This Christmas Snack Mix is packed with sweet M&M’s and salty pretzels for the perfect sweet and savory holiday bite. It’s a festive no-bake treat ideal for gift-giving, movie nights and a must for parties this holiday season.
Serve it with Homemade Gingerbread Cake, Snowball Cookies, and Peanut Butter Balls, and you’ll have a wonderful holiday spread that friends and family will love!
In This Post
Holiday Snack Mix: Perfectly Sweet And Savory
I don’t mean to get you too excited, but when I say this homemade snack mix is the best, I truly mean it. I think it’s my favorite of all the Christmas recipes, but it’s a toss-up between this and my Mom’s Homemade Fudge.
This Christmas sweet and salty snack mix, aka reindeer chow, is always on our holiday table because it’s easy to make and so, so tasty! To make it, I’ve combined vanilla bark with pretzels, Bugels, small M&M’s, and rice cereal to create an addictingly good bite that you, your family, and friends will be munching on all evening.
Christmas Snack Mix Ingredients
These 5 ingredients are the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and savory to make this the ultimate pretzel snack mix with M&M’s.
- Crunchy – my favorite addition to any custom snack mix is rice cereal. It’s cheap and easy to find and adds the perfect crunch! You can also use corn chex cereal.
- Salty – I added small pretzels and Bugel’s corn chips for the salty element of this trail mix. Both add different yet complementary salty flavors.
- Sweet – grab those red and green M&M’s and vanilla-flavored almond bark to create the contrasting sweetness.
Variations and Additions
- To make this a gluten-free snack mix, try using Chex cereal instead of Bugel’s corn chips, and make sure the other ingredients are gluten-free (they should be natural, but it’s always good to check).
- Use seasonal M&M’s like pink and red or black and orange for Halloween snack mix or Valentine’s snack mix.
- For an autumn snack mix, swap out the M&Ms for caramel chips and mix two teaspoons of cinnamon into the melted vanilla bark and Fried Buttered Cheerios for amazing fall flavors.
- Add Air Fryer Roasted Nuts for a nutty vibe!
How to Make Christmas Party Mix
- Mix the cereal, pretzels, and bugles in a large bowl and measure the M&M’s separately. Melt the vanilla bark in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Next, pour this over the crunchy and salty mixture in the large bowl, sprinkle with the candies, and mix gently to coat. Spread this onto parchment paper on the counter or a large baking tray.
- Let it set up for 30 minutes, break it apart, and store it until ready to enjoy!
How To Melt Vanilla Bark
Melting white chocolate can be tricky. Thankfully, vanilla bark is less likely to burn than chocolate. The easiest way is to place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 30-second increments. Stir in between each 30 seconds and repeat until the vanilla-flavored bark is fully melted.
Often Asked Questions And Answers
Yes, white chocolate is very similar to vanilla bark, but white chocolate is made with cocoa butter and milk powder. The main difference is in how it melts. Vanilla bark melts much easier in the microwave, and it’s unlikely to burn. White chocolate must be tempered and can burn in the microwave if heated too fast.
This is a great recipe to make ahead of time! You can store it on the counter, in the fridge, or in the freezer until you want to serve it. If you plan to serve it within the next few days, I recommend storing it on the counter.
Craving More? Try These Holiday Recipes
If you tried this Festive Christmas Snack Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice cereal
- 4 cups Bugles snacks
- 3 cups pretzels
- 1 11 ounce package M&M candy pieces
- 1 16 ounce package vanilla almond bark (1 pound box)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or part of the kitchen counter with wax paper or parchment.
- Add cereal, Bugles, and pretzels to a large bowl. Measure M&M candies and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla bark. Pour over dry ingredients and stir. Add in candy and stir coating all ingredients with melted bark. Pour snack mix on wax paper or parchment. Let set up for 30 minutes. Break apart snack mix and store in an airtight container until ready to enjoy.
Nutrition
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Angela
I bought unsalted pretzels by mistake. Do you think these will work in your recipe?
Sure!
Merry Christmas,
~Donya
Linda
Made your mix for a get-together and everyone loved it.
Wonderful! Merry Christmas,
~Donya
Patricia Lancaster Davis
This is wonderful–placed it in small bags, given away as Christmas goodies.
I love this!
Merry Christmas,
~Donya