Christmas Trash Recipe
This quick and easy Christmas Trash Snack Mix combines sweet and salty ingredients like Chex, Cheerios, peanuts, M&Ms, and pretzels, all coated in creamy white chocolate. Perfect for holiday parties, snacking, or gifting!
White Chocolate Christmas Trash
If you’re looking for an easy holiday snack that everyone will keep coming back to, this Christmas Trash Snack Mix is it!
This easy recipe comes straight from my mother-in-law’s kitchen (she calls it “Christmas crack”) and has been a family favorite for years. We look forward to it every holiday season! It’s a sweet and salty snack mix that somehow disappears faster than anything else on the table — and it takes just 15 minutes to make from start to finish!
This sweet and salty treat is a craveable combination of Chex cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios, crunchy peanuts, colorful M&M’s, and crispy pretzels, all coated in a smooth layer of white chocolate candy coating. Every handful has the perfect balance of crunchy, sweet, and salty, making it kind of addicting…I can attest that it is nearly impossible to stop snacking once you start!
Perfect for holiday parties, movie nights, and casual snacking, this Christmas Chex mix also makes a great homemade gift. Scoop it into festive bags or jars for neighbors, teachers, or friends, or add it to a holiday dessert table for an easy crowd-pleaser that everyone will love.
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Ingredients
- Corn Chex Cereal
- Honey Nut Cheerios
- Mini Pretzels
- Peanuts
- Christmas M&Ms
- White Chocolate Chips (one typical bag)
- Coconut Oil (for melting the white chocolate)
Helpful Kitchen Tools
- Microwave safe bowl – We LOVE this Anyday Microwave cookware because it works for so many things!
- Large nonstick baking sheet – The Caraway baking sheet I used here is excellent – the finished snack mix pops right off the pan when done!)
- Large mixing bowl
Instructions
- Prep – Add all of the ingredients except the white chocolate chips and oil to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Make the Candy Coating – Add the white chocolate chips and oil to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring between, until melted and smooth.
- Coat in Chocolate – Pour the melted white chocolate into the bowl of snack mix, tossing to coat everything evenly.
- Dry – Spread the chocolate coated cereal mixture onto a non-stick baking sheet, in an even layer. Allow to dry and set.
Video Demo
Prep Tips
- White Chocolate – We used white chocolate chips because that’s what my mother-in-law’s original recipe calls for and what we had on hand. If using chocolate chips, you want to make sure that you do add the oil so it will melt smoothly. Another option is to use white chocolate melting wafers; you won’t need oil for them because the wafers are formulated to melt for candy making.
- Pan – If using a good non-stick baking pan, you won’t need parchment paper or nonstick spray. However, if your pan is NOT non-stick, then you’ll want to line it with parchment paper and mist with non-stick cooking spray so the snack mix won’t stick to the pan.
- Extra Toppings – My mother in law always adds extra M&Ms on top, while the snack mix is spread out on the pan and the candy coating is still wet. You could also add festive Christmas sprinkles.
- Storage – Keep the snack mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
More Holiday Snack Recipes
- Christmas Energy Bites
- Reindeer Celery Snack
- Christmas Reindeer Chow
- Grinch Pretzels
- Texas Trash Spicy Chex Mix
Christmas Trash Snack Mix Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Christmas Trash Recipe
Equipment
- microwave safe bowl
- Large nonstick baking sheet
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Corn Chex Cereal
- 2 1/2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
- 2 1/2 cups Mini Pretzels
- 2 cups Peanuts
- 2 1/2 cups Christmas M&Ms
- 12 oz White Chocolate Chips one typical bag
- 2 TB Coconut Oil for melting the white chocolate
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients except the white chocolate chips and oil to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the white chocolate chips and oil to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring between, until melted and smooth.
- Pour the melted white chocolate into the bowl of snack mix, tossing to coat everything evenly.
- Spread the chocolate coated cereal mixture onto a non-stick baking sheet, in an even layer.
- Allow to air dry and set.
Video
Notes
White Chocolate
White chocolate chips work great, but add a little oil so they melt smoothly. White chocolate melting wafers are another option and don’t require oil.Pan
A nonstick pan doesn’t need lining. If your pan isn’t nonstick, line with parchment paper and lightly spray to prevent sticking.Extra Toppings
Sprinkle extra M&M’s or festive sprinkles on top while the coating is still wet.Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.Nutrition
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