No other snack can capture the spirit of the holiday season more than Christmas Chex Mix. This simple snack mix recipe provides a variety of flavors and textures, which keeps you munching for more.
White Chocolate Chex Mix is irresistibly delicious and made with crunchy Chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts, and red and green M&Ms. This is the perfect sweet and salty holiday treat!
My Favorite Sweet And Crunchy Holiday Snack: Christmas Chex Mix
Our family absolutely loves making this Christmas Chex Mix every holiday. It’s become a cherished tradition that’s so simple even the grandkids can get involved and have fun.
Everyone loves this stuff! It’s one of those sweet and salty snacks that seems to have a fan club of its own. While it’s been called some colorful names like White Trash, White Chocolate Party Mix, and Christmas Crack, we have adopted the name White Chocolate Chex Mix or Chex Christmas Mix.
What I love most about it is how easy it is to make. There’s barely any cooking involved, so there’s no need to worry about a time-consuming recipe. You’re all set as long as you can work the microwave and use a mixing bowl. Just mix everything together, and the hardest part will be waiting for the chocolate to harden.
Plus, it makes the most wonderful gifts. We like to load our Christmas Chex Mix into cute, decorative bags and share them with friends and neighbors. It’s a simple, thoughtful gesture that brings so much holiday cheer, and trust me, everyone appreciates a tasty homemade snack!
Do you want more easy appetizers and snacks for this holiday season? Try my Puppy Chow Recipe and Christmas Cake Mix Cookies.
Ingredients Needed To Make White Chocolate Chex Mix
Here are some items that you need to buy at the grocery store!
- Chex cereals: I use a combination of rice Chex cereal and corn Chex cereal. Together, they provide a light crunch that’s not overly sweet. You can easily find them at the breakfast aisle in supermarkets, available either regular or gluten-free.
- Pretzels: For easy mixing, I recommend using gluten-free mini pretzel twists. These mini twists look festive nestling into the mix while providing the right crunch. Never swap them for pretzel thins because they’re too fragile for the mix.
- Salted peanuts: You’ll need this ingredient to balance the sweetness of the chocolates. When buying at grocery stores, make sure that the label says roasted and salted. You can use unsalted peanuts, but you need to add salt to achieve the desired taste.
- M&M chocolates: This ingredient adds a colorful, fun twist to your Chex mix. Use green and red M&Ms to bring a more festive mood.
- White chocolate chips: You’d want white chocolate chips to melt easily and coat the rest of the ingredients. Fortunately, they come pre-measured, around 12-oz at the grocery store. If you want the best results, look for high-quality brands like Lindt that use real ingredients like cocoa butter.
- Holiday sprinkles: These sprinkles add the holiday theme to your Chex mix. You can find Christmas sprinkles and other holiday-themed sprinkles at the seasonal baking section of your local grocery store.
- Vegetable oil: White chocolate chips melt easier if you use a few teaspoons of vegetable oil. Choose the refined, neutral-flavored vegetable oil to avoid overpowering the taste of the white chocolate.
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make White Chocolate Chex Mix
There’s no cooking involved in making this holiday snack treat, so it’s easy to make. Here are the steps in making this White Chocolate Chex Mix recipe.
Combine The Mix-Ins
- In a bowl, add the Chex Cereal, salted peanuts, pretzels, and M&Ms.
- Gently stir to combine all the ingredients.
Melt The White Chocolate
- In a microwave-safe bowl, pour vegetable oil into the white chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring in between to melt the white chocolate fully.
Pour The Melted White Chocolate
- Once the white chocolate is smooth and fully melted, pour it over to the bowl of cereal mix.
Mix Altogether
- With a spatula, gently toss the cereal mixture with the melted chocolate to coat evenly.
Sprinkle To Goodness
- Pour and evenly spread the cereal mixture into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Add the M&Ms and sprinkles on top.
- Leave the Chex mix on your countertop at room temperature for 30 minutes to harden or set in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Gina’s Tips For Recipe Success
- Heat the white chocolate gently. Microwave in short increments, 20-30 seconds.
- Don’t leave the Chex Mix in the fridge for more than 20 minutes because it will make the chocolate very hard.
- You should work quickly so the sprinkles and extra M&Ms you add will stick to the white chocolate. Otherwise, they’ll end up loose at the bottom of the container.
- You can also stir the sprinkles and all of the candy in with the other ingredients. Then you don’t have to stress about it, but it won’t look quite as festive.
Variation Ideas
- This sweet snack is popular for Christmas, but you can make it all year round! Use other colors of sprinkles and M&Ms to make it fit into any special occasion. To make an Easter white chocolate Chex mix, I mix in chocolate eggs.
