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Strawberry Shortcake Puppy Chow

Strawberry shortcake puppy chow is a sweet snack mix of golden-coated Chex cereal pieces tossed in melted white chocolate and finished with a pink-and-white powdered coating. The quick microwave melt gives every square a glossy coat, then a final bag-shake creates the classic dusted texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chex cereal
  • 3 cup Chex cereal
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
White chocolate chips
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
Strawberry extract
  • 0.25 tsp strawberry extract
Powdered sugar
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar
Freeze-dried strawberries
  • 2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
Vanilla cake mix powder
  • 1 tbsp vanilla cake mix powder

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Melt the coating
  1. Melt butter and white chocolate chips together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and completely melted before you stop heating.
  2. Stir in strawberry extract until fully incorporated. You should see the chocolate coating evenly tinted with no streaks.
Coat the cereal
  1. Add Chex cereal to the chocolate mixture and toss until all pieces are evenly coated. Every square should look lightly glazed.
  2. Spread the coated cereal on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool for 2-3 minutes. The coating should thicken slightly so the powder sticks.
Make the strawberry powder and finish
  1. Combine powdered sugar, crushed freeze-dried strawberries, and vanilla cake mix powder in a small bowl. The mix should be bright pink with specks throughout.
  2. Transfer the warm cereal to a large zip-top bag, add the powdered sugar mixture, seal, and shake until all pieces are evenly coated. The cereal should end up dusted all over with a pink-and-white finish.
  3. Spread on parchment paper to cool completely before serving. The coating will set as it cools so the powdered layer looks dry and crisp.

Notes

For the tightest dusted coating, let the chocolate-coated cereal sit on the baking sheet only until it’s just thickened (about 2-3 minutes) before bag-shaking with the powder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; it also freezes up to 1 month (thaw in the container to prevent condensation). For a gluten-free swap, use a gluten-free Chex-style cereal and confirm your vanilla cake mix powder is gluten-free.