This crunchy, crispy, salty, and sweet Christmas Chex snack mix is the perfect snack to serve at Christmas parties or a sweet treat to package up and give as edible gifts to your friends and neighbors. I love all the different shapes and textures of this white chocolate snack mix--the Bugles even look like miniature Santa hats! When made it for my son's elementary school Christmas party, it was a huge hit, and I bet it will be with your crew too!
The great thing about this sweet and salty treat mix is that it's customizable. Instead of red and green M&M's and sprinkles, use whatever color you'd like to fit the holiday you're celebrating. You can even use regular M&M's and multicolored sprinkles to make birthday snack mix.
If you're looking for other recipes perfect for the holiday season, check out my Pecan Praline Cookies. My Carolina Caviar is also a great appetizer to serve at a Christmas party or to store in Mason jars and give as a gift.
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let’s gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.
- Rice Chex cereal
- Golden Grahams cereal
- Bugles corn chips
- mini pretzels
- salted peanuts
- white chocolate melting wafers
- Christmas sprinkles
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we’ve got our ingredients, it’s time to get cooking!
First, combine the cereals, corn chips, pretzels, and peanuts in a roasting pan or very large bowl.
Next, melt the white chocolate until smooth.
Then, pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and stir gently to combine. Sprinkle with the Christmas M&M's and sprinkles and stir to coat.
Finally, transfer the mixture to a piece of wax paper or parchment paper and let stand until the chocolate is firm.
Hint: You'll need to work quickly to stir together the snack mix before the chocolate hardens. One reason why I love mixing everything in a roasting pan is that if the chocolate hardens too quickly, I can place the pan over low heat to re-melt the chocolate if needed.
Substitutions
Here are some suggestions for ingredient swaps:
- White chocolate - instead of white chocolate melting wafers, use white almond bark or white chocolate chips. You can also use a white chocolate bar plus a little coconut oil or vegetable shortening to ensure the chocolate sets up and isn't tacky.
- Nuts - use pecans, walnuts, or another favorite nut instead of peanuts.
- Corn Chex - substitute Corn Chex for the Bugles if you'd like.
Variations
Need some more ideas for how to change up this recipe? I've got you covered:
- Spicy - want to add some spicy to your sweet? Dust the mix with a little bit of chipotle chili powder before it sets up. Be careful though--a little goes a long way!
- Dark chocolate - use dark chocolate melting wafers instead of white chocolate for a richer treat.
- M&M's - use peanut M&M's, caramel M&M's, or Reese's Pieces.
Equipment
You'll need to pull out your dry measuring cups, a medium bowl, and a rubber spatula to make this recipe. I also recommend a large roasting pan or very large bowl for mixing the ingredients together. Parchment paper or wax paper is also crucial for spreading the mix into a single layer so it can firm up (but not create a huge mess).
Storage
Store this Christmas Chex party mix in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Or, scoop into clear plastic treat bags and give as gifts.
You can freeze this Chex mix, but the chocolate may sweat once it's thawed and cause some of the mix to become soggy.
Tasty tip
Hold on to this recipe to make for your child's Valentine's Day party. Use red and pink M&M's, Valentine's heart sprinkles, and scoop into cellophane bags. Attach a tag that says "You're just the right mix, Valentine." Everyone will love them!
Frequently asked questions
There are many different names for this sweet Chex party mix. You may have heard it called Christmas crack, white trash Chex mix, or Texas trash.
The name Chex refers to the checkerboard logo of the original brand manufacturer, Ralston Purina.
Nope! There's no need to refrigerate this homemade Chex mix. Just store it in an air-tight container at room temperature.
If stored properly, it'll last for several weeks.
There are about 11 cups of cereal in the Chex box so if you are doubling the recipe you should have plenty of cereal. You will probably need to buy another bag of Bugles for a double-batch.
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🍽Get the recipe
Easy Christmas White Chocolate Chex Snack Mix
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- large roasting pan
- medium bowl
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 3 cups Golden Grahams cereal
- 3 cups Bugles corn chips
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 2 cups salted peanuts
- 2 (10-ounce) packages white chocolate melting wafers
- 1 (10-ounce) package red and green M&Ms
- 1 cup Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine the Rice Chex, Golden Grahams, Bugles, pretzels, and peanuts in a roasting pan or very large mixing bowl.
- Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture, and stir gently to coat. Quickly sprinkle with the M&Ms and Christmas sprinkles and stir to combine.
- Spread the mixture in a single layer onto wax paper or parchment paper and let stand until the chocolate is firm. Transfer to a serving bowl or into bags for gift giving.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions when using your microwave.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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