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White Chocolate Chex Mix is the ten minute holiday treat that vanishes first from every tin, crunchy rice cereal coated in melted almond bark with cool peppermint and crushed candy in every handful. I stirred up a batch on a snowy December afternoon and Lizzie ate half of it straight off the parchment paper. If you love a no bake cereal treat, my puppy chow muddy buddies are the peanut butter cousin of this one.
Five ingredients, one big bowl, and zero oven time between you and the crunchiest holiday snack mix ever.
White Chocolate Chex Mix Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 20 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 275kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet creamy white chocolate with cool peppermint crunch over toasty rice cereal
- ✋ Difficulty: Very easy, faster than my no bake Reese”s chex cereal bars
Quick Answer
Break white almond bark into pieces and microwave it in a large bowl, stirring every 15 seconds until smooth. Stir in a quarter teaspoon of peppermint extract. Pour a box of rice chex cereal into your largest bowl, pour the melted white chocolate over it, and stir until every piece is coated. Add crushed peppermints, stir again, then spread the mixture onto parchment paper and let it harden for about 10 minutes. Break the white chocolate chex mix into clusters and serve.
Jump to:
- White Chocolate Chex Mix Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make White Chocolate Chex Mix
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- White Chocolate Chex Mix FAQs
- Other Recommended Sweet Snack Recipes
- White Chocolate Chex Mix
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Almond bark is built for coating. Unlike white chocolate chips, almond bark melts thin and smooth and resets with a clean snap, so every piece of cereal gets an even shell that does not melt in your hands.
- Fifteen second bursts prevent scorching. White coatings burn faster than chocolate, so short microwave intervals with stirring keep the bark silky instead of seized.
- A quarter teaspoon of extract is plenty. Peppermint extract is powerful, and this small amount flavors the whole batch with a cool finish without tasting like toothpaste.
- The biggest bowl makes the best mix. Room to fold means the melted coating spreads across all 12 ounces of cereal before it starts to set, so nothing clumps unevenly.
- Crushed peppermints go in after the coating. Stirring them in last keeps the candy pieces visible and crunchy instead of dissolving into the warm chocolate.
- Parchment makes cleanup disappear. The mix hardens in one thin layer and lifts straight off, breaking into perfect snackable clusters.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It takes ten minutes, one bowl, and zero baking, and it still steals the show on the holiday treat table.
- The white chocolate shell snaps while the cereal underneath stays light and crispy for days.
- It fills a holiday treat tin beautifully next to my cinnamon sugar roasted pecans.
Key Ingredients
Four ingredients do all the work in this holiday snack mix.
- Rice Chex Cereal: The crunchy canvas. The waffle weave squares hold onto the coating and stay crisp under the chocolate shell.
- White Almond Bark: The coating. It melts smoother than chips and sets with a snap, which is exactly what a candy coated snack mix needs.
- Peppermint Extract: The cool factor. A tiny splash flavors the entire batch with that unmistakable holiday freshness.
- Crushed Peppermints: The festive crunch. Starlight mints smashed into pieces add color and a candy cane crackle to every bite.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This mix loves a remix. Here are the ones we make most.
- Candy cane swap: Crushed candy canes work exactly like starlight mints and put those broken canes to good use.
- Chocolate drizzle: Drizzle melted semisweet chocolate over the set mix for a black and white look.
- Sprinkle it festive: Shake red and green sprinkles over the wet coating before it hardens.
- Add pretzels and peanuts: Fold in salty pretzel twists or roasted peanuts for a sweet and salty version.
- Fold in a handful of my holiday Oreo truffles chopped into chunks for a cookies and cream twist.
How to Make White Chocolate Chex Mix
- Break the almond bark into pieces and microwave it in a large bowl, stirring every 15 seconds, until completely melted and smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract. Pour the rice chex cereal into the largest bowl you have, then pour the melted white chocolate over the top.
- Stir gently with a rubber spatula, folding from the bottom, until every piece of cereal is coated in white chocolate.
- Add the crushed peppermints and stir once more to scatter them through the whole batch while the coating is still wet.
- Spread the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper in a thin, even layer. Let it harden for about 10 minutes, then break the white chocolate chex mix into clusters and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Melt the bark low and slow. Fifteen second bursts with a stir between each one keep white coating from scorching and seizing.
