White Chocolate & Lemon Curd Muddy Buddies are the perfect summer treat….and taste just like real Lemon Bars!
One of the things I love most about food is that there’s always a story to go along with it. Food is full of memories….and every now and then we have a memory that takes us back to a time loooooong ago. Whenever I make muddy buddies, or eat them, or even smell them…..it brings me right back to middle school. Sleepovers. Staying up as late as we possibly could, munching on junk food, making random phone calls and trying on each other’s clothes. Ahhh, those were the days.
One of our favorite sleepover snacks was – you guessed it – muddy buddies (or puppy chow, or monkey munch, or whatever you call it…)! If you haven’t had the original muddy buddies, you are seriously missing out. Peanut butter, chocolate, powdered sugar….you really can’t go wrong. And I know they always say you shouldn’t mess with perfection, but I just couldn’t help myself!
I am loving all things lemon lately – especially lemon curd! Have you tried it? It tastes just like lemon bar filling, straight from a jar! I am always looking for new ways to use it (although I must admit, eating it straight from the jar seems like a pretty good option)….so when Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies came to mind, I knew they would be TO DIE FOR!! And I was right.
The crunchy Chex and the creamy lemon and the powdered sugar coating….are you kidding me? It’s a no-brainer! You couldn’t get more “lemon bar” than this unless you actually just made lemon bars. But who would want to do that when they could just do this? I didn’t think so!
Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies
Ingredients
- 8 c. Rice Chex cereal
- 1 c. white chocolate chips or candy melts
- 1/4 c. lemon curd
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
- 2 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
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Melt white chocolate, butter, lemon curd, and lemon extract in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
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Pour Rice Chex into a large paper bag (grocery size) and pour melted lemon mixture over cereal. Fold the bag to seal and shake to coat cereal.
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Cool slightly; then add half of the powdered sugar to paper bag and shake to coat.
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Add remaining powdered sugar and shake to coat.
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Spread out on cookie sheet to cool. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar as desired.
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Once completely cool, store at room temperature in airtight containers.
Looking for more delicious ways to use lemon curd? I’ve got you covered!
Betty Daniels says
Yum! This is a very tasty treat.
Your pictures are gorgeous! ☺
Cathy Trochelman says
Thank you!! And you got to try them….so you know! 🙂
Sara says
oh, puppy chow has sleep over memories for me too! This version looks so good!
[email protected] says
Oooo! i’m so happy you “messed with perfection” Cathy! i believe you just made a perfect snack :>D
Karen Mary Butterfly says
This looks so good. I have NEVER had muddy buddies. What’s wrong with me? I am pinning this 🙂
Karen
Jessica @ Barefoot by the Sea says
You are killing me with these recipes! We LOVE lemon around here – this would be such a yummy Summer treat! Another I MUST HAVE and pin – now!
Mary K says
OMG! Do these sound outrageous or what?!?! I’m “in” for anything lemon!! I’m going to make these today!!
Thank you Cathy for this awesome idea!
Ann A says
These look delicious, Cathy! I can’t wait to try them over the summer. Your presentation is always wonderful! 🙂
Carolyn Knepp says
Where did you find those cute yellow striped containers to serve this yummy recipe in? Can’t wait to make this!!
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Carolyn,
Those cute little containers are actually from the Michael’s $1 section! The minute I saw them, I knew I had to have them 🙂
Lisa says
Ooh, how interesting! I love muddy buddies and I’ve never had these! NEED to try!
Kate Griffin says
Yum! I love lemon curd too. I like the idea of changing things up 😉
Kathy says
What exactly is lemon curd
Amber Brady says
Just saying lemon curd makes my mouth water! This sounds fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
~Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later!
http://dessertnowdinnerlater.blogspot.com
Kelsey Jones says
OMG these look awesome!!!
Katie @ Creatively Living says
Yumm! Pinning to the Monday Funday pin board! Thanks for sharing!
marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings says
oh my gosh these sound amazing I can’t wait to try them. Pinned. I hope you’ll be added these to my weekly link party too
Jessica @ Barefoot by the Sea says
Going to make these for Riley’s art/music and gym teachers and gift them in little Ball Jars….thank you for this fantastic easy and economical recipe!!!
