Christmas Chex Mix

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Dec 21, 2023
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Christmas Chex Mix
Credit: Photo: Nicole Wolf | Food Stylist: Catrine Kelty

This sweet and savory mix is a guaranteed hit at parties or as gifts for Christmas.

Serves15

Makesabout 15 cups

Prep20 minutes

Cook3 minutes

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Christmas Chex mix
Credit: Photo: Nicole Wolf | Food Stylist: Catrine Kelty

Christmas Chex Mix is one of my favorite holiday treats that offers a welcome change from all the cookies and candy canes fighting for attention. This crispy, salty-sweet mixture even looks like Christmas — everything is coated in white chocolate, and red and green M&Ms peek through!

My favorite Christmas Chex Mix blend is pretty simple — cereal, pretzels, and candy — but the sprinkle of flaky salt at the end is what takes it over the top. It makes a wonderful holiday gift and is a great party food to have around, plus you don’t have to bake it, making it one of the easiest big-batch treats to throw together.

What’s the Difference Between Traditional Chex Mix and Christmas Chex Mix?

  • Traditional Chex Mix: A savory snack mix made with Chex cereal, nuts, and other salty goodies like bagel chips and pretzels. Everything’s tossed with melted butter flavored with garlic and onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoned salt before it’s baked up in the oven until crisp.
  • Christmas Chex Mix: This mix falls firmly in the sweets camp. The base is mostly cereal and pretzels, but festive candy-covered chocolate M&Ms swap in for the nuts and everything is coated with melted white chocolate. Instead of baking, Christmas Chex mix just needs to sit at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate is set.
Credit: Photo: Nicole Wolf | Food Stylist: Catrine Kelty

What’s the Best Coating for Christmas Chex Mix?

The best and most flavorful coating for Christmas Chex Mix is white chocolate bars or discs. These higher-quality products contain cocoa butter, which ensures smooth melting and coating. Although they melt beautifully, white candy melts don’t taste as good so I take a hard pass on them.

What to Look for When Buying White Chocolate
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White chocolate bars or discs can get expensive — especially when you need this large amount — so you might be tempted to use white chocolate chips or white baking chips instead. I’ve had mixed results in melting most brands into a smooth texture, as a lot of them don’t contain cocoa butter. The exception is Guittard’s Choc-au-Lait chips, which are wonderful and work great here as a more budget-friendly coating.

Christmas Chex Mix Variations

Here are some mix-ins that you can add for variety:

How to Store and Freeze Christmas Chex Mix

Christmas Chex Mix stays wonderfully crisp for a long time, making it a perfect holiday gift and something you can make ahead of time before things get too busy. Store it in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to one week at room temperature, two weeks in the refrigerator, or a month in the freezer.

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Christmas Chex Mix Recipe

This sweet and savory mix is a guaranteed hit at parties or as gifts for Christmas.

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 3 minutes

Makes about 15 cups

Serves 15

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 (12-ounce) box

    rice, wheat, or corn Chex cereal, or 10 to 11 cups of a combination

  • 2 cups

    mini pretzel twists

  • 1 1/2 cups

    Christmas M&Ms (10 to 11 ounces)

  • 1 1/2 pounds

    white chocolate bars or discs (see Recipe Notes if using white chocolate chips)

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    flaky salt

Instructions

  1. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone baking mats.

  2. Place 12 ounces Chex cereal (10 to 11 cups), 2 cups mini pretzel twists, and 1 1/2 cups Christmas M&Ms in a large bowl and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.

  3. If using bars, coarsely chop 1 1/2 pounds white chocolate (no need to chop discs or chips). Place the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted, about 1 1/2 minutes total. (Alternatively, place in a medium heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a saucepan containing an inch of simmering water, and melt over low heat, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes.)

  4. Pour the white chocolate over the cereal mixture and gently fold with the rubber spatula, going around the edges of the bowl and scraping down to the bottom, until evenly coated. Transfer to the baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt.

  5. Let sit at room temperature until the chocolate is set, about 1 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, refrigerate for about 45 minutes.) Break into pieces with your hands.

Recipe Notes

White chocolate chips: Only white chocolate chips which contain cocoa butter, such as Guittard Choc-au-Lait, will melt smoothly enough for this recipe. If you can’t find white baking chips with cocoa butter, opt for bars or discs of white chocolate instead. Don’t use white candy melts, which aren’t as flavorful as white chocolate.

Gluten-free: To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free mini pretzel twists and corn or rice Chex cereal.

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Filed in:
Dessert
snacks
Gluten-Free
pantry
Chocolate
holiday