursts, stirring well between each one. Chocolate can go from perfectly melted to scorched very quickly, so be careful!
- Be gentle when folding. Rice Chex is delicate, and nobody wants a bowl full of crumbled cereal dust. Use a soft spatula and fold slowly, turning the cereal over rather than stirring aggressively!
- Let it cool and set completely before adding mix-ins. Spread the chocolate-coated cereal out on a baking sheet or parchment paper and give it the full 20 to 30 minutes to set before adding the Golden Grahams, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows.
- Try the ziplock bag method for coating. Instead of folding the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture into the bowl, pour the Chex, melted chocolate, and powdered sugar mixture into a bag and gently mix everything together!
- Adding Peanut Butter or Nut Butters: If you’d like to add peanut butter, you can melt 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Either omit 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or add them in at the end with mix-ins.
What to Serve With Smores Muddy Buddies
S’mores muddy buddies are a fantastic standalone snack, especially on movie nights or around a backyard fire. If you want a variety of snacks, try it with a Praline Snack Mix, too!
As a gift, you can package these muddy buddies into little jars or bags for a thoughtful homemade gift. They also go great as a lunchbox snack for kiddos!
Storage & Make-ahead Tips
Storage: Keep any leftover s’mores muddy buddies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Room temperature works great for short-term snacking, but the fridge keeps it fresh a little longer.
Freeze: Let the s’mores muddy buddies cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. You can enjoy them straight from the freezer or let them thaw in the refrigerator.
Make Ahead: This is a fantastic make-ahead snack! Prepare the full recipe through the cooling step, then stir in the Golden Grahams, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows right before serving for the freshest texture.
Recipe FAQs
Muddy buddies, also known as puppy chow, are a popular no-bake snack mix made by coating Chex cereal in melted chocolate and tossing it in powdered sugar until every piece is dusted and delicious. The classic version typically includes peanut butter, but there are endless variations, including this s’mores version, which adds Golden Grahams, dehydrated marshmallows, and milk chocolate chunks!
Clumping usually happens for one of two reasons: the chocolate-coated cereal wasn’t spread out thinly enough to cool, or the mix-ins were added before everything had fully set. Give it some time to cool, and it should stay separate!
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S’mores Muddy Buddies
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Ingredients
- 7 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips - high-quality
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips - high-quality
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1-1 ½ cups Golden Graham Cereal
- ½-¾ cup dehydrated marshmallows
- ¾ cup milk chocolate bars - broken into chunks (about two 1.55-ounce Hershey’s bars)
Instructions
- Measure out Chex cereal in an extra-large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, stir together powdered sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring well in between, until smooth and fully melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal. Gently fold with a spatula until evenly coated, being careful not to crush the cereal.
- Pour the powdered sugar mixture over the chocolate-covered cereal. Gently fold with a spatula to coat, being careful not to crush the cereal.
- Spread the coated cereal onto a baking sheet or parchment paper to cool and set, and gently break up any clusters.
- Let cool and set for about 20-30 minutes.
- Transfer cereal to a serving bowl and gently stir in Golden Grahams cereal, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use high-quality chocolate chips. Better chocolate melts more smoothly and gives a richer, more even coating. Ghirardelli is my go-to for this recipe!
- Melt chocolate low and slow. Microwave in 30-second intervals and stir well between each one to avoid scorching or seizing the chocolate.
- Be gentle when folding. Rice Chex is delicate — use a soft spatula and fold slowly to keep those squares intact and avoid a bowl full of crumbles.
- Let it set completely before adding mix-ins. Spread the coated cereal on a baking sheet and give it the full 20–30 minutes to cool before stirring in the Golden Grahams, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows. This is the key to avoiding clumps!
- Adding Peanut Butter or Nut Butters: If you’d like to add peanut butter, melt 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 1 cup of chocolate chips. Either omit 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or add them in at the end with mix-ins.
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