Mandy Beyeler says
Thanks for much for linking to Take-A-Look Tuesday over at Sugar Bee Crafts – you were featured today!
–Mandy, http://www.SugarBeeCrafts.com
Aunt B says
My guy will love these! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve pinned it for future reference.
Un fiore di Crilà says
Absolutely lovely! Baci Cristina
Shelley Robertson says
Oh yummy! I almost forgot that I wanted to make these!! I would love for you to come link this up at Party In Polka Dots!!
http://www.piggyinpolkadots.com/2013/06/party-in-polka-dots-linky-25-sweet.html
Shelley
Cindy says
I’m gaining weight just reading this.. sounds so delicious! I did a big round up of lemon desserts, too
Cindy @ sunsetcoasting.blogspot.com
[email protected] says
I love lemon and would have never thought to do this with chex mix…. awesome – over here from What’s it Wednesday.
dressthisnest says
I’m a big fan of Muddy Buddies and this seems like a very “grown up” twist on them. Would be a perfect snack for a baby or bridal shower. Thanks for sharing! I’m pinning this one 😉
Lara says
I am considering doing a fall planitng schedule. I actually have a bunch of weeks already worked out, but I haven’t figured out how to coordinate it all yet. If I have time, I will be putting it together this fall.
Danielle says
My sister just made this recipe last night, she just added more of each ingredient.. And OH MY GOSH! It was SO amazingly tasty, that I went to the store today and bought all the ingredient’s and am making it this weekend! So excited!
Cute as a Button says
These look amazing! Yum! I’m gonna have to try them out!
Jennie Larsen says
Yum-O! I always wanted to make a lemon version, thanks for linking up and sharing too. Jen-COM
Cathy Trochelman says
Lemon is the perfect alternative to chocolate&peanut butter! We love them!!
Crystal Ponti says
These look amazing! Found you via the Family Fun link party! Feel free to link up at our party, too!
http://mommifried.com/ladies-only-blog-share-link-party-dedicated-to-dad/
Jeanne H. says
Can you buy lemon curd? Where and what brand? Is it the same as pie filling? Thanks
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Jeanne,
Yes, you can buy lemon curd at the grocery store. It is not the same as pie filling. I got mine at Trader Joe’s, but many larger grocery stores carry it. I believe it is near the jelly/jam. Hope this helps!
Jeanne H. says
Yes I found it ! I got everything ready to make it and realized I forgot my white chips! Lol so ill make them later after I go out and plant my flowers! Thanks so much!
sweeter than cupcakes says
Your photos sure have my mouth watering!
Courtney O'Dell says
These look SO delicious! mmmm… totally drooling!
Stephanie says
I think I just discovered what the kids and I will be making my lemon-loving husband for a father’s day treat!
Simply LKJ says
Yum! We love muddy buddies, but have never tried a lemon version . Perfect for summer.
Laura says
I made them over the weekend-they were a hit! And great for those times I need a peanut- free snack
Laura says
I made them over the weekend-they were a hit! And great for those times I need a peanut- free snack
Laura says
I made them over the weekend-they were a hit! And great for those times I need a peanut- free snack
Cathy Trochelman says
I’m so happy to hear you liked them, Laura! Thanks for letting me know!!
Natashalh says
I love everything lemon! These look delicious. I need to make these after my man is home from deployment so I won’t eat them all myself!
Natashalh
Cathy Trochelman says
Me too, Natashalh! They are pretty addictive….good idea to be careful! 😉
Ashleys Dandelion Wishes says
This looks so yummy! I have never heard of lemon flavored muddy buddies! I would love it if you would come and link this up at my link party
Dandelion Wishes Wednesday. I’m also pinning this 🙂
Randa Williams says
I am so trying this !
Leslie Hotchkin says
Great idea but they didn’t quite turn out for me. The taste was wonderful but the texture was mushy. The cereal lost more and more of its crunch every hour. I was so disappointed! Do you have any suggestions? I used homemade lemon curd – could that be why? I could try it with store bought curd but I’m hesitant to try it again…did it twice already! My sister-in-law thought I might need to change the ratio of white chocolate to curd, increasing the chocolate. I really wanted these to be as awesome as they sounded!!! Any help would be appreciated!
