creme brulee muddy buddies are a THING

what are muddy buddies?

Muddy Buddies – also known as “Puppy Chow” – are the sweet cousin to Chex snack mix. The cereal is coated in a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter and then tossed with confectioner’s sugar. It’s ADDICTIVE, and you can see my recipe for it here.

what are creme brulee muddy buddies?

So me being me it wasn’t long before I started tweaking this recipe and coming up with all kinds of variations on the basic recipe – including, but not limited too, apple pie, tahini and root beer float (click here to see ’em all!). So how did creme brulee muddy buddies happen?

There was a time many years ago, when if you came to my house for dinner you were almost guaranteed to be served creme brulee for dessert. I LOVED creme brulee and was extremely particular about what constituted a proper version. It had to be 100% smooth and thick, without an ounce of “jiggle”. And the perfect bruleed topping would crack beautifully with the tap of a spoon, yet be thick enough so that the shards stayed intact while you ate.

This took many trials but once I nailed it I made it on repeat for years.

And then I stopped.

One of the first popsicles I made was a creme brulee version – and it was delicious. As I do, I moved on to other ideas and recipes over the years, but I found myself thinking about those pops recently. And don’t ask me how, but the idea of bruleed muddy buddies popped into my head and I couldn’t shake it.

It’s always fun – and a challenge – to take a flavor profile typically associated with a specific recipe, and apply it to something completely different (just search “s’mores“, “fluffernutter” or “peanut butter and jelly” on this blog to see what I mean). In the case of creme brulee, I knew that the two most important factors – flavor wise – were lots of vanilla, and of course the burnt sugar topping.

what ingredients do you need to make creme brulee muddy buddies?

In addition to being addictive and easy, muddy buddies require just a few simple ingredients. When riffing on the original, as I did here, you may need a couple more:

butter
almond butter
vanilla beans
white chocolate chips
Chex cereal
confectioner’s sugar
granulated sugar

how do you make this recipe?

The process for making muddy buddies is almost always the same. You start by pouring the cereal into a large bowl. Then melt the butter, nut butter and chocolate chips together and pour over the cereal. Stir to coat thoroughly and then pour into a large bag containing the confectioner’s sugar. Shake to coat well and spread onto a baking sheet to set.

For the “brulee” I sprinkled a layer of granulated sugar over the cereal after spreading it on my baking sheet and torched with my kitchen torch. DELICIOUS.

frequently asked questions!

are muddy buddies gluten-free?

Yes! If you use a Chex cereal that’s gluten-free (like corn or rice). The rest of the ingredients are typically GF so this is a perfect gluten-free treat!

can you use any nut or seed butter?

Absolutely – I prefer the mild taste of almond butter but you can use peanut butter or sunflower butter (or even tahini).

can you swap the vanilla beans for vanilla extract?

Yes – a teaspoon of vanilla can be substituted for the fresh beans.

is this recipe vegan?

If you use a non-dairy spread (like Earth’s balance) in place of the butter, and dairy-free white chocolate then this recipe is 100% vegan.

So. Much. Yes.

I thought it would be too much but the burnt edge of that caramelized sugar was everything. And the vanilla base came through too. No torch? Just run the pan under the broiler!

Let me know if you make ’em, and be sure to tag me @sherisilver on Instagram if you do!

Creme Brulee Muddy Buddies

sherisilver

All the flavors of a classic creme brulee, reimagined in everyone's favorite snack - Muddy Buddies!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 vanilla beans halved and scraped
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 4 cups Chex cereal
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• granulated sugar

Instructions

 

• Place the butter, almond butter, seeds from the vanilla beans and chocolate chips in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir till completely melted. Add the cereal and stir gently but thoroughly till well coated.
• Pour mixture into a large ziploc bag, add the confectioner's sugar and shake to coat. Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet, and let cool. Try to gather the cereal on the sheet in a single layer with as few gaps between the pieces as possible.
• Sprinkle with the granulated sugar and either broil or use a torch to caramelize the tops. Let harden, then cover with another piece of foil, followed by a second baking sheet and carefully invert so that the bottoms are now facing upward. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and broil or torch. Let harden and store in an airtight container.

Notes

I like to use Corn Chex but any variety will work.

Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of the almond butter.

You can use a non-dairy spread (like Earth's Balance) or margarine in place of the butter.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

did you make this recipe?tag @sherisilver on instagram!