Easter Bunny Bait
This Easter Bunny Bait is so easy to make with kids and is perfect to put out on the table the night before the Easter Bunny arrives! This no bake dessert will be ready in just 15 minutes!
Spring is a time for color, joy, and, of course, yummy food. And luckily, this recipe has all three! Whether you are hosting an Easter holiday party, sending snacks for a celebration at school, or putting out munchies for the Easter Bunny’s late night snack, this recipe can do it all!
Puppy Chow pieces are the most binge-worthy dessert, mixing my two ultimate favorites, chocolate and peanut butter! Coat those pieces in powdered sugar and add Easter candy, and the Easter Bunny won’t be able to turn it down!
You’ll love making this recipe with your kids, and you’ll also love munching on it during the week leading up to the big holiday!
What is Easter Bunny Bait?
Easter Bunny Bait (also known as Easter Puppy Chow, Easter Muddy Buddies, or Easter Bunny Chow) is an Easter variation (duh) of the famous dessert, Puppy Chow.
Puppy Chow is made by coating Chex cereal in a melted chocolate and peanut butter combination and then tossing the pieces in powdered sugar.
This recipe also adds Spring Colored M&Ms, Cadbury Eggs, and Easter confetti into the bowl to add a touch of Easter colors to the mix!
Why Make this Recipe?
- No Bake Recipe: There’s a time and a place to turn on your oven (like for these Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies), but sometimes it’s easier to just throw something together! This Easter Puppy Chow is perfectly simple, and can be made using just your microwave.
- Festive: There are so many fun desserts that can be made around Easter time, including this Easter Bunny Bait and these Lemon Truffles! The cute spring colors along with the delicious Easter candy in this recipe make for an incredible Easter Dessert!
- Cadbury Eggs: Cadbury Eggs are so beloved during Easter time that they deserve their own section! Cadbury Eggs are egg-shaped chocolate candies with a creamy center and a hard and crunchy outer chocolate layer. They are adorable with a lot of different colors, and they are one of the most popular Easter candies! If you want to try Cadbury Eggs this year, or if you love them and want to put them in more recipes, try out this Easter Bunny Bait, and also my Easter Pretzels!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Pretzel Sticks: This is not usually included in Puppy Chow, but I like the salty effect it gives to the mix.
- Chocolate Chips: I use semi sweet, but feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead if you prefer them!
- Peanut Butter: I use creamy peanut butter because it coats the chex pieces nicely. If you want a crunchier Puppy Chow and don’t mind the look, you can also use chunky peanut butter.
- Powdered Sugar: You may only need 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar. Add it slowly, about ¼ cup at a time, and stop when all of the pieces are coated.
- Spring M&Ms: Use the pastel colored M&Ms for a pop of spring color!
- Cadbury Eggs: If you can’t find brand-name Cadbury Eggs, any other small egg-shaped chocolate candy will work instead!
- Easter Sprinkles: These were in the baking aisle of my grocery store, and were just a spring colored and shaped sprinkle mix. You can omit this if you cannot find it, or you can make your own!
Tools
- Mixing Bowls: A large one to mix the dessert, and a small one to melt the chocolate! Use a microwave safe bowl to melt the chocolate.
- Wooden Spoon: Use something that can gently mix your cereal mixture without breaking the pieces!
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Put the Chex cereal and pretzels in a large bowl.
In a small, microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter together. Microwave the chocolate and peanut butter for 30 seconds, remove from the microwave, and mix with a spoon or fork.
Put the bowl back in the microwave and cook for another 30 seconds. Repeat again if necessary until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted together. Mix again to combine.
Step 2: Coat the Cereal
Pour the chocolate and peanut butter over the chex cereal and pretzel mixture and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently combine the cereal with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture.
Once the cereal is completely coated, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes until the mixture cools down but does not harden.
Step 3: Toss the Pieces
When the chocolate has reached the right consistency, remove the cereal from the fridge and add in the powdered sugar to it, ¼ cup at a time.
After each addition, mix the puppy chow with a rubber spatula until coated, then add the next round of powdered sugar. Keep mixing until the puppy chow is fully coated with sugar and the pieces appear white.
Add the Spring M&Ms, Cadbury Eggs, and Easter Sprinkles. Stir to combine.
Serve and enjoy!
