Description
A festive and crunchy Christmas treat combining white chocolate-coated popcorn with colorful M&Ms, crunchy pretzels, and holiday sprinkles. Perfect for gift bags or holiday parties, this easy no-bake recipe delivers a sweet and salty snack everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Mix
- 1/2 cup popcorn kernels (104g)
- 1 1/2 cups broken pretzel pieces or baby pretzels (75g)
- 1 (10 oz) bag green and red Milk Chocolate or Mint M&Ms
Coating
- 1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts (such as Wilton Candy Melts)
- Christmas sprinkles (quantity as desired)
Instructions
- Pop the popcorn: Pop the popcorn kernels using a popcorn popper according to manufacturer’s directions or use microwave popcorn bags if preferred. Discard any unpopped kernels. Transfer popped popcorn to a large bowl.
- Add mix-ins: Toss the broken pretzel pieces and M&Ms into the bowl with the popcorn, mixing gently to combine.
- Melt the candy melts: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the Vanilla Candy Melts on 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until fully melted and smooth.
- Coat popcorn mixture: Drizzle half of the melted candy melts over the popcorn mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula a few times to coat. Then drizzle the remaining melted candy melts over the popcorn and gently stir until evenly coated, taking care not to overmix so the sprinkles will adhere later.
- Finish and set: Spread the coated popcorn mixture in a single layer onto wax paper. Immediately sprinkle the entire surface evenly with Christmas sprinkles before the candy melts set.
- Cool and break: Allow the mixture to cool and harden completely. Once set, gently break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Half a cup of kernels yields approximately 16 to 17 cups of popped popcorn.
- If you don't have an electric popcorn popper, use the brown paper bag microwave method or microwave popcorn bags.
- The original recipe used a 12 oz bag of M&Ms, but 10 oz works fine; you can add 2 extra ounces from another bag if desired.
- For more visible pretzels and M&Ms, set aside 1/4 of each mix-in to sprinkle on top with the sprinkles before the white chocolate hardens.
- This recipe fills about 8 to 9 party treat bags (1/2"x 4" size) about two-thirds full, great for holiday gifting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
