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This Christmas Crunch Popcorn recipe makes the best holiday snack mix. It’s a sweet and salty treat that makes the season extra special! The recipe comes together in minutes and makes a tasty gift for family, friends, and neighbors.
The Perfect Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
This sweet and salty Christmas Crunch is the ultimate holiday treat! Ready in minutes, it’s loaded with popcorn, festive M&M’s, pretzels, peanuts, and is covered in an irresistible white chocolate drizzle. It’s perfect for snacking on during Christmas movies and is a great homemade gift idea for friends and neighbors.
I’ve been making this Christmas Crunch mix for over a decade. It’s one of my family’s most requested holiday treats!
❤️ Echo
“One of my family’s all-time favorite Christmas recipes! So delicious!”
-Nellie
Table of Contents
- The Perfect Sweet and Salty Snack Mix
- Ingredients
- How to Make Christmas Crunch
- What Type of Popcorn to Use
- Recipe Tips
- Fun Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How to Package Christmas Crunch for Gifts
- Storing Christmas Crunch
- More Christmas Treats to Try
- Christmas Crunch (Sweet & Salty Popcorn) Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s the short and sweet list of ingredients to whip up this holiday magic.
- Popcorn: I love using gourmet white popcorn for its fluffy texture. Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels!
- Pretzels: Mini pretzels or broken pieces add the perfect crunch.
- M&M’s: Holiday-themed red and green M&M’s make it festive.
- Peanuts: Roasted and salted peanuts balance the sweetness.
- White Candy Melts: You can use candy melts, white chocolate chips, or almond bark.
- Christmas Sprinkles: Because sprinkles make everything better!
How to Make Christmas Crunch
- Pop the microwave popcorn. Transfer the popped kernels into a separate, large bowl.
- Add the pretzels, M&M’s, and peanuts.
- Gently stir the ingredients together.
- Place white chocolate candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring the chocolate between each interval, until smooth.
- Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the popcorn mix and toss until evenly distributed.
- Add sprinkles and toss again.
- Spread the coated popcorn over wax paper to cool.
- Once cooled, return to the bowl to serve. To serve later, keep in an airtight container or fill gift bags.
What Type of Popcorn to Use
Our favorite type of popcorn to use in for Christmas Crunch is Orville Redenbacher’s Tender White Popcorn. It comes out so tender and fluffy! It also has a subtle butter and salt flavor, which makes it a great base for this recipe. You don’t want to use any popcorn that has a strong flavor like movie theatre butter or kettle corn. It won’t take the flavor of the white chocolate as well.
Recipe Tips
Try these tips and variations to make the best Christmas Crunch! Using fresh popcorn, cleaning out the popcorn, and slowly melting chocolate are just a few of the tips to help make it easier and better every time you make it!
- Fresh popcorn – You want to make your popcorn the day of. This will ensure the popcorn is fresh and has the best texture and flavor.
- Remove unpopped kernels – Make sure that when you add the popcorn, you don’t add any un-popped kernels. There is nothing worse than biting into one of those! I like to shake the popcorn bag well so all the kernels fall to the bottom and then add the popcorn by the handful.
- Melting chocolate – When melting chocolate, you will want to do this slowly. Chocolate will harden quickly and easily if not done properly. Stir in between each interval.
- Cooling – Let the chocolate cool before you transfer the mix into containers or bags.
- Add-ins – Find your favorite add-ins and toss them together with the popcorn for a fun and festive treat.
- Parchment paper – Line your baking sheet with parchment paper before spreading out the popcorn. This helps with getting clusters and having everything evenly distributed.
- Storing – Store it in a cool, dry place to avoid the chocolate melting.
Fun Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations
This is one of those recipes you can personalize and make your own. Start with white chocolate popcorn and then switch up the colors of sprinkles and make a fun salty snack mix for Halloween, Easter, or birthdays. Here are just a few ideas for more mix-ins:
- Cereal – Christmas Cap’n Crunch Cereal or Chex cereal. Any other holiday cereal, there seem to be new ones every year!
- Candy melts – Choose red, pink, or green candy melts for a fun and festive mix! These are usually white chocolate or vanilla candy melts flavor.
- Nuts – Cashews, almonds, pecans, and walnuts all give a savory taste and crunchy texture to the popcorn.
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows are great in this mix. Kids always love this extra add-in!
