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    Home ยป Snacks

    Best White Chocolate Christmas Chex Mix Recipe with M&M's

    Published: Oct 7, 2021 ยท Modified: Apr 1, 2024 by Tami McBride ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe

    Chow down on the best Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&M's, pretzels, peanuts, and white chocolate. Get sweet, salty, and crunchy in every bite.

    Itโ€™s that time of year again. Yup. Time to loosen your belt and chow down on Christmas goodies.

    Pails of Christmas white chocolate chex mix recipe.

    Need a Christmas Eve snack to munch on while you wait for Santa to come? Looking for a festive potluck dessert? Want an easy neighbor gift? Itโ€™s time to pull out your Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&Ms.

    It is an easy back pocket recipe with simple ingredients that make a perfect combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy.

    This Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&Mโ€™s is stress-free and easy. Best of all, it is quick enough to make even with all your other holiday cooking. Better yet, turn this assignment over to your kids. They will love it.

    To make Christmas Chex mix stir Chex cereal, salty pretzels, roasted cocktail peanuts, and milk chocolate M&M candies together. Melt white chocolate in the microwave and drizzle it over the dry ingredients. Stir, dry, and munch.

    Homemade Chex mix goes by a variety of names, including white trash, puppy chow, muddy buddies, reindeer chow, and Christmas crack Chex mix. Wow!

    Whatever you call it, this is one of those dessert snack mixes that is as easy to make in a double batch as it is to make in a small bowl.

    So, make a big batch of your famous white chocolate party mix recipe and you have an instant snack throughout the busy holiday season.

    RELATED: Check out even more simple Christmas desserts.

    Jump to:
    • Christmas Chex Mix Ingredients
    • Base Ingredients
    • Christmas Chex Mix Recipe with M&Mโ€™s
    • How to make White Chocolate Christmas Chex Mix with M&Mโ€™s
    • Fun Varieties of Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix Recipe
    • How to Serve Chex Mix at a Christmas Party
    • How to Gift White Chocolate Chex Mix
    • How to Store Chex Mix Christmas Crack
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Christmas Chex Mix Ingredients

    Like all great snack mix recipes, it includes salty, sweet, and crunchy ingredients.

    Ingredients for Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&M's.

    Base Ingredients

    Big bowl of rice and corn Chex cereal.
    • Chex Cereal

      General Mills has a variety of Chex cereal flavors to choose from. Choose one or two varieties of these cereal squares.
      • Rice Chex
      • Corn Chex
      • Wheat Chex
      • Peanut Butter Chex
      • Chocolate Chex
      • Vanilla Chex
      • Cinnamon Chex

    I recommend combining rice and corn Chex.

    Salty Ingredients

    • Pretzels

    Regular pretzels and gluten-free pretzels come in many sizes and shapes. Choose pretzels close to the size of the Chex cereal squares.

    Bowl of pretzel sticks, bowl of pretzel rounds, bowl of snap pretzels, and bowl of mini twist pretzels.

    Snyderโ€™s of Hanover sells itty bitty mini pretzels and butter-flavored pretzel balls. These pretzels are the perfect size for this Christmas mix. Snyderโ€™s snap pretzels are also a good choice.

    If you use any brand of pretzel sticks, break them up. Even Rold Gold tiny twists are too large and are better snapped in pieces. You will like the size and the feel of smaller pieces in the mix.

    • Roasted Peanuts

    Peanuts are the ideal choice for a Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&Mโ€™s. Use Planterโ€™s lightly salted cocktail peanuts or roasted peanuts.

    Bowl of peanuts, bowl of macadamia nuts, and bowl of pistachios.

    If you are feeling adventurous, try a different nut.

    Sweet Ingredients

    • Christmas M&M Candies
      • Regular M&M chocolate candies. Good choice for any recipe variation.
      • Peanut M&Mโ€™s. If you use peanut M&Mโ€™s, add fewer peanuts and more M&Mโ€™s. Or skip the peanuts altogether.
      • Pretzel M&Mโ€™s. Skip the pretzels or add fewer when you use pretzel M&Mโ€™s.
      • Brownie M&Mโ€™s.  Brownie M&Mโ€™s have a little more substance to them. They are chewier and would pair well with a crushed candy cane.
      • Mint M&Mโ€™s. Mint M&Mโ€™s are a Christmas flavor if ever there was one.
      • Don't forget your homemade chocolate chip fudge. That would be a sweet addition too.

    Lots of M&M flavors taste good in Christmas crack Chex mix. Choose your favorite variety. If you have time on your hands, pull out the red and green candies to make the snack festive.

    Iโ€™m sorry, but you will have to eat the other colors of M&Ms on your own. Hide them from the kids. They are your present-wrapping snack.

    • Melted White Chocolate or White Morsels

    Drizzle melted white chocolate over all the other ingredients and stir to mix. You need white chocolate or white candy coating that will melt easily and then harden again.

    Plate with different types of white chocolate and white candies.

    Here are some white chocolate choices:

    White chocolate or white morsels. Most โ€œwhite chocolateโ€ chips are not true white chocolate. All white chocolate has a minimum of 20% cocoa butter.

    Read the ingredients on the label and you will find that โ€œwhite chocolateโ€ chips have no cocoa butter at all. That is why they are called chocolate morsels or chocolate bits.

    You can use white morsels, but you may need to add coconut oil, vegetable oil, or shortening to thin it out.

    You can also use white chocolate baking bars. Break them up before melting.

    Almond bark flavored coating is a candy coating that melts smoothly. It is an ideal choice for this recipe. Discover when to use almond bark in place of white chocolate.

    Wilton candy melts are a choice to use as a last resort. They are harder to melt and may need the addition of shortening. They do not taste as good, but are great for decorating. Learn more about candy melts vs white chocolate.

    • Christmas Sprinkles, Jimmies, or Nonpareils.

    These are purely for Christmas decoration. Add them right after the melted chocolate so they stick to the other ingredients. You do not want the jimmies collecting on the bottom of the bowl.

    • Optional Add-ins for Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix Recipe:
      • Marshmallows
      • White chocolate chips (unmelted)
      • Milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips (unmelted)
      • Coconut flakes
      • Macadamia nuts, roasted almonds, pistachios, or candied pecans
      • Crushed candy canes. Brachโ€™s sells crushed candy canes for convenience. Or pull out your hammer and pound.
      • Red hots or cinnamon imperials
      • Kit Kat minis or Kit Kat white chocolate minis
      • Junior mints

    You can create lots of different variations of this Christmas white chocolate Chex mix recipe.

    Christmas Chex Mix Recipe with M&Mโ€™s

    This is the family size (feeds 8-10). Double the recipe for a crowd.

    1. 2 cups rice Chex cereal
    2. 2 cups corn Chex cereal
    3. 1ยฝ cups itty bitty pretzel twists
    4. 1ยฝ cups dry roasted peanuts
    5. 2 cups of red and green M&M candies
    6. 12 oz. vanilla almond bark or 1 bag of white chocolate chips (plus ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil if necessary)
    7. 2 tablespoons red and green jimmies (optional)

    How to make White Chocolate Christmas Chex Mix with M&Mโ€™s

    Step 1. Prepare ingredients. Chop pretzels, if necessary. Pull out a cookie sheet. Grab a large mixing bowl.

    Step 2. Mix cereal, pretzels, and peanuts in a large bowl. Do not add the M&Mโ€™s or jimmies yet. Stir to combine.

    Bowl of dry Chex mix.

    Step 3. Melt the white chocolate, almond bark, or white chocolate candy coating.

    White chocolate melted for Christmas white chocolate Chex mix recipe.

    The best way to melt white chocolate is in the microwave. Pour chocolate pieces or chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. If necessary, heat at 15-second intervals at 50% power until the chocolate is 85 to 90% melted.

    Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until all the chocolate is melted. If the chocolate is thick, add coconut oil, vegetable oil, or shortening ยฝ teaspoon at a time. Stir after each addition.

    Evaluate the consistency to see if more fat is needed. Add the lowest amount necessary. Each brand of white chocolate or white candy coating is different. Some may not need shortening or oil and some may need more than the ยฝ teaspoon recommended. Use your best judgment here.

    Alternately, you can melt the white chocolate in a double boiler, slow cooker, or on the stove.

    To melt almond bark candy coating, melt in the microwave on full power for 60 seconds and then stir.

    Step 4. Pour ยฝ of the melted white chocolate into the cereal mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining chocolate and stir to coat. Use a spoon (best) or your clean hands (if necessary) to hit all the dry pieces.

    White chocolate in bowl of Chex mix.

    Step 5. Sprinkle in the jimmies or nonpareils when the chocolate is wet. Stir.

    Step 6. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Spread the Chex mix as evenly as possible on the cookie sheet. Allow the white chocolate to dry. Depending on the room temperature of your kitchen and the quality of white chocolate, this could take from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.

    Christmas white chocolate chex mix recipe drying on cookie sheet.

    Step 7. When the white chocolate has dried, break apart the Chex mix pieces that are stuck together. Pour into a big bowl.

    Step 8. Add the M&Mโ€™s. Mix evenly. Adding the M&Mโ€™s last keeps the red and green colors vibrant.

    Step 9. Serve to your favorite people to celebrate the season.

    Fun Varieties of Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix Recipe

    If you want to mix things up, try these variations on the classic white chocolate Chex mix recipe.

    3 bowls of Christmas white chocolate Chex mix recipe.

