Description
Christmas Crunch is a festive and delicious white chocolate popcorn treat, perfect for holiday snacking or gifting. This sweet and salty mix combines freshly popped popcorn, creamy vanilla candy melts, crunchy pretzels, colorful red and green M&Ms, and festive Christmas sprinkles for a fun and easy-to-make holiday snack mix.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn
- 1/2 cup (104g) popcorn kernels
Sweet Coating
- 1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts (such as Wilton Candy Melts)
Add-ins
- 1 1/2 cups (75g) broken pretzel pieces or baby pretzels
- 1 (10 oz) bag green and red Milk Chocolate or Mint M&Ms
- Christmas sprinkles (as desired for decoration)
Instructions
- Pop the Popcorn: Heat popcorn kernels in a large pot over medium-high heat, covering with a lid. Shake occasionally until popping slows to 2–3 seconds between pops. Remove from heat and transfer popcorn to a large mixing bowl, removing any unpopped kernels.
- Melt the Candy Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the vanilla candy melts in 30-second intervals, stirring well between each, until completely smooth and creamy.
- Mix the Base: Pour the melted vanilla candy coating over the popcorn. Using a spatula, gently fold to evenly coat the popcorn without breaking it too much.
- Add Pretzels and M&Ms: Quickly fold in the broken pretzel pieces and red and green M&Ms, distributing them evenly throughout the coated popcorn mixture.
- Decorate and Set: Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle generously with Christmas sprinkles for a festive touch. Let it sit at room temperature until the candy coating hardens and sets, about 30 minutes.
- Break into Pieces and Serve: Once hardened, break the Christmas Crunch into bite-sized clusters. Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use fresh popcorn kernels for best popping results.
- If you prefer a gluten-free treat, make sure to use gluten-free pretzels.
- Store Christmas Crunch in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To speed up setting, place the tray in the refrigerator for 15–20 minutes.
- This recipe is easily customizable with different candy melts or M&M colors to suit any occasion.
Keywords: Christmas snack, white chocolate popcorn, holiday treat, festive snack mix, candy-coated popcorn