- Chocolate – Mini Peanut Butter Cups or cut-up Kit Kats give it that extra chocolatey flavor.
- M&M options – Peanut M&M’s, Peanut Butter M&M’s, Mint M&M’s, or Pretzel M&M’s are always easy to pour from the bag into the popcorn.
- Candy canes – Chop up candy canes for a peppermint treat in each bite!
- Sprinkles – Add all the color and extra fun with holiday sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, store it in an airtight container or in sealed bags for up to a week.
You can use white chocolate chips or almond bark instead of candy melts. White chocolate chips give a creamier texture and flavor. Melt it slowly in the microwave in 30 second increments to avoid burning the chocolate. If it’s too thick, you can add ½ to 1 teaspoon of oil to thin it for coating the popcorn.
When I bring this snack to my neighbors during the holidays, I like to put it in cellophane bags and tie them up with Christmas-y ribbon. You can also fill a Christmas tin, a Christmas mug, or place it in a festive resealable plastic bag.
Let the melted candy melts or white chocolate cool slightly before mixing it with the popcorn. If the melted chocolate is too hot, it will make the popcorn chewy.
Yes. You can skip the peanuts altogether or use Chex cereal, mini marshmallows, or extra pretzels to make this a nut-free snack mix.
How to Package Christmas Crunch for Gifts
This is a great gift to give to family, friends, and neighbors for the holidays! Choose a tin box, find a decorative Christmas plate, or use a fun festive ziplock bag for your Christmas Popcorn gift. Your friends and family will love this gift during the holiday season.
Storing Christmas Crunch
We love making this Christmas popcorn treat in batches to share with friends and family members! It is simple to make and comes together quickly. Here’s how to keep it fresh.
- Airtight container – Place the Christmas Crunch in an airtight container and store it for two to three days long. This is a treat that will disappear quickly but also needs to be eaten quickly.
- Cool and dry – Store in the pantry or at room temperature in your kitchen. This will ensure a longer longer-lasting shelf life.
- Refrigeration – It is best not to refrigerate this Christmas Crunch. It will stick together and clump up. The popcorn will change texture and flavor.
More Christmas Treats to Try
Did you make this Christmas Crunch? 🎄 Leave a ⭐ rating and comment below to let us know how it turned out! Your feedback helps other holiday bakers find this fun and festive treat. ❤️
Christmas Crunch (Sweet & Salty Popcorn)
Ingredients
- 2 bags gourmet white microwave popcorn, popped and all un-popped kernels removed
- 3 cups mini pretzels
- 1 bag red and green M&M’s
- 2 cups peanuts, roasted and salted
- 18 ounces white candy melts
- red and green sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine popcorn, pretzels, M&M's, and peanuts.
- Melt white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring the chocolate each time, until smooth.
- Drizzle over the snack mix and toss until coated.
- Add sprinkles and toss until evenly distributed.
- Spread over wax paper until cool. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Notes
- One recipe makes approximately 32 cups of Christmas Crunch.
- To avoid getting unpopped kernels in your mix, shake the popcorn bag well so all the kernels fall to the bottom, and then add the popcorn by the handful.
- Let the chocolate cool all the way before you transfer the mix into containers or bags.
- Store it in a cool, dry place to avoid the chocolate melting.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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“Wow, this Christmas Popcorn looks so delicious and festive! I love how customizable it is with different mix-ins. Have you tried using caramel drizzle instead of white chocolate? I bet it would be amazing!
Looks DELICIOUS! Will be making with peanut butter xmas m&ms. Thank you for the recipe.
looks delicious! Will be making with peanut butter xmas m&ms. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! Happy Holidays!
Yum! This will be perfect for Christmas, I know I’ll have to make a few batches though or it won’t last 😉
One of my family’s all-time favorite Christmas recipes! So delicious!
Oh my gosh, this is addictive! What a festive treat for the holiday season.
This was so easy to make and everyone in my family loved this fun holiday snack! I know it’s “Christmas Crunch” but I might be making this all year long 🙂
I love anything Christmas! This Christmas popcorn looks so delicious, and perfect for the kiddos!
I’m not so sure I’d share this with my neighbors and friends… I might go Scrooge and keep it for myself it looks so delicious!
Hilda: How much does this make. Would you need to make a batch for each gift? Thank you.
Love Christmas snacks.