We’ve all given up the pretense that we’re wearing, like, actual pants at this point in the holiday season, right? Me and my leggings are thoroughly enjoying our freedom by eating copious amounts of Christmas Crunch!
Say hello to the most addicting little treat to come out of my kitchen in ages. Christmas Crunch is a crispy, crunchy, salty, perfectly sweet snack mix that’s perfect for holiday parties or sharing with friends and family. Ben said I’m no longer allowed to make it…because we can’t stop eating it!
Watch How to Make It!
Christmas Crunch Puffcorn = the Ultimate Holiday Treat
Christmas Crunch is buttery, crispy puffcorn paired with gluten free pretzels, peanuts, melted white chocolate, holiday M&M’s, and more sprinkles than you can shake a stick at. The result is a gorgeous, totally addictive snack mix with the perfect balance of salty and sweet. It is totally irresistible!
Perfect for Holiday Gift Giving
Christmas Crunch makes for the most delicious and thoughtful holiday gift. This year the kids and I made a double batch then packaged the mix in clear bags, tied with a pretty ribbon, and delivered to the neighbors with our family Christmas card. It was so fun! The holidays are such a great time to show the treasured people in your life that you care, and nothing says it quite as well as a handmade treat.
Ingredients Needed
For as gorgeous as this snack mix is, it requires very few ingredients and can be made in just 10 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for the melted chocolate to set up. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Puffcorn: Puffcorn is a delicious and buttery tasting puffed corn snack that’s the perfect sturdy base for mixing and topping with lots of tasty goodies. I find it holds up way better than popcorn to stirring, and the buttery flavor compliments the sweetness of the white chocolate and candy.
- Pretzel Twists: I use Snyders Gluten Free Pretzel Twists for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite brand. If you don’t need to eat GF, you can use regular mini pretzel twists.
- Peanuts: I like roasted peanuts, which again, compliments the white chocolate and M&M candies. Peanut M&Ms are one of my favorite treats, and peanuts in the mix really drive home that flavor.
- White Chocolate Chips + Oil: I adore white chocolate, especially around the holidays. Such a beautiful, buttery vanilla flavor and color. I melt white chocolate chips with a thwack of vegetable oil or coconut oil which renders it nice and silky.
- Holiday M&Ms: the bold red and green candies add a festive holiday touch and chocolaty flavor to this snack mix.
- Gluten Free Sprinkles: Sweetapolita makes really pretty, gluten free red and green sprinkles that make this Christmas Crunch mix sparkle and shine like a Christmas tree!
How To Store Christmas Crunch
After mixing up the Christmas Crunch, there are several ways to store it. With a tight seal, it will last for days on the countertop.
- Store in a baking dish with a tight fitting lid.
- Store in gallon size Ziplock bags with the air pressed out.
- Scoop into treat bags then tie with a twist tie, and then a pretty ribbon.
Whether you serve this white chocolate coated treat at a holiday party, share with friends and family, or whip up to have as a tasty treat at home – just be sure to make it this holiday season!
How to Make Christmas Crunch
Start with a bag of puffcorn. At the time of this writing, Old Dutch brand is gluten free (and amazing!) We buy this all year round because it’s just so darn good.
Add the puffcorn to an EXTREMELY LARGE bowl with gluten free pretzels and peanuts. If you don’t have an XL bowl then divy the ingredients into two large bowls.
Next add white chocolate chips and a thwack of coconut oil or vegetable oil to a microwave safe bowl then heat and stir in 30 second increments until the chocolate is smooth and melted. If you have a coconut allergy, or don’t have it in the house, vegetable oil is a great swap.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the puffcorn mixture then use a spatula to fold and toss the ingredients until everything is evenly coated.
Now comes the fun part! Pour the mixture onto parchment paper, wax paper, or a couple of silpats, then spread out and sprinkle on holiday M&Ms and sprinkles. This is the super fun, mad scientist part, so add as little or as much as your heart desires. Kids love this part!
Let the chocolate set then dig in! Like I said, Christmas Crunch is a spectacular treat to deliver to friends and family. Scoop into treat bags or tins then share the holiday magic. I hope you love eating this special Christmas treat – enjoy!
More Holiday Treats to Devour or Share
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Fruit Christmas Tree
- Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow
- Gluten Free Ginger Molasses Cookies
- Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
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Christmas Crunch
Description
Christmas Crunch is irresistibly crunchy, sweet, and salty! This gluten free treat takes minutes to prepare, and even less time to devour.
Ingredients
- 8 cups gluten free puffcorn (I like Old Dutch brand)
- 2 cups gluten free pretzels (I like Snyders GF)
- 1-1/2 cups peanuts
- 12oz bag gluten free white chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil
- 11oz bag Holiday M&Ms
- gluten free holiday sprinkles
Directions
- Spread a couple sheets of parchment paper, wax paper, or two silpats on the countertop then set aside.
- Add puffcorn, pretzels, and peanuts to a very large bowl - if you don't have an XL bowl, use two large bowls - then set aside.
- Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl then microwave for 40 seconds and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds then stir. If chocolate chips aren't completely smooth, continue microwaving in 10 seconds increments, stirring between increments, until completely melted.
