Santa’s Snack Attack

Photo by Jamie Plain

There’s always that one snack that disappears faster than you can say “Merry Christmas!”, and this is it. A sweet-and-salty holiday mix that hits every craving in one handful. Classic muddy buddies get a festive glow-up with crunchy pretzels, pillowy marshmallows, red-and-green M&Ms, and a flurry of sprinkles. Perfect for gifting, party bowls, or “taste-testing” straight from the tin (no judgment here).

Makes: about 10 cups

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

›› 9 cups rice Chex cereal

›› 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

›› ½ cup creamy peanut butter

›› ¼ cup unsalted butter

›› 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

›› 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

›› 2 cups mini pretzels

›› 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

›› 1 ½ cups red and green M&Ms

›› 2 tablespoons festive sprinkles

Instructions

Melt the magic:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.

Coat the cereal:

Pour the Chex cereal into a large bowl. Drizzle with the chocolate mixture and stir gently until evenly coated.

Shake it up:

Transfer coated cereal to a large zip-top bag (or two). Add powdered sugar, seal, and shake until everything is coated and clumpy in the best way. Spread on parchment paper to cool completely.

Assemble the chaos:

Once cool, combine muddy buddies, pretzels, marshmallows, M&Ms, and sprinkles in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix.

Snack or gift:

Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or pack into tins for the easiest (and most addictive) homemade gift.