These Muddy Buddy Cookies are such a unique twist on the classic flavors of muddy buddies snack mix! Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies, chocolaty ganache frosting and topped with muddy buddies for added crunch and garnish! So fun!!
Boy, do I have a knockout recipe for you today. *rubs hands together evil plotting style*
I love muddy buddies, but I often forget about them because I am a single household of one and have no self-control around desserts I like. For instance, my Peppermint Muddy Buddies were something I inhaled the entirety of, so I never make them because they are a menace to me. And I do not need an whole dang bag of muddy buddies tempting me with their siren song.
Also, while they are great, they could use a little boost in the imagination department. I mean, they’re kinda boring to look at, ya know? So these cookies elevate their appearance from humble coated cereal into a gourmet cookie no one can resist.
Muddy Buddy Cookies
So first things first. If you’ve made it this far and are like, what even are muddy buddies? I’ve gotcha covered. Muddy Buddies themselves consist of Chex cereal that you traditionally coat in melted chocolate and peanut butter and then shake up with some powdered sugar. They’re peanut buttery, chocolaty and sweet with the powdered sugary coating. Now that we have that down, let’s talk about these COOKIES.
The cookies begin with THE world’s softest and chewiest peanut butter cookie recipe ever. I seriously cannot handle how unbelievably soft these cookies are. They’re made with a whopping 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, so the flavor is out of this world. They are so tender and delicious, but just sturdy enough to hold the toppings we’re going to load up on them.
No surprise ingredients here: just butter, brown and white sugar, peanut butter, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder and soda, and flour. So easy.
Next up is our ganache layer! For this, I’m using semi-sweet chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter melted together and spread on top of the cookies. Even when it hardens, it remains soft and delicious, almost like a fudge. OMG, it’s heaven!
Last is the muddy buddy layer. You are SO welcome to make your own muddy buddies, butttt I went and took the shortcut and used the prepared muddy buddies made by the Chex Mix brand. I found them at Target on the chips aisle. It saves a step and you have something to snack on while the cookies bake.
Soft, chewy, creamy and rich with a crunchy cereal garnish – these Muddy Buddy Cookies will be THE star of your cookie tray!
Muddy Buddy Cookies
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (like by Skippy or JIF brand)
- 1 cup granulated white sugar + 1/3 cup, divided
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Ganache Frosting & Topping:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1½ cups Muddy Buddies snack mix (like by Chex brand, prepared or homemade)
Instructions
- For the cookies: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter, 1 cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar together until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the baking powder, baking soda, and flour and mix until a soft dough comes together. Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar to a separate small bowl and set aside.
- Using a 2-Tablespoon size cookie dough scoop, portion out 2 Tablespoon-size balls of cookie dough and roll them into a ball. Roll the ball into the granulated sugar and place 1-2" apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. Cool for about 10-15 minutes on the pans before carefully transferring to wire racks to cool. Cookies will be very delicate. Cool completely.
- For the ganache: In a medium microwaveable bowl, add the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Microwave on HIGH power for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave on HIGH power for another 30 seconds, stirring until melted and smooth. Drop a heaping teaspoon or two of the melted ganache on top of each cookie and spread it out. Garnish with the muddy buddies while the ganache is still tacky. Allow the ganache to set, about 20 minutes, before serving or storing.
Notes
If you love peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll go nuts for these cookies!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
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