I invented this recipe as a Christmas treat for family and friends, and it was such a hit, I decided to write the instructions down and share it for other peanut butter chocolate fans.  This recipe offers a lighter alternative to Muddy Buddy mix recipes, but with a similar flavor profile and significantly less mess.

One of my pet peeves with cereal mix recipes is that they leave you with a bunch of partial boxes of cereal at the end.  My goal is to help you avoid that, so this recipe uses all your cereal.  That said, you can make a half recipe with only one package of almond bark and then use the leftover cereal for something else.

Ingredients

1 box Reese’s Puffs® cereal*
1 box Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal*
1 box rice Chex®*
2 24-oz. packages of almond bark
2 cups peanut butter M&Ms (optional)

*Standard size boxes, about 10 oz.

Instructions:

Because this recipe is larger than a standard cereal mix, I suggest making it in two consecutive batches to make mixing easier.

1. Prep four large pieces of wax paper.
2. Break first package of almond bark in pieces and microwave on high for one-minute intervals, stirring as needed.  The bark should be completely melted within 2–3 minutes of heating.  Make sure to stir each time because the bark can hold its shape and look solid even after it’s melted.
3. While melting the bark, combine half of each cereal box in a large mixing bowl, plus optional M&Ms.
4. Pour melted almond bark over cereal and quickly but gently incorporate until cereal is coated.  Be careful not to burn yourself on the bowl as it can be hot after microwaving.
5. Use your mixing spoon to drop large spoonfuls of mixture in a layer on wax paper.
6. Melt second package of almond bark and repeat steps 3–5 with the remaining ingredients.  You can reuse the bowls from the first batch.
7. Let mix dry for at least one hour.  Once the chocolate has hardened, break mixture into large pieces and place in an air-tight container or treat bags.

For freshest results, use within three days.  Full recipe makes approximately 4 lbs. of mix.

Gluten-Free Substitutions: Reese’s Puffs are made with corn but are not guaranteed to be completely gluten-free based on the packaging.  If you are concerned about gluten, you can substitute chocolate peanut butter Cheerios in place of the Reese’s Puffs.  You can also add peanut butter M&Ms for color and additional peanut butter flavor.