Description
Christmas Crunch is a festive white chocolate popcorn treat featuring crunchy pretzels, colorful red and green M&Ms, and sprinkled with holiday decorations. This easy and quick no-bake snack blends sweet and salty flavors perfect for holiday parties and gift-giving.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Mix
- 1/2 cup (104g) popcorn kernels
- 1 1/2 cups (75g) broken pretzel pieces or baby pretzels
- 1 (10 oz) bag green and red Milk Chocolate or Mint M&Ms
White Chocolate Coating
- 1 (12 oz) bag Vanilla Candy Melts (such as Wilton Candy Melts)
Toppings
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
- Pop the Popcorn: Pop the popcorn kernels using a popcorn popper into a large bowl, or alternatively use microwave popcorn bags as per package instructions. Remove any unpopped kernels to avoid biting into hard pieces. Add the broken pretzel pieces and green and red M&Ms to the popcorn and toss gently to combine.
- Melt Vanilla Candy Melts: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the Vanilla Candy Melts at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the chips are completely melted and smooth. This helps prevent burning and achives a creamy texture.
- Coat the Popcorn Mixture (First Half): Drizzle half of the melted vanilla candy chips over the popcorn mixture. Gently fold and toss a few times with a rubber spatula to begin coating the popcorn and mix-ins evenly but avoid over-stirring to keep clusters intact.
- Coat the Popcorn Mixture (Second Half): Drizzle the remaining half of the melted candy melts over the mixture and gently stir again until everything is evenly coated. Stir just enough; too much stirring while the chocolate starts to set will prevent sprinkles from adhering properly.
- Add Sprinkles and Set: Pour the coated popcorn mixture onto wax paper spread out in a single layer. Immediately sprinkle Christmas sprinkles generously over the top before the candy melts harden. Let the mixture cool and harden completely at room temperature.
- Break and Store: Once the candy coating has fully hardened, gently break the Christmas Crunch into pieces of desired size. Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness and crunchiness.
Notes
- Use fresh popcorn kernels to ensure maximum popping and fewer unpopped kernels.
- You can substitute any red and green candies if M&Ms aren’t preferred.
- For best results, use candy melts specifically made for coating as they melt smoothly and harden nicely.
- Allow the white chocolate to cool slightly between drizzling steps to achieve a nice, even coating without the sweets sinking.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/18th of recipe (~30g)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
