Crunchy, nostalgic Protein Fruity Pebble Puppy Chow! A high-volume, healthy rainbow muddy buddies with pretzels, rice cakes, tortilla chips and a fruity pebbles protein coating.
Okay you guys, I have to tell you how this Fruity Pebble Protein Muddy Buddies recipe came to life! A friend of mine on Instagram reached out asking if I could make a high-protein version of a Fruity Pebbles-coated pretzel she saw. They looked really good, but I knew it would be a total calorie overload with all that white chocolate and cereal.
It immediately reminded me of my Christmas and Valentine's puppy chow recipes, and I knew I had to put a "Hayl's Kitchen" spin on it!
But… now that I've officially moved to Canada, I actually had to smuggle-okay, maybe just "carefully pack"-a box of Fruity Pebbles back from my recent trip to San Diego to visit my husband! I saved them specifically for this recipe, and let me tell you, that extra effort was so worth it for this Healthy Rainbow Muddy Buddies treat.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- High Volume: Thanks to the rice cakes and tortilla chips, you get a massive ¾ cup serving for only 150 calories!
- Sweet & Salty: The combination of pretzels, white chocolate, and tortilla chips hits every single craving.
- Macro-Friendly: With over 10g of protein per serving, this is a Post-Workout Fruity Pebble Snack you can actually feel good about.
- No-Bake & Fast: You can have this entire High Volume Protein Puppy Chow ready and in the freezer in about 30 minutes.
The Secret to High-Volume Fruity Pebbles Muddy Buddies
To make this protein powder cereal snack mix, we aren't just using standard cereal. To maximize volume, we use a base of crushed rice cakes, pretzels, and even tortilla chips. This sweet-and-salty combination creates a massive bowl of food that is significantly lower in fat than traditional muddy buddies. When you coat these "high-air" bases in our fruity pebble protein powder recipe, you get a snack that feels like a cheat meal but fits your macros perfectly.
Ingredients for Protein Fruity Pebbles Puppy Chow
Here is what you'll need for this Fruity Pebble Protein Powder Recipe
See recipe card at the bottom of the page for the measurements!
- Fruity Pebbles Cereal: This provides that iconic nostalgic flavor and the beautiful rainbow colors for our Healthy Rainbow Muddy Buddies.
- Substitutes: Any generic fruity rice cereal works great.
- Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (Coating): For the coating, use a protein powder that is sweet and whose taste you enjoy because this will determine how the final dish tastes. I recommend Legion Whey
- Substitutes: You can use a vanilla plant-based protein if you prefer a dairy-free option.
- Rice Cakes: These are the secret to making this a High Volume Protein Puppy Chow without adding a ton of calories.
- Substitutes: Any puffed grain cake (like corn cakes) will provide that same airy crunch.
- Pretzels: I recommend using a high-protein pretzel like Kindling to keep the macros balanced for this Sweet and Salty Cereal Muddy Buddies mix.
- Substitutes: Gluten-free pretzels are perfect if you have a dietary restriction.
- Tortilla Chips: These add a surprising and delicious salty kick that makes this Protein Powder Cereal Snack Mix so addicting!
- Substitutes: Use pita chips or additional pretzels.
- Sugar-Free White Chocolate Chips: The base of our "muddy" coating while keeping the sugar low. I use this one from Lily's
- Substitutes: Regular white chocolate chips work if you aren't strictly tracking sugar.
- Almond Butter: A healthy fat source that serves as a binder too.
- Substitutes: Peanut butter or cashew butter are excellent alternatives.
- Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder (Glaze): For the creamy mix, use a protein powder that is sweet and whose taste you enjoy! I love Quest Nutrition.
- Substitutes: Pure whey or a plant-based blend (like KOS), but you need to reduce the milk to 2 tablespoon for Whey, and add some stevia sweetener if using plant-based.
- Unflavored Whey Protein Powder: This helps boost the protein content without making the mix overly sweet. I recommend Isopure.
- Substitutes: You can replace this with more vanilla protein powder, but skip the extra stevia in that case.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: This thins out the white chocolate coating to make it perfectly pourable.
- Substitutes: Any dairy-free milk or regular milk works perfectly.
- Butter: A tiny bit to help the white chocolate melt into a smooth, glossy finish.
- Substitutes: Coconut oil is a great dairy-free swap.