    Winter Wonderland Christmas White Chocolate Chex Mix Recipe

    • 4 cups rice Chex cereal
    • 1ยฝ cups macadamia nuts, lightly salted
    • 1ยฝ cups white mini marshmallows
    • 1 cup unwrapped mini white Kit Kats, chopped
    • 1 cup Snyderโ€™s of Hanover buttery pretzel rounds
    • 1 cup M&Mโ€™s (optional)
    • 2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes (optional)
    • 12 oz. vanilla almond bark or 1 bag of white chocolate (plus ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil if necessary)
    • 2 tablespoons white jimmies (optional)

    Minty Christmas Chex Mix Recipe with M&M's

    • 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
    • 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
    • 1ยฝ cups shelled pistachio nuts, lightly salted
    • 1ยฝ cups mint green M&M candies
    • 1 cup dark M&Mโ€™s โ€“ pick out the green ones
    • 1 cup of pretzel snaps
    • 12 oz. vanilla almond bark or 1 bag of white chocolate (plus ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil if necessary)
    • 2 tablespoons green jimmies (optional)

    How to Serve Chex Mix at a Christmas Party

    Your family may be used to eating Chex mix from a common bowl. However, that is not sanitary when serving it at a party.

    Instead, set up your food table so guests can serve themselves without dipping their hands into the bowl. We are all aware of germs in common areas now, am I right?

    Serving Method 1

    Little pails of Christmas Chex mix with M&M's and large serving bucket.
    1. Pour the sweet snack mix into a large serving bowl.
    2. Provide a large serving spoon or a scoop, along with festive bowls or red plastic cups.

    Serving Method 2

    It may be easier to dish out individual servings of the mix into cups for guests.

    1. Pre-dish the Chex mix in cups, bowls, paper bags, or plastic treat bags.
    2. Arrange on a platter or in a basket.

    Whip up some chocolate chip hot chocolate and you are ready for the party.

    How to Gift White Chocolate Chex Mix

    Bowl of Christmas white chocolate chex mix recipe.

    Now that you have made a large batch of Christmas snack mix, you are ready to gift it to your friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

    Choose cute holiday tins or festive cellophane bags. Fill with the Christmas snack mix, secure it with a Christmas string, and add personalized gift tags.

    How to Store Chex Mix Christmas Crack

    Store your Christmas Chex mix in an airtight container. This prevents the Chex cereal, pretzels, and nuts from drying out.

    Keep the container on the counter or in the cupboard. Unless your kitchen is very hot, you should not need to refrigerate the Chex mix.

    The Chex mix will be good for 5 to 7 days.

    For longer storage, freeze the Chex mix in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Store in the freezer for 3 months.

    To thaw, pull it out of the freezer and set it on the counter for about 20 to 30 minutes.

    All set? Now you have a plan to feed your houseguests and kids the week of Christmas. Just make a colossal batch, keep it prominently on the counter, and subtly point to it whenever you hear, โ€œIโ€™m hungryโ€.

    Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

    Pails of white chocolate Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&M's.

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    Recipe

    Bowl of Christmas white chocolate chex mix recipe.

    White Chocolate Christmas Chex Mix with M&M's

    Tami McBride
    Chow down on the best Christmas Chex mix recipe with M&Mโ€™s, pretzels, peanuts, and white chocolate. Get sweet, salty, and crunchy in every bite.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Holiday
    Cuisine Snack
    Servings 8 -10 cups
    Calories 297 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups rice Chex cereal
    • 2 cups corn Chex cereal
    • 1ยฝ cups itty bitty pretzel twists Snyder's of Hanover
    • 1ยฝ cups dry roasted peanuts
    • 2 cups of red and green M&M candies
    • 12 oz. vanilla almond bark or 1 bag of white chocolate chips plus ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon of shortening or coconut oil if necessary
    • 2 tablespoons red and green jimmies optional

    Instructions
     

    • MEASURE out all the ingredients.
    • BREAK up the pretzels, if they are larger than the Chex cereal squares.
    • POUR the Chex cereal, pretzels, and peanuts into a large bowl. Stir.
    • MELT the white chocolate in the microwave. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. If necessary, continue to microwave in 10-second increments until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from microwave and stir until melted. If the chocolate is not smooth, add ยผ to ยฝ teaspoon of shortening and stir until the chocolate is smooth.
    • POUR ยฝ of the melted chocolate into the dry mix. Stir. Pour the remaining melted chocolate in and stir thoroughly until everything is coated.
    • SPRINKLE in the jimmies (optional) and stir.
    • LINE a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour the Chex mix onto the cookie sheet. Spread it as thin as possible. Allow the chocolate to harden (15-30 minutes, depending on your kitchen temperature).
    • BREAK up the Chex mix pieces. Pour into a large bowl.
    • ADD the M&M's to the mix and stir.
    • SERVE immediately in festive cups.

    Notes

    All images and content are ยฉ TheTastyTip.com.ย If you want to use this recipe and techniques, please take your own photos, write your own description, and link back to this page.ย Thank you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 120mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20g
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Did you make this recipe? Tag @thetastytip on Instagram and hashtag it #thetastytip. 

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