These Paleo Nut-Free Muddy Buddies (also known as Puppy Chow) are easy to make and so delicious. A chocolate and SunButter mixture poured over sunflower seeds and dusted with maple sugar. They are gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and naturally sweetened.
This post is sponsored on behalf of SunButter. All opinions are 100% my own, of course! Thank you for supporting brands that help make Real Food with Jessica possible!
I am very excited about this recipe. I grew up on Muddy Buddies and have eaten it more times that I can count. Remaking took a little work, but I got it perfect and I know you will love it. It's such an addictive snack and a batch will disappear quickly.
I made this a few times before getting it just right. It's super easy, but I wanted it to be perfect. First thing I'll mention is you can use any nut you want, but I think sunflower seeds work best. They are crunchy, mild in flavor and affordable. I made this with pecans as well and it just wasn't as good. Read the instructions carefully to make sure they come out looking like this. If you put the sugar on right away, it will soak in to the chocolate and while it will still be delicious, it won't look like muddy buddies.
Homemade Powdered Sugar
Paleo powdered sugar doesn't exist and I knew I had to nail down this aspect to make them truly like Muddy Buddies. I put some maple sugar in a small blender with a tiny amount of arrowroot powder. Blend it for about 1 minute and it turns into a white, powdery sugar. Perfect! I am actually amazed how much it looks and tastes like powdered sugar. You should be able to do this with coconut sugar as well, but I haven't tried. I use maple sugar to keep it low FODMAP.
Low FODMAP Dessert
All the ingredients here are low FODMAP as long as you don't substitute anything. I use unsweetened chocolate making them not too sweet (like the original is), so if you're used to more sweet desserts I highly suggest using some dairy free chocolate chips that are sweetened.
You can't make traditional Muddy Buddies without peanut butter and No Sugar Added SunButter is the best replacement. It adds that signature flavor, but way better. It's also conveniently nut free (actually top 8 allergen free) which makes this a safe snack for kids that have nut allergies.
This treat is best served cold, straight from the fridge. I hope you love this as much as we do. I know this will be a dessert I'll be making on repeat all summer.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Paleo Nut-Free Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup No Sugar Added SunButter
- ¾ cup no sugar chocolate chips*
- 1 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup maple sugar*
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
Instructions
- Dump the seeds into a large bowl. Prepare a sheet tray with parchment paper and set aside. Also make sure there is room in the fridge for it.
- In a small pan, combine the SunButter, chocolate chips, ghee and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring the whole time, until just melted. Remove from heat and pour over the seeds. Stir well making sure all the seeds are coated. Spread onto sheet tray and spread it thin, about ¼ inch. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- While that is in the fridge, make the powdered sugar. In a small blender (personal size is best) combine the maple sugar and arrowroot powder. Blend about 1 minutes, until mixture is white and powdery.
- Remove the chocolate from the fridge and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar on it. A fine mesh stainer works great for this to get it evenly coated. Place back in the fridge for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and break into small pieces, flipping them over as you do it so the uncoated side is up and coat with another 2 tablespoons of the powdered sugar. Place in the fridge for 5 more minutes.
- Remove from the fridge and coat with the remaining sugar and gently toss it all around to coat all the sides. Best kept in an air tight container in the fridge.
Notes:
Nutrition Information
Debra says
I don’t like the taste if sunbutter. Do you think almond buttter would work?
Jessica DeMay says
Hi Debra- yes, definitely!