LOW CARB PUPPY CHOW
4 cups pork rinds, 1 1/2 ounces
1/4 cup low carb chocolate chips, 1 3/4 ounces *
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granular Splenda *
Chop the pork rinds into 1-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Make sure not to include any crumbs. Put the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on 50% power until melted, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after half the time. Do not overcook or it might scorch. Stir until smooth then stir in the vanilla. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the pork rinds a little at a time, gently tossing before drizzling with more chocolate. Be careful not to break up the pork rinds. Toss and stir until the pork rinds are completely coated or as well as possible. Spread them out on a wax paper lined baking sheet and dust with half of the Splenda. Turn each piece over and dust with the remaining Splenda. Chill until the chocolate has set completely and store in an airtight container. I put mine in the freezer to help it set up more quickly. You may want to store it in the refrigerator to keep the chocolate from getting sticky.
Makes 4 cups or about 4 servings
Can be frozen but it might not stay crispy
* I used MiniCarb chocolate chips. You must use granular Splenda for this recipe.
Per Serving: 166 Calories; 12g Fat; 8g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Someone posted this idea on a low carb forum but hadn't tried it herself. The real Puppy Chow recipe is made with Rice Chex cereal and is coated with tons of powdered sugar. The chocolate mixture is made the same way as this recipe but uses real semi-sweet chocolate chips. This isn't quite the same as the real thing. It is salty from the pork rinds and it's more difficult to coat them with the chocolate mixture because of their uneven shapes. It's not bad though, once you get past the pork rind taste and saltiness. If you've never eaten real Puppy Chow, you won't be quite as disappointed by the difference. I wouldn't serve these to guests at a party, but they might be just the thing when you've got the munchies and need something crunchy and chocolate to ward off some cravings.