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Leslie, So sorry they didn’t turn out for you! One question: Did you spread them out on a cookie sheet to cool? They should be in a single layer to prevent sogginess. My other suggestion is to increase the cereal to 8 or 9 cups (the amount called for in the original muddy buddy recipe). I always like mine extra coated so that’s why I had 6 cups originally….but I actually just changed my recipe so each piece is a little less saturated. So sorry they weren’t what you expected….I hope you try them again and let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Leslie Hotchkin says
Yes, I did spread them. I think I’ll try store bought lemon curd. No one else seemed to have trouble so maybe that is the reason! I’ll let you know if it works!
STEPHANIE says
Leslie, I had the same problem, the cereal got mushy. I used homemade lemon curd. I am going to try it one more time with the store bought curd. My curd was more like pudding and curd should be like jelly?
Cathy Trochelman says
Yes, lemon curd should be more like jelly. Increasing the cereal to 8 cups also really does help keep it crunchy. The recipe now reflects this change, so be sure to follow the current recipe above!! 🙂
Bethany Grant says
I just made this but with a twist. My grocery store had the curds on sale and all the lemon was gone, naturally, so I got lime curd. It turned out amazingly! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Cathy Trochelman says
Awesome! I’m sure it would be delicious!! I went looking for lime curd the other day but my store was all out of it….I guess both are pretty popular right now. I’ll have to try the lime version soon!
Unknown says
Just made these for my folks…they were impressed with how “domestic” I was! I didn’t see the need to tell them I just shook everything up in a paper bag. 🙂 Anyway, they were a big hit…not sure if they’ll survive the night, though!
Cathy Trochelman says
Yay!! That’s awesome – good for you! And I agree, no need to tell when it’s super easy! Just let them be impressed!! 🙂
Karen Infusino says
Hello – I just tried to make these and am wondering if maybe using the white chocolate candy melts might work better? I tried twice to melt the chocolate chips with the butter – first over direct heat and then over a double boiler. Although the double boiler worked better – both times the chocolate wanted to ball up and separate from the butter. I finally was able to incorporate the lemon curd but not without taking out a lot of the melted butter. They are delicious now that I got them together but I’m wondering what happened because from the way the recipe is written it sounded like the chocolate lemon mixture should “pour” and mine just globbed. I had to stir the chex to get them somewhat coated. Any suggestions?
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Karen, Sorry you are having trouble! It’s possible that white chocolate candy melts would work better, but I did make mine with white chocolate chips. I just melted the chocolate chips and butter slowly over low heat. It wasn’t smooth melting, but as soon as I added the lemon curd it all came together and was smooth. Did you try adding the lemon curd before you took the butter out? I will try it again this weekend with candy melts and let you know how it works!
Cathy Trochelman says
I made them again tonight and added the lemon curd to the white chocolate & butter BEFORE melting. I tried it first with candy melts and then with white chocolate chips, and found that both melted equally well. So I think the key to great melting is to add the lemon curd right away, instead of waiting. I’ve changed the recipe to reflect this. Sorry about the trouble you had – I am confident this will help! 🙂
Karen Infusino says
Thank you so much for the help. I will be making these again for July 4 and will try this! Nevertheless they are delicious and I can’t stop eating!
Cathy Trochelman says
I think you will like them even better now, Karen! Thanks!!
Amy says
Can you please tell me what brand of lemon curd you used? I’m hoping Amazon has it.
Alisa Burns says
Worked well with Dickinson’s brand lemon curd!
Alisa Burns says
Worked well with Dickinson’s brand lemon curd!
Cathy Trochelman says
I used Dickinson’s brand too, Amy!!
Ursula says
Trader Joe has it and Target does too!
Lilly Jones says
What is lemon curd, where can I find it? Looks so good….
Lilly Jones says
What is lemon curd, where can I find it? Looks so good….
