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Classic puppy chow cereal snack mix gets a red velvet makeover, flavored with white chocolate and red velvet cake mix.
I have been holding out on a new puppy chow recipe for you FAR TOO LONG.
And considering I am the self-proclaimed puppy chow queen, this is a sincere travesty.
In November 2015, I brought you candy cane puppy chow, and I haven’t shared a new puppy chow recipe since. Maybe it’s because my cookbook took all of my creative puppy chow flavor juices, but I thought that this Valentine’s Day season was the perfect time to break out a new one.
And red velvet week seemed the most appropriate place to share!
I present to you the easiest red velvet recipe imaginable. No red food coloring, no buttermilk, no vinegar, and no baking whatsoever.
All you need is some Chex cereal (or other brand you like– Crispix works pretty well here, too!), some white or semi-sweet baking chocolate (I used white), and red velvet cake mix.
Remember in my red velvet brownies post when I said that there’s a time and place for boxed mix? It’s not in my brownies and it’s definitely not in any of my cakes, but it is in my puppy chow.
Traditional and even flavored puppy chow recipes typically use powdered sugar as the coating on top of the melted chocolate. In cases like this where we’re really going for a distinct flavor, cake mix is where we get that flavor from.
Wondering what to do with your leftover cake mix? Whip up my red velvet Rice Krispies treats or save it for red velvet pancakes for you and your sweetie on Valentine’s Day morning.
Or, you know, a second batch of red velvet puppy chow.
Something that I really love about puppy chow in general is that I think it’s the perfect snack. It’s crunchy, it’s sweet, and though I wouldn’t consider it a salty snack, it does have that slightly savory element to round out all the tastes in one perfect bite.
The overall taste of this red velvet puppy chow is quite chocolatey (as we know that red velvet is a slightly chocolate based flavor), but that hint of red velvet cake mix hits you at the end and the taste is undeniable.
I chose to jazz mine up with some cute Valentine’s Day sprinkles, but that’s completely optional.
Other add-ins you could use to prettify your red velvet puppy chow are Valentine’s Day m&m’s, chocolate chips, or even conversation hearts!
This stuff didn’t last long in our house, as you can imagine. And if you’re looking for something cute to gift to a special someone or even someone like a preschool teacher (yes, some of ours went there!), it’s freaking adorable in Target’s dollar bin tins.
I KNOW BECAUSE I COULDN’T WALK PAST WITHOUT BUYING THREE.
I hope this red velvet week has given you all the reasons to get in your kitchen with someone you love (or like a lot!) and create something red velvet together.
Yeah yeah, Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark Holiday, but it’s nice to spend some time loving up on each other and doing things we enjoy doing together.
Do you have a favorite recipe from red velvet week?
Red Velvet Puppy Chow
Ingredients
- 4 and ½ cups (122g) Rice Chex® cereal
- 1 cup (140g) red velvet cake mix
- 8 ounces (227g) white or semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Pour the cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
- Pour the cake mix into a large zip-top bag or large container with a tight fitting lid. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, stirring constantly until completely melted. You may also melt the chocolate in the microwave. Remove from heat.
- Immediately pour melted chocolate over cereal and stir gently to coat.
- Pour cereal into prepared bag or container. Shake until everything is coated. Spread onto baking sheet lined with foil or parchment and allow to cool. Discard excess cake mix. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.
My favorite recipe from red velvet week is definitely the red velvet brownies, but the red velvet crinkle cookies are a close second! This puppy chow looks great, too!
I agree, Erin– the brownies were my favorite to make, eat, and photograph!