Red, White and Blue Snack Mix
This fun, patriotic red, white and blue snack mix only takes about 15 minutes to make, and you need just five ingredients! It’s got plenty of crunch and color from Rice Chex, candy melts, powdered sugar, and patriotic M&M’s. This sweet holiday snack is sure to be one of the most popular dishes on your holiday table this year. It’s ideal for a 4th of July party or Memorial Day.
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This 4th of July puppy chow skips the usual chocolate-peanut butter route and goes for bright candy colors instead! The cereal is coated in red and blue candy melts, tossed with powdered sugar, and finished with M&M’s, making it ideal for a July dessert table or summer snacking.
If you want more holiday treats to set out with it, try Patriotic Fudge, 4th of July Chocolate Lollipops or some of my Red White and Blue Desserts. For another snack mix, this Nuts Chex Mix has candied nuts and is hard to stop munching!
Why You’ll Love It
- Holiday colors: The red and blue candy melts give this snack mix a strong patriotic look, and the M&M’s add more color right at the end.
- Short prep: Most of the time goes to coating the cereal and letting it dry for a few minutes. There’s no baking here and cleanup is minimal.
- Good crunch: Rice Chex gives you a crisp base, and the powdered sugar helps dry the candy coating so it’s not tacky or sticky at all.
- Easy to portion: You can pour it into bowls, jars or party cups once it’s dried.
Red, White and Blue Snack Mix Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chex options: Corn Chex works too if that’s what you have in the pantry. The shape is similar, so the coating process is still easy to manage.
- White candy melts: You can swap one of the colored candy melts for white candy melts if you want a more obvious red, white, and blue color mix in the finished snack.
- Extra candy: Mini marshmallows or red, white, and blue sprinkles can be added right before serving for a sweeter party mix.
- Different M&M’s: Regular red, white, and blue candy-coated chocolates work fine if patriotic M&M’s aren’t available.
Red, White and Blue Snack Mix
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl Medium
Ingredients
- 4 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup patriotic M&M’s
- 1 cup red candy melts
- 1 cup blue candy melts
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 2 cups of the Rice Chex to a medium mixing bowl.
- Put the red candy melts in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on high, stopping every 30 seconds to give the candy melts a stir.
- Once the mixture is smooth and lump-free, drizzle them over the Chex cereal and mix until the cereal is fully coated. Be gentle while doing this, so as not to break up the cereal.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup of your powdered sugar over the chocolate coated cereal while it’s still wet.
- Gently toss the cereal and then add another ¼ cup of powdered sugar and toss again.
- Put the snack mix on one side of the prepared baking sheet and spread it out to dry (just roughly, it doesn’t have to be flat or perfect).
- Repeat the above steps for the blue candy melts.
- Allow the mixture to rest on the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer into a serving bowl, toss in the M&Ms and serve.
Notes
- Dust the gloves first: If you’re using rubber gloves, coat them lightly with powdered sugar before you start tossing. This keeps the candy-coated cereal from sticking to your hands.
- Toss while the coating is fresh: Add the powdered sugar as soon as the melted candy is on the cereal. It will grab better before the coating starts to set.
- Work with a light hand: Stir gently after adding the candy melts so you don’t crush your Rice Chex into crumbs.
- Keep the colors separate: Use one bowl for the red batch and another for the blue batch so the colors don’t streak into each other.
- Dry it in a loose layer: Spread the coated cereal out on a lined baking sheet so it can dry in clusters, not one big mass.
Nutrition Information
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Kim’s Top Tips
- Use two bowls: Keep the red batch and blue batch separate from the start so the colors don’t smear together.
- Stir slowly: The cereal can break up fast while you’re mixing in the melted candy, so go gently.
- Add the sugar right away: The powdered sugar clings better when the coating is still wet.
- Use rubber gloves: These will keep your hands clean while tossing the snack mix. Dust them with powdered sugar before diving in to make it easier. I tried using a large Ziploc bag for mixing but that was more cumbersome.
- Spread it out to dry: A lined baking sheet gives the cereal room to dry in small clusters instead of one large pile.
How to Store
- Storage: Store the snack mix in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 week.
- Room Temperature: Keep it away from heat or direct sun so the candy coating doesn’t soften.
- Refrigerator: Don’t refrigerate it. Moisture can make the cereal lose its crunch and can turn the sugar coating tacky.
- Freezing: I wouldn’t freeze this one. The texture won’t be as good after thawing.
4th of July Puppy Chow FAQs
That usually means the powdered sugar went on too late or the coated cereal needed more drying time.
Yes, though it’s easier to work in batches so the cereal has enough room while you coat it.
Yes. It keeps well for several days in an airtight container at room temperature.