Variations
There are so many different ways that you can customize your Easter Muddy Buddies to your preference! Here are some examples of things you can try:
- Different Nut Butters: Try using a different nut butter instead of peanut butter. You can use almond butter, sunflower butter, or even cookie butter!
- Mix Ins: You can have a lot of fun here! Try mixing in mini marshmallows, mini peanut butter cups, popcorn, coconut flakes, dried fruit, or any other candy that sounds delicious!
- Change Colors: Some Easter Bunny Bait recipes call for making the cereal pieces into different colors. To do so, use white chocolate instead of semi sweet chocolate and add some food coloring to it. Make a few of these and pour them over different bowls of the cereal.
- Different Flavors: Incorporate extracts or lemon/orange zest into the chocolate to get some different flavors in your Muddy Buddy pieces.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t want to toss the pieces in powdered sugar in a bowl, you can also place the pieces in a Ziplock bag and add the powdered sugar. Seal up the bag and shake it all around, evenly coating the pieces!
- Be careful not to get any water in your melted chocolate or it will seize up! This is why melting via microwave instead of a double boiler can be an easier route for this recipe.
- This recipe would be adorable if you seal it up into small plastic bags and tie the bags with a cute ribbon to hand out as a holiday gift!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days. It is best if eaten within a few days of making it for optimal texture!
Certainly! Easter Bunny Chow is a great recipe to make ahead of time because it stays good for days! Make this recipe the day before Easter so that you don’t need to stress about making dessert on the day of.
Yes, most versions of Chex cereal are gluten free, as are M&Ms! Cadbury Eggs might not be gluten free, so feel free to substitute a Gluten Free version or omit them. You will also need to omit the pretzels!
Did you enjoy this recipe for Easter Bunny Chow? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
Easter Bunny Bait Recipe
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Microwave Safe Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups Chex cereal
- 1 ½ cups Thin Pretzel Sticks
- ¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup Spring M&Ms, pastels
- 1 cup Cadbury Eggs
- ¼ cup Easter Sprinkles
Instructions
- Put the chex cereal and pretzels in a large bowl.
- In a small, microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter together. Microwave the chocolate and peanut butter for 30 seconds, remove from the microwave, and mix with a spoon or fork. Put the bowl back in the microwave and cook for another 30 seconds. Repeat again if necessary until the chocolate and peanut butter are melted together. Mix again to combine.
- Pour the chocolate and peanut butter over the chex cereal and pretzel mixture and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to gently combine the cereal with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture.
- Once the cereal is completely coated, put the bowl in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes until the mixture cools down but does not harden.
- When the chocolate has reached the right consistency, remove the cereal from the fridge and add in the powdered sugar to it, ¼ cup at a time. After each addition, mix the puppy chow with a rubber spatula until coated, then add the next round of powdered sugar. Keep mixing until the puppy chow is fully coated with sugar and the pieces appear white.
- Add the Spring M&Ms, Cadbury Eggs, and Easter Sprinkles. Stir to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pretzel Sticks: This is not usually included in Puppy Chow, but I like the salty effect it gives to the mix.
- Chocolate Chips: I use semi sweet, but feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips instead if you prefer them!
- Peanut Butter: I use creamy peanut butter because it coats the chex pieces nicely. If you want a crunchier Puppy Chow and don’t mind the look, you can also use chunky peanut butter.
- Powdered Sugar: You may only need 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar. Add it slowly, about ¼ cup at a time, and stop when all of the pieces are coated.
- Spring M&Ms: Use the pastel colored M&Ms for a pop of spring color!
- Cadbury Eggs: If you can’t find brand-name Cadbury Eggs, any other small egg-shaped chocolate candy will work instead!
- Easter Sprinkles: These were in the baking aisle of my grocery store, and were just a spring colored and shaped sprinkle mix. You can omit this if you cannot find it, or you can make your own!
- If you don’t want to toss the pieces in powdered sugar in a bowl, you can also place the pieces in a Ziplock bag and add the powdered sugar. Seal up the bag and shake it all around, evenly coating the pieces!
- Be careful not to get any water in your melted chocolate or it will seize up! This is why melting via microwave instead of a double boiler can be an easier route for this recipe.
- This recipe would be adorable if you seal it up into small plastic bags and tie the bags with a cute ribbon to hand out as a holiday gift.