- Drizzle chocolate over puffcorn mixture then gently fold with a spatula until everything is evenly coated. Spread mixture out onto prepared surface then sprinkle with M&Ms (may not use whole bag) and press gently so they adhere to the warm chocolate. Add sprinkles then let cool completely. Transfer to treat bags or an airtight container.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
Can you make this ahead of time and freeze?
Hi hi! I have never frozen puff corn so I can’t so for sure how it would hold up to being thawed.
Made this today with my teenage daughter and we love it! We substituted cashews for the peanuts because we like those better. We also used the new white chocolate pretzel M&Ms since they matched our sprinkles :)
Ooo, LOVE cashews – it sounds divine!
We made these for 2 different functions and they couldn’t believe it was gluten free and wanted more!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it’s a keeper and can be used anytime not just for the holiday’s!
YAY!! So glad it was a hit, Stacie!!
Puff corn is dairy free!! I used Enjoy Life chocolate chunks instead of M and Ms, and the allergy friendly white chocolate from Walmart. Delicious!!
Love the idea for the M&M swap! We used Enjoy Life’s new white chocolate chips for a batch this year and it was great! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Obsessed. I have family who ‘doesn’t like white chocolate and they couldn’t stop RAVING about it! Getting ready to make the next batch to share with friends and coworkers now!
Woo!! Love a white chocolate convert story! So glad it was a hit – happy holidays! :)
This stuff is so addicting! My 2.5 year helped me make this and it was so fun for both of us (and by help I mean shove fistfuls of M&Ms in her mouth). I will definitely be making this as a family tradition each year!
I love to hear that!! You will look forward to making it together every single year!
Can you make this ahead and store?
Or – how do you keep it after making it?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Merry Christmas! Love your GF recipes.
Thank you so much, Lois! Store in a Ziplock bag or storage container for up to 4 days!
Hey where do you buy your puffcorn? I’ve searched everywhere and I cannot find it!
Hi Christine! I buy it at HyVee in the regular chip aisle!
I was skeptical at first about this treat, but shouldn’t have been. Insanely addictive and delicious. I brought 2 bags to family Christmas and they were gone in a flash. So easy, so delicious, and my new go to treat for every holiday with colored sprinkles.
Wooo! So glad to hear that, Michelle! Love seeing a new tradition being born. :)
Yum…went to top priority for family gifts with DVD Christmas movie and water bottles.
Oh I’m so happy to hear it! I hope your family loves it!
Never responded to posts online before but love your blog. As an Iowan (Go Hawks!!!!) living in North Carolina since 2004 I miss so much “Iowa Stuff” — although we do get back around July 4 every year (YAAAY Kalona Cheese Curds). I haven’t made this yet but am going to try. I know some people have trouble finding puffcorn here in NC and other places but Cheetos has a Butter Puffcorn and a Cheese Puffcorn. I’m going to try the butter and see if that works. How can you go wrong with more butter? I used to make the caramel puffcorn at home when I lived in Iowa with the Old Dutch and seriously had an addiction to it. It’s hard to stop eating.
Yes! That’s exactly the one – the butter Chester’s brand! And oh my gosh, I’m scared to make the caramel corn on the back of the Old Dutch bag – looks INSANE!
Hi Kristen! We are gf and dairy free. I know you can relate. Do you have any ideas on a white chocolate substitute?
Ugh, I can relate! Unfortunately I don’t know of any DF “white chocolate” substitute, but you could make this recipe with dairy free milk/semi/dark chocolate if you like (Enjoy Life chocolates are GF/DF/).
I am wanting to make this for myself and a friend who has celiac. What brand of white chocolate chips and pretzels do you use? Some reviews of gluten free white chocolate chips say they have no flavor. I want to get something that will taste good! Thanks!
I use Hershey’s Premier White Chocolate Chips (double check packaging for the gluten free claim where you live,) and Glutino pretzel twists! :D
Honestly, the best is Choc-zero white chocolate chips. They do have dairy though, but gf & delicious!
The recipe on the back of the puffed corn bag for Carmel corn is excellent is excellent!
I saw it and am dying to try!
I thought I was seeing crushed candy canes or peppermints with the white coating! Wonder how that would taste?!
I bet it’d be amazing!! White chocolate + peppermint is a fabulous combo! Dark chocolate too – have you tried either of these recipes?
https://iowagirleats.com/chocolate-peppermint-puppy-chow/
https://iowagirleats.com/dark-chocolate-peppermint-bark-recipe/
I’m a Midwesterner (raised in Indiana, have lived in Michigan and Minnesota, now live in Ohio) and I had never heard of puffcorn! A search on Kroger shows they have it. I thought the photo was Pirates Booty at first!
Let me know what you think if you give it a try!!
Hi. I can’t find the puff corn…is there anything you could substitute or would that totally ruin it?
You can use 12 cups of air popped popcorn instead! (Different than the 8 cups puffcorn called for in this recipe.)
What a fun treat!! Thank you! What brand of sprinkles have you found to be gluten-free?
SO fun, thank you, Istuke! I use Brother♥Sister Design Studio sprinkles sold at Hobby Lobby!