No-Bake Muddy Buddies Cheesecake

Last week I made Muddy Buddies for the first time. Silly, but true. It is usually my sister's job to make the Muddy Buddies for our Thanksgiving and Christmas snack-a-thons because she is good at it. I usually bake, and she makes the addicting stuff.

After making the Muddy Buddies I had three thoughts:

1. Why haven't I made these before?!! So good....
2. I should never make these again...toooooo good. Someone stop me!
3. These would make an incredible crust for a no-bake cheesecake. (BRILLIANT!)

So, I listened to number one and made another batch of Muddy Buddies. I ignored number 2 because it would take away from my joy. And, I trusted the inspiration of number 3 and made a peanut butter chocolate no-bake cheesecake. 

The best part of Muddy Buddies are the clumps of cereal that get more than their fair share of peanut butter and chocolate. I wanted that sensation in a no-bake cheesecake form. I am so excited because this dessert delivers that sensation!

Ok, the structure: dense, crunchy Muddy Buddies crust, made from a batch of Muddy Buddies, peanut butter and chocolate cream cheese filling, topped with homemade whipped cream and a generous amount of Muddy Buddies for a little additional crunch. If you like Muddy Buddies and are into peanut butter/chocolate combinations, I have to say, with a satisfied smile, that this comes close to perfection.

The peanut butter chocolate cream cheese filling has a great texture- rich, creamy, and smooth. It isn't overly sweet, or peanut buttery, or chocolaty. And then, you hit the crust which stays crunchy, making it easy to prepare this pie the day before your big event. (I will add that chilling the cheesecake for at least 3 hours before serving is a must.) Every of my Muddy Buddies No-Bake Cheesecake is the best bite. The homemade whipped cream puts it really over the top, and I used some homemade vanilla my friend gave me. So much better than whipped topping...

The directions below are for one pie, but the recipe is easily doubled. I made two cheesecakes and still had enough Muddy Buddies left to top both cakes and leave in a bowl for social snacking. If you make just one pie, you'll just have more Muddy Buddies to spare. I don't really see a downside to making an entire batch of Muddy Buddies just to make one or two cheesecakes because the leftovers are Muddy Buddies!

One more note: I increased the amount of chocolate, peanut butter, and butter in the Muddy Buddies recipe to ensure the crust would stick together. General Mills' recipe also only calls for 9 cups of cereal, leaving you 3 cups that will surely go stale in your cupboard. Just use the entire box of cereal, all 12 cups, and you won't regret it.

This should be your easy, go-to holiday pie. Perfect for parties, potlucks, or even Thanksgiving dinner, Little Red Hen's Muddy Buddies Cheesecake will make you grateful for dessert!

No-Bake Muddy Buddies Cheesecake

Yield- 1 cheesecake, but can easily be doubled!

Ingredients:

For the Muddy Buddies

• 12 cups Chex cereal, corn or rice
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

For the Cheesecake

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbs butter

For Topping

• whipped cream
• Muddy Buddies

Directions:

1. Make the Muddy Buddies: in a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, microwave an 30 more seconds, stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
2. Pour Chex cereal in a large bowl, preferably with a lid. Pour chocolate peanut butter over Chex. Stir to coat evenly. Dust with powdered sugar. Put lid on bowl and gently shake unil all cereal is coated with powdered sugar. ** you can use a couple large Ziplock bags if your bowl doesn't have a lid**
3. Prepare a 9" pie tin with non-stick spray. Scoop 4 cups of Muddy Buddies into the pie tin.
4. Crush and press the Muddy Buddies into the pie tin, being sure to go up the sides of the pie tin. Repeatedly press firmly until the Muddy Buddies are evenly and tightly distributed. This will be messy, and maybe not pretty. :)
5. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese, sour cream, peanut butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Set aside.
6. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in microwave, about 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir and pour into cream cheese filling.
7. Mix chocolate into filling until just combined. Using a spatula, spoon the filling into pie tin, smoothing on top. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
8. Immediately before serving, top cheesecake with whipped cream and another 1 1/2 cups of Muddy Buddies. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Bake the bread. Share the slices.