- Try other kinds of crunchy cereal like Cheerios, Cap’n Crunch, or Golden Grahams.
- Different types of nuts will all work, or you can leave the nuts out and replace them with something else.
- Instead of pretzels, try popcorn.
- To add more fun to the mix, consider adding marshmallows.
Serving Suggestions
Since you’re making White Chocolate Chex Mix for the holidays, you need to make it look fun and appealing. Here are ways to make your snack mix a hit for your family and friends.
- Serving bowl: The classic way of serving this wonderful treat is to use a large serving bowl where everyone can dig in.
- Serving cups: Fill paper cups or plastic cups with small portions of this mix for everyone to grab and enjoy at a paryy, picnic, or any large event.
- Snack trays: You can also use a large snack tray to serve your Chex mix to enjoy during parties. For variety, include other snacks such as fruit, cookies, and nuts on the tray.
- Gift bag or box: You can also pack this cereal mix in a bag or box to give as a unique gift for friends. Add a ribbon for decoration.
Storing Leftovers
If you want to keep your White Chocolate Chex Mix leftovers crisp and fresh, store them properly. You can store your leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, inside the refrigerator, and freezer.
Freezer: If you want to extend the life of your cereal mix for more than two weeks, you can keep the leftovers in a vacuum-sealed bag. Simply thaw the frozen mix at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving.
Room temperature: This is the best way to store your leftovers, as it prevents the chocolate from getting too hard. Keep your leftovers in a cool, dry place away from direct heat and sunlight. They should last up to 1-2 weeks.
Refrigerator: You can store your leftovers in the fridge during the warmer months. When you’re ready to serve, let the Chex Mix rest on your countertop for a few minutes.
More Christmas Ideas
⚖️ Need a big batch to feed a crowd? You can easily change the number of servings in the recipe card below by tapping 2x or 3x. The ingredient measurements will automatically double or triple. You can then tap print and there you have it, a recipe for a crowd.
Do you have a question?
Do you have a question about this recipe❓ I will answer in the comment form below👇🏼 the recipe card. Did you make this recipe? If so, could you be a gem and leave a comment and rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below? This helps others find yummy 😋 recipes to make for their family and friends.
Christmas Chex Mix
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice Chex cereal
- 2 cups corn Chex cereal
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup salted peanuts
- 1.5 cups holiday M&Ms, divided
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
- 2 tablespoons holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Add rice Chex cereal, corn Chex cereal, pretzels, salted peanuts, and 1 cup of the holiday M&Ms to a large bowl. Stir until combined.2 cups rice Chex cereal, 2 cups corn Chex cereal, 2 cups mini pretzels, 1 cup salted peanuts, 1.5 cups holiday M&Ms
- Add the white chocolate chips and vegetable oil to a heat-proof bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between until melted. It should take about 60-90 seconds in total.12 ounces white chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or vegetable shortening
- Pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture. Stir until evenly coated.
- Pour the cereal mixture out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. You may need two baking sheets.
- Quickly sprinkle the cereal with remaining M&Ms and holiday sprinkles before the white chocolate sets.2 tablespoons holiday sprinkles
- Let harden at room temperature for an hour, or speed up the process by placing the tray in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The white chocolate will harden quickly, so you need to work fast to make sure the remaining M&Ms and holiday sprinkles stick to the white chocolate.
- Instead, you can just add all the M&Ms and sprinkles in with the white chocolate, but it looks prettier if they are added after.
- This treat can be gluten-free if you use gluten-free pretzels. Rice and Corn Chex are already made without gluten.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can I use regular milk chocolate wafers or morsels instead?
Mary, I think it would be great to use milk chocolate wafers. I have another chocolate covered chex mix recipe that I use wafers call Puppy Chow I bought my wafers at Hobby Lobby in the cake decorating isle. I think Walmart has them in their craft/cake decor area to. I find the wafers are easier to melt. I use chocolate chips sometimes but have had more mishaps ;) trying to melt the chips.
can you use premium baking white chocolate bars instead if chips?
Anita, yes, premium baking white chocolate bars are perfect for this Christmas Chex Mix recipe! They melt smoothly, coat the mix evenly, and add a creamy, rich flavor. For best results, chop the chocolate into small pieces and melt gently to avoid scorching.
Are the peanuts dry roasted or cocktail peanuts? also can you leave the peanuts out and add pecans?
Anita, I. have used both. However the chocolate will stick to the dry roasted just a bit better. You could also toss in some pecans, cashews or almonds if you enjoy them.