- Measure the peppermint extract carefully. A quarter teaspoon flavors the whole batch, and a heavy pour takes it from festive to medicinal.
- Crush the mints in a bag. A zip top bag and a rolling pin give you candy pieces without shards flying across the kitchen.
- Work quickly once the chocolate hits the cereal. Almond bark starts setting fast, so have the peppermints crushed and ready before you melt anything.
- Spread it thin to set. A single layer on parchment hardens in ten minutes and breaks into perfect clusters instead of one giant slab.
- Store it airtight at room temperature. The mix stays crunchy for up to two weeks, which makes it perfect for gift tins.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This white chocolate chex mix belongs in a big serving bowl at every holiday gathering, on the coffee table for movie night, and tucked into cellophane bags for neighbor gifts. Pile it into a big bowl next to a tray of my cream cheese mints for a red and white dessert table.
For a full Christmas treat spread, pair the crunch with something soft and something dippable. My chocolate Christmas shortbread bites add a buttery contrast to the crunchy mix. For dipping duty, my hot chocolate dip keeps the cozy theme going.
It also travels beautifully, so pack it for road trips, stocking stuffers, and cookie exchanges where a no bake option always saves the day. And my cinnamon sugar roasted pecans make the perfect salty sweet neighbor in a snack spread.
White Chocolate Chex Mix FAQs
You can, but almond bark really is the better tool for white chocolate chex mix. Chips contain stabilizers that keep them thick when melted, so add a teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening if you go that route. Almond bark melts thinner, coats more evenly, and sets up with a firmer snap that does not melt on your fingers.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, white chocolate chex mix stays fresh and crunchy for up to 2 weeks. Keep it away from heat and humidity, which soften the coating. That long shelf life is exactly why it makes such a great make ahead holiday gift for tins and treat bags.
Seizing almost always comes from overheating or a drop of water in the bowl. Melt the almond bark in 15 second bursts, stirring between each, and make sure your bowl and spatula are completely dry. If the coating turns grainy, stir in a teaspoon of vegetable shortening to smooth it back out.
Absolutely, this is one of the best make ahead holiday treats. White chocolate chex mix keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container, so you can make it well before a party or cookie exchange. If you are gifting it, let it harden fully, then break it into clusters and pack it in cellophane bags or tins.
Rice chex is the classic base because the light, crispy squares soak up the coating without going soft. Corn chex works just as well and tastes slightly sweeter. You can even use a mix of both, or swap in a few cups of pretzels or cheerios, as long as you keep the total around 12 ounces so the coating stretches to cover everything.
They are close cousins. Christmas crack usually refers to saltine or cracker toffee, while this white chocolate chex mix is sometimes called reindeer chow or christmas chex mix. Both share that sweet, salty, impossible to stop eating quality, but the chex version skips the oven entirely and comes together in about ten minutes.
Made this white chocolate chex mix? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me if it actually made it into the gift tins!
Pair this mix with my soft white chocolate peppermint cookies for a full peppermint spread.
Keep the peppermint theme going with our edible peppermint sugar cookie dough.
White Chocolate Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 24 ounces white almond bark candy coating
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 12 ounce box rice chex cereal
- 1/2 cup of crushed peppermints
Instructions
- Break the bark into pieces and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, stirring every 15 seconds.24 ounces white almond bark candy coating
- When the almond bark is completely melted, add the peppermint extract and stir.1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Pour cereal into the largest bowl you have.12 ounce box rice chex cereal
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and stir to make sure everything is coated.
- Add the crushed peppermints and stir once again.1/2 cup of crushed peppermints
- Place parchment paper on the counter or tray.
- Pour all the cereal onto the paper and let it harden for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Melt Carefully: When melting the almond bark, stir every 15 seconds to prevent burning. A microwave-safe bowl works great.
- Use Wax Paper: Spread the mix on wax paper or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Crush Peppermints Easily: Place them in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or use a food processor.
- Work Quickly: Once the chocolate is melted, mix and spread the cereal mixture quickly before it hardens.
- Customize It: Feel free to add your favorite snacks or candies to make it your own.
- Great for Parties: This is a perfect snack for gatherings—it’s always a crowd-pleaser!
Nutrition
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