This retro recipe for White Chocolate Snack Mix is a nostalgic seasonal treat. It’s super simple to make a giant bowl of this goodness that includes rice cereal squares, Bugles, pretzels twists, salted peanuts and holiday M&M’s. A generous coating of warm melted white chocolate seals the deal. Such a wonderful salty sweet flavor combination could result in nothing short of glorious. It’s ideal for handheld holiday munching or packaged in cellophane bags and given as a homemade gift for friends, neighbors, teachers and more.

Easy White Chocolate Snack Mix Recipe

This festive snack mix has many names. You may have heard it called Christmas crack or white trash in addition to white chocolate chex mix and more quirky names. The sky’s the limit with ingredient variations, making each white chocolate chex mix recipe unique. The ingredient that is non-negotiable when making this for my family, are the Bugles. That addictive crunchy little corn chip was introduced to me as a little girl by my Grandma. There was always a bag tucked away on top of her fridge for munching whenever we visited. She thought Bugles were ideal for this sweet sensation due to the fact they’re already shaped like Santa hats. I concur with her train of thought and my Christmas snack mix is never made without it!

Key ingredients to make homemade White Chocolate Christmas Snack Mix: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)

Chocolate – Three packages white chocolate baking chips i.e. Ghiradelli or similar.
Cereal – Four cups of rice cereal squares i.e. Chex cereal or similar.
Mix-ins – Bugles, small pretzel twists, red and green M&M’s.
Nuts – Salted party peanuts.
Garnish – Holiday colored sprinkles.

How to Make the Best White Chocolate Snack Mix Recipe

White Chocolate – Melt the chocolate over simmering water in a double boiler until completely smooth, stirring occasionally.
Mix-In Ingredients – While the chocolate is melting, add the cereal, Bugles, pretzels, peanuts and one bag of Christmas M&M’s to a large mixing bowl.
Combine – Pour melted white chocolate over the ingredients in the bowl. Use a large spoon or spatula to gently stir until evenly coated.
Let Dry – Spread the coated snack mix on wax paper to dry, sprinkle with remaining M&M’s while the chocolate is wet.
Enjoy – Break apart and store white chocolate bugles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Kitchen Equipment to Make White Chocolate Chex Mix

Double boiler.
Large bowl. You’ll need a very large bowl to combine the cereal mixture for this snack mix, If you don’t have one, divide the ingredients in half and make one batch at a time.
Rubber spatula.
Measuring cups.
Baking sheets and wax paper.

how-to-make-Christmas-white-chocolate-snack-mix

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

Cereal – You may see some snack mix recipes that call for cheerios and other types of cereal in the ingredients. This is the kind of party mix that you can have fun with and be creative! Feel free to experiment with different flavor combinations, if you’re feeling adventurous.
Salty Snacks – You can swap out Bugles for mini crackers or use rice chex in place of corn Chex.
M&M’s – You can make this for Valentine’s Day using red M&M’s or for Easter using pastel M&M’s.
Chocolate – You could make this with semisweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.
Nuts – You could use an alternate nut such as pecans, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or cashews.
Use a High Quality Chocolate – I highly recommend that you use a good quality white chocolate. I prefer Ghiradelli, as it melts beautifully, and the taste is superior. There are many quality brands, use your favorite.
Work Quickly Once Combined – It’s important to spread this white chocolate party mix out quickly after coating with the melted chocolate. Because of this, it’s helpful to have a jumbo sheet pan or a dedicated space on your counter covered with wax paper or parchment paper, before you begin. This will ensure you’ll be good to go without needing to stop midway through preparation.
Add the M&M’s Last – Adding warm white chocolate to the ingredients may cause some of the M&M’s to melt a bit when mixing. If you prefer they not melt at all, add them to the snack mix last. If you work quickly, it’s not a huge issue and adds to the charm of this sweet holiday treat.
When to Serve – Serve this white chocolate chex mix for Christmas parties, package it in festive tins and give it as gifts to friends and neighbors, pour into cellophane bags and tie it with a pretty ribbon and use it as party favors, serve it at work potlucks and fun holiday snacking.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftovers – Store White Chocolate Snack Mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. (It won’t last that long!)
Freezer – You can make this snack mix in advance and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Serve it straight from the freezer, it doesn’t need hours to thaw it will thaw fairly quickly.

More Easy Holiday Desserts and Sweets to Make

The holidays are all about nostalgia and some our favorites we can’t wait to enjoy every year. More holiday goodies you may also like to try:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Crackers are an oldie but goodie.
Delight family and friends with this yummy Cornflake Christmas Wreath.
Made from scratch Christmas Cranberry Cake.
Homemade three color Tiger Butter Bark.
Making Gingerbread Cookies is a fun baking project the kiddos will love.
Two bite Santa Hat Brownies.
Buttery chocolate drizzled Reindeer Munchies.
Frosting Fudge from Recipe Boy.

Thanks for visiting come back soon!

Disclosure ~ If a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Helpful Kitchen Items:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes