This sweet and salty snack goes by many names like Chex Mix Christmas Crack, Chex Mix Christmas Mix, etc… But rest assured, it’s loaded with all the traditional, delicious ingredients like Chex cereal, M&Ms, and melted candy. Your friends and family are guaranteed to love it!
Did you know Chex Mix makes some of the best snack mixes ever? We love making Chex Mix snacks like these cute Easter Bunny Bait and Pigeon Chow mixes. They’re loved by kids and adults alike. Plus, they’re really fun to make!
Since this snack can be customized for nearly every holiday, we thought that a Christmas Mix would be the perfect addition to any Christmas holiday dessert or snack bar. Read on to find out how to make Christmas Chex Mix.
Christmas Chex Snack Mix Ingredients
Chex Rice Cereal. The base for this delicious Christmas Crack is rice Chex Mix cereal. We love that this flavor is so accommodating to melted chocolate and add-ins. You can use any flavor you prefer.
Wilton Candy Melts. We used (2) 12-ounce bags of Wilton Vanilla Candy Melts.
M&MS. We used the Christmas Peppermint line but I would probably suggest plain M&Ms or Peanut flavors. I didn’t particularly care for the mint taste of these, but they are pretty. My kids on the other hand loved them!
Pretzels. This adds a nice salty element to the sweet snack mix. I used UTZ brand which come in adorable Christmas shapes.
Sprinkles. We used Christmas colored nonpareils.
You can also add mini marshmallows, Nilla wafers, or Sixlets to your mix.
How to Make Christmas Chex Mix
For this Christmas snack mix, you will need some simple ingredients that you can purchase online or instore. For this variation, I used peppermint M&Ms. However, I personally only did this for the color scheme. I do recommend the regular or peanut flavored M&Ms.
First off, add the Chex cereal and pretzels to a large parchment-lined baking dish. This is the easiest way to mix everything.
The most important step for this recipe, is melting the vanilla melts in the microwave. We melted them in the microwave using a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. To melt, put the microwave power on medium and cook in 30-second intervals (stirring in-between each).
Ours took 2 minutes total. Be sure to stir in-between each 30-second interval. Use a spoon to stir and be sure you do not get the candy wet. Getting it wet will cause the candy to seize and harden up. You want it to be creamy as pictured below.
Once candy is creamy, pour it over the cereal, and pretzels on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a mixing spoon to coat all cereal and pretzel pieces.
Once everything is coated, add in sprinkles, and M&Ms.
Once the candy is hardened, you can break up the Christmas Crack and put it into a bowl for serving.
How long Does Christmas Chex Mix Last?
This Christmas mix filled up 1 1/2 gallon-sized storage bags. This makes approximately 25 half cup servings.
It stays fresh for up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container or bag(s).
More Fun Christmas Snacks
Christmas Donuts
Pistachio Pudding Dessert Bites
Christmas Cheese Board
Chex Christmas Crack Mix
Equipment
- large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Microwave-safe large bowl
- Spoon
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 8 cups Rice Chex Mix cereal
- 24 ounces Wilton Vanilla Candy Melts
- 1 1/2 cups Christmas Pretzels or mini pretzels
- 1 cup Christmas M&Ms I used peppermint, but you can use any type you prefer
- 1 tbsp. Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Pour the 8 cups of cereal and pretzels on top.
- Add both bags of candy to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. To melt, put the microwave power on medium and cook in 30-second intervals stirring in-between each with a spoon. Repeat process 3-4 times until candy is creamy.
- Once candy is creamy, pour it over the cereal, and pretzels on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a mixing spoon to coat all cereal and pretzel pieces.
- Once everything is coated, add in sprinkles, and M&Ms.
- Once the candy is hardened, you can break up the Christmas Crack and put it into a bowl for serving.
Sinda Swanson says
Can you use chocolate chips if you can’t find wilton
Amy says
Hello,
Of course! You can use any variety that will melt properly. I prefer Ghirardelli white chocolate chips.
Sherry Wilson says
Can you put in the refrigerator to harded or leave out
Amy Desrosiers says
Either way! The fridge will surely speed it up!