How to Make Fruity Pebble Protein Muddy Buddies
1. Crush the Coating: Grab a large zipper bag and throw in your Fruity Pebbles. Give them a good crush with a rolling pin until they're smaller pieces, then toss in your protein powder and shake it up!
2. Melt the Glaze: Microwave your white chocolate and butter in short bursts until it's silky smooth, then stir in the almond butter.
3. Creamy Protein Mix: Whisk in your protein powders and add the milk a little at a time until you have a smooth, creamy "sauce"
4. Prep the Base: In a separate big bowl, crush your rice cakes into bite-sized pieces, then mix in your pretzels and tortilla chips.
5. The Big Coat: Pour that white chocolate mixture over your crunchy base and toss it gently until every single pretzel and chip is covered.
6. The Final Shake: Transfer your sticky mix into the bag with the cereal dust and shake vigorously! You want a nice, even Protein Fruity Pebble Puppy Chow coating.
7. The Set: Pop the bag in the freezer for about 20 minutes so it sets up into that perfect high protein fruity pebbles puppy chow texture.
Tips for Healthy Fruity Pebbles Snack
- The Shake Technique: Make sure the white chocolate coating is still a bit tacky when you add it to the bag of cereal so the rainbow dust sticks perfectly!
- Don't Over-Crush: You want the rice cakes and chips to be bite-sized, not a powder! The varied textures are what make this Sweet and Salty Cereal Muddy Buddies mix so good.
- Milk Control: Add your almond milk very slowly. You want the coating thick enough to stick to the base, not so thin that it pools at the bottom.
Storage for Healthy Fruity Pebbles Puppy Chow Snack
I think this Healthy Fruity Pebble Snack tastes best straight from the freezer! Store it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag for up to a month.
More Macro Friendly Cereal-based Snacks:
- Caramel Protein Balls
- High Fiber Protein Bars
- Low Fat Peanut Butter Protein Cereal Bars
- Rice Krispie Protein Cookie
Did you try this recipe? I'd actually LOVE to know!
Tag @hayls.kitchen on Instagram & leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below?
Rainbow Protein Fruity Pebble Puppy Chow (High Volume Hack!)
Ingredients
Fruity Pebbles Coating:
- 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder, 30g
- 1 cup Fruity Pebbles Cereal, 36g
Base:
- 3 Rice Cakes, 21g
- 1½ oz Pretzels (High Protein recommended), 42g
- 1 oz Tortilla Chips, 28g
Chocolate Coating:
- ½ cup Sugar Free White Chocolate Chips, 56g
- ¼ teaspoon Butter, 1g
- 1½ tablespoon Almond Butter, 24g
- 1 scoop Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder, 30g
- ½ scoop Unflavored Whey Protein Powder, 15g
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 60ml
Are you Making This?
Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ comment below letting me know what you think! This supports my page so I can continue to give you free recipes. Even 1 sentence is enough 🙂
Instructions
- Fruity Pebbles Coating: Place fruity pebbles cereal in a large gallon-size zipper bag and crush with a rolling pin or glass.Add in vanilla protein powder and mix well.
- Combine Base: In a large bowl, crush the rice cakes. Add in the pretzels and tortilla chips and mix.
- Melt Coating: Microwave white chocolate chips and butter in 30-second intervals until smooth. Add in almond butter and stir till smooth.Add vanilla protein, unflavored protein and milk (a little at a time); Mix with a spoon until creamy.
- Coat Cereal: Pour the white chocolate mixture over the crunchy base and mix gently with a large spoon until every piece is evenly coated.Make sure every piece is coating, avoiding large chunks, so all pieces are coated well with the protein mix.
- Sugar Dusting: Transfer the coated mix into the zipper bag with the fruity pebbles mix. Shake vigorously to coat.
- Set: Place the bag in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before serving.Make sure to store in the freezer and serve as needed!
Video
Notes
- Nutrition value is calculated using products recommended below.
- See post for alternate ingredients, tips and storage options.
- Quest Nutrition Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder
- Isopure Unfavored Whey Isolate Protein Powder
- Kindling Sugar Cookie Protein Pretzels
- Lily's White Chocolate Baking Chips
- Legion Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
- Servings: 6 cups (8 portions) | Serving size: ¾ cup
- Calories: 150 cal
- Fat: 6g | Saturated fat: 1.6g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2g | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 2.9g
- Protein: 10.3g
Leave a Reply