Also called Christmas Crack, this sweet and salty snack mix made with chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts, M&M’s and white chocolate is the perfect treat!
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The first time I ever had this sweet and salty treat was when my neighbor, Terri, brought it to our house for a Christmas party we were hosting.
Being the generous person she is, when it was time to pack up and head home, Terri left all the extra with me. I sampled some of it during the party but I didn’t really zero in on it that night because there was so much else to eat and because I was playing hostess.
Well, the next day I nibbled on a hunk of it and after that, could NOT keep my hands out of the bowl! It’s addictive!
Maybe that’s why some people call this Christmas Crack!
Because it’s such a perfect recipe for any holiday (just use whichever holiday colored M&M’s) I wanted to make some a few months later for Easter. I couldn’t get in touch with Terri so I just googled the recipe, found one that looked good and made it.
It was NOT the same as what Terri had made. Terri’s recipe is PERFECT.
It has the scientifically correct proportion of sweet and salty and the perfect combination of textures for complete and total palatal bliss.
I emailed Terri and asked for her recipe and she sent it to me. Then another year went by and I wanted to make it again and… well, I’d lost the recipe. So, I had to ask her for it. Again. 😬
Another year went by and I needed her recipe YET AGAIN so I just searched through our texts until I found the last time she sent it to me. So I decided I would share the recipe here so I would always have it and never have to bug her for it again!
And also because I think this is THE BEST recipe for this treat. I’ve had several versions of it but I swear this one is better! These very specific ingredients are what make this version of the recipe the best!
I've made this with Rice Chex and Cripix cereal and I think the Corn Chex is definitely better! And I think you have to use dry roasted peanuts, not co*cktail or party peanuts. AND I think the Rold Gold brand pretzels are best in this. All these little things I'm being nitpicky about are what make this recipe spectacular.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST WHITE CHOCOLATE TRASH
- Corn Chex cereal
- Rold Gold Tiny Twist pretzels
- Dry roasted peanuts
- White chocolate chips
- Plain M&M's
This goes by several different names: Christmas Crack, White Trash, White Chocolate Chex Mix and combinations of the same. I think Terri actually calls hers Christmas Crack but I’m not sure I love the idea of putting those two words together.
I grew up in a small, rural town and actually knew quite a few crackheads… and… there was nothing merry and bright about their addiction. So, I just decided to call this White Chocolate Trash to be safe.
Of course, I grew up knowing quite a bit of white trash too, so maybe that wasn’t the best choice either. HA!
You can tailor this recipe for any holiday! Just use M&M’s for whichever holiday is in season and coordinating sprinkles (the sprinkles are optional but fun for the kiddos). Or just make it with regular M&M’s if you’re making it for just any old regular day!
Since it's Christmastime now, I made this batch with red and green holiday M&M's and THE CUTEST Christmas sprinkles. If you look closely at the sprinkles, there are teeniney Christmas trees and stars in the mix! I picked these up at Home Goods this weekend if anyone wants to look for them.
Recipe for White Chocolate Trash Christmas Crack
White Chocolate Trash
Yield: 48-50 chunks
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 2 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 47 Min
Also called Christmas Crack, this sweet and salty snack mix made with chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts, M&M’s and white chocolate is the perfect treat!
Ingredients
- 6 cups Corn Chex Cereal
- 6 cups small pretzels
- 1 16-oz jar dry roasted peanuts
- 1 11-oz bags plain M&M’s
- 2 12-oz bags white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Combine cereal, pretzels, peanuts and M&M’s in a very large bowl (I usually divide everything evenly between two bowls so I don’t make a mess stirring).
- Line two baking sheets with wax or parchment paper; set aside.
- Combine white chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl then heat and stir at 30-second intervals until chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat the melted mixture as it can "seize up" if it starts to burn.
- Pour melted chocolate over dry ingredients then gently fold until well combined. Spoon mixture onto baking sheets, spread to cover pans then add sprinkles on top.
- Cool in the refrigerator until set. Break cooled mixture into chunks then store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Notes
- White chips will overheat and "seize up" very easily (even with a double-boiler). Be sure to heat them just until melted.
- I've tried this several ways and I really, truly believe to make THE BEST batch you should use these exact ingredients (see post above for more details).
- At some point they stopped calling them "white chocolate chips" and now they're all called "premium white morsels" or "white baking chips". Just look for the white morsels next to the chocolate chips!
https://www.southyourmouth.com/2018/12/white-chocolate-trash.html
Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2018
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