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Muddy Buddy Cheesecake

This Muddy Buddy Cheesecake is the ultimate fusion of two beloved desserts: a creamy peanut-butter-swirled cheesecake baked on a graham cracker crust and loaded with crunchy chocolate-covered muddy buddies.

It’s rich, sweet, crunchy, and topped with a mountain of muddy buddies and whipped topping.

It’s everything you love about the classic snack mix, transformed into a decadent cheesecake!

If you love muddy buddies (also called puppy chow), this cheesecake is going to blow your mind. It’s rich, creamy, sweet, crunchy, peanut-buttery, chocolatey — everything you love about the classic snack mix but baked right into a velvety cheesecake.

It starts with a simple graham cracker crust and a silky cream cheese batter, but the fun begins when you swirl in the warm melted peanut butter and chocolate mixture.

That swirl gives every slice that muddy-buddy flavor that everyone knows and loves.

I even folded about a cup of muddy buddies directly into the batter, and they held up beautifully — giving little pockets of crunch inside the smooth cheesecake.

Then once it bakes and chills, the real magic happens: a fluffy blanket of Cool Whip and a mountain of muddy buddies piled right on top. It’s dramatic, beautiful, and such a fun party dessert.

The texture is incredible — creamy cheesecake, crunchy cereal, sweet powdered sugar coating, and the perfect balance of peanut butter and chocolate. It’s the kind of cheesecake that makes people stop mid-bite and ask, “WHAT is this?” It’s whimsical, nostalgic, and totally indulgent.

Perfect for birthdays, holidays, potlucks, or anytime you want a dessert that people will talk about long after it’s gone.

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar

For the Cheesecake

• 3 bricks (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup chocolate chips, melted
• 1 cup muddy buddies (store-bought or homemade)

For the Muddy Buddy Mix

• 6 cups Chex cereal
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups powdered sugar

For Topping

• Cool Whip or whipped topping
• Extra muddy buddies (piled high!)

Instructions

1. Make the Muddy Buddies

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter for 30-second intervals. Stir in vanilla.
Pour over Chex cereal and coat completely.
Add powdered sugar to a large zip bag, add cereal, and shake until fully coated.
Set aside to cool.

2. Make the Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix graham crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.
Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bake 8 minutes, then set aside.

3. Make the Cheesecake Batter

Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and sour cream.
Mix until smooth.

4. Swirl in Peanut Butter + Chocolate

Reserve a few spoonfuls of the warm chocolate-peanut butter mixture from making the muddy buddies.
Drop spoonfuls of it into the batter and gently swirl.

5. Add Muddy Buddies

Fold 1 cup of muddy buddies into the cheesecake batter — they’ll add crunchy texture throughout.

6. Bake

Pour batter onto the crust.
Place a shallow pan of water on the rack under the cheesecake.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and let it sit inside for 1 hour.
Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

7. Top It

Spread a generous layer of Cool Whip over the chilled cheesecake.
Pile a huge mound of muddy buddies on top and sprinkle a few around the edges.

Serving Size

Serves 10–12.

Jennie’s Thoughts

This cheesecake feels like pure fun to me. I absolutely love muddy buddies, so swirling that melted chocolate-peanut-butter mixture into the batter was heavenly.

And putting muddy buddies inside and on top makes every slice exciting. It’s one of those desserts where no two bites are the same — and the crunchy cereal on top stays crisp and delicious.

It’s definitely one of my new favorite “wow factor” desserts.