Suzy says
Just made these for the family 4th celebration tomorrow – hope they last through the night!! My store did not have lemon curd, so I used lemon pie filling (the same amount as the recipe) but added the zest and juice of one lemon. Did not have a big enough bag to shake them in, so I used a large mixing bowl just folded the white chocolate mixture in. Used a little more powdered sugar than the recipe called for and had about 10 cups of cereal total. Spread it all out on my island on top of wax paper. THEY ARE DELICIOUS!! Thank you!!
karen M says
These look yummy but where can I get a clean brown paper grocery bag. I don’t think I’ve see anything but plastic grocery bags in a long time.
Cathy Trochelman says
All the grocery stores around here have brown paper bags. If you can’t find one, you can also do the shaking part in large Ziploc bags. Hope this helps!
Caiti Garter says
I JUST made these because I crave all things lemon right now (preggo!!). They are still cooling on the backing sheets but they are already delicious!! They are going to be a huge hit at my gender reveal party! Thank you for the recipe!
Cathy Trochelman says
Awesome, Caiti! Glad you like them….and a huge CONGRATULATIONS!! Hope they went over well at your party! 🙂
ks says
How far ahead can you make these so that they are still crispy? they sound delicious!
Cathy Trochelman says
ks – for best results, I would make them the day before using. They will naturally lose some of their crispiness over time 🙂 Hope you enjoy!!
stefanel says
I just made these for a family party and they’re delicious! I didn’t have any problem with sogginess. It’s hard to coat evenly but I just used a spoon to try to even it out. I also doubled the recipe.
Kimberly McDonough says
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit! Wow so very tastey! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Carol Riley says
I fell in love with lemon curd last year and can’t wait to try these.
Lindsay D. Luna says
I’m apparently late in finding this! It may be January, but this is so refreshing it feels like spring in my mind!!!! Thankyou!!!
Erin says
How long does this keep. I was thinking of making this as a party favor but I don’t want to make it too far in advance of the party if it doesn’t keep well. Thanks!
Kristina Albright says
Just happened on this via My Favorite Things blog. Cant wait to try them! We love the original muddy buddies but I have a son with a peanut allergy so this will be a fun one we all can enjoy. (I sub sunflower seed butter for PB when I make muddy buddies which makes them taste pretty darn close!)
JoeyfromSC says
You had me at LEMON lol:) LOVE this recipe & I will try it for sure! I love the original ones too & used to make them alot when I raised my brothers..I have a huge sweet tooth ha
Hope you had a happy Easter!
Emily says
I can’t find lemon curd anywhere near me, so I bought Lemon Creme (lemon pie filling). Do you think this will work ok, or should I keep hunting for lemon curd?
Terry+Lucas says
did you look in the pie filling aisle? that’s where it is where I live, hope you find it..
tessa says
Just made these they’re very good. Next time I will v use lemon cake mix instead of powdered sugar. Kids loved them.
Terry Lucas says
I love that you came up with these.. I love the original muddy buddy’s, with the chocolate and peanut butter, but recently was diagnosed with a peanut/tree nut allergies…. no peanut butter.. 🙁 but I love lemon also, and these are definately going to be made.. thanks for sharing 🙂
[email protected]+Yesterfood says
Oh, Cathy, white chocolate and lemon- what a perfect combination! Can’t wait to try this- pinned and tweeted!
Brittany says
I made this and it is delicious but it got soggy after the first day. Any suggestions?
Julie Ashton says
I’m so excited about this recipe! I found out some time back that I’m allergic to peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts, and I MISS the peanut stuff the most! And I love anything lemon, so this is a perfect “substitute!” Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Julie says
Love this, when it’s fresh! I’ve made it twice now…. personal taste, I added more lemon flavoring the second time around. 🙂 but, I’m having difficulty keeping it fresh. Both time I stored it in an air tight Tupperware bowl, and within 6 hours it was stale.. am I doing something wrong? Any suggestions would be appreciated! 🙂
Debbie says
This recipe for Lemon Bar Muddy Buddies is perfect! I had YL lemon essential oil available, so I added 6 drops and omitted the lemon extract! Perfection! Tried another recipe that called for lemon juice and lemon rind – it turned out soggy. I make my own lemon curd, so I had that ingredient available! Easy to make and SOOOO delicious!!