Description
Christmas Crunch is a festive and delicious treat combining freshly popped popcorn with a rich, melty butter, marshmallow, and white chocolate mixture. Topped with colorful Mini M&M’s, peanut M&M’s, red and green sprinkles, and crunchy pretzels, this snack is perfect for holiday gatherings and celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Base
- 2 bags microwave popcorn, popped (about 10 cups)
Sweet Coating
- 3/4 cup white chocolate candy melts
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
Toppings
- Mini M&M’s Candy, red & green
- Peanut M&M’s Candy, red & green
- Red & green sprinkles
- 1 cup pretzels, broken in half
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line an 11 x 17-inch baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- Pop Popcorn: Pop the 2 bags of microwave popcorn according to package directions, yielding about 10 cups. Spread the popped popcorn evenly over the lined baking sheet and set aside.
- Melt Butter, Marshmallows, and White Chocolate: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 6 tablespoons of salted butter. Add 3 cups mini marshmallows and 3/4 cup white chocolate candy melts. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth, melted, and free of lumps. Remove from heat promptly to avoid burning.
- Coat Popcorn: Pour about three quarters of the melted butter mixture over the spread-out popcorn on the baking sheet. Toss carefully to coat all the popcorn evenly.
- Add Toppings and Remaining Mixture: Pour the remaining butter mixture over the coated popcorn, then sprinkle generously with Mini M&M’s (red & green), Peanut M&M’s (red & green), red and green sprinkles, and 1 cup broken pretzels.
- Cool Completely: Allow the entire mixture to cool fully on the baking sheet before serving to let it set and ensure the coating hardens for optimal crunch.
Notes
- Allow the Christmas Crunch to cool completely before storing to prevent moisture build-up and sogginess.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight, heat, and humidity to keep it fresh for up to one week.
- For an alternative mixing method, toss the popcorn and 3/4 of the butter mixture together in a large bowl using a silicone spoon. Then mix in most of the toppings, lay the mixture on the baking sheet, drizzle with remaining butter mixture, and sprinkle the remaining toppings on top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
