The great thing about a Merry Mix is that it's a big jar of your favourite sweet and savoury festive snacks all mixed together in less than 5 minutes. Anything goes, as long as it has plenty of crunch and some pops of colour and it's a must have addition to your kitchen this Christmas.
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About this Christmas Snack Mix
The best thing about this merry mix is that almost anything goes in this. I definitely had fun shopping for all the ingredients - it was like a scene from the film Elf!
Just think of all those things you love snacking on during the festive season like pretzels, chocolate, popcorn, marshmallows, nuts, fudge, dried fruit and even some cereal - it's like a Christmas trail mix. And it doesn't matter about measurements either - whatever you like!
You can just snack on it straight from the jar, or use it as a topping for chocolate bark, cupcakes or ice cream.
Looking for other Christmas snack ideas? Why not try our chewy Cinnamon Biscuits, quick Protein Snowballs, fudgy Christmas Tree Brownies or our delicious Gingerbread Cupcakes?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pretzels - This is the majority of the Merry mix and a cheap way to bulk it out. We used Christmas shaped savoury pretzels to make it extra festive, but pretzel sticks work too. You could even use flavoured pretzels. We also added some chocolate pretzels too.
- Popcorn - Also another easy way to bulk it out. We used salt popcorn as we wanted another savoury ingredient to balance out all the sweet.
- Chocolate - Here is where you can really go wild. Try to have some red and green chocolates in there (Smarties and M&Ms work well for this) to make it extra festive. We like to add some magic stars, because stars are Christmasy and then some Malteasers because they are big.
Variations
I have SO many suggestions for what you can add to your Christmas mix. I know that this jar is barely going to last a couple of days in our house, so I will be making up lots more Christmas snack jars. That means that I get to experiment with different additions every time.
We have listed the exact ingredients and measurements that we have used, but it really doesn't matter with measurements, as it's just a big mix. You can follow our exact recipe for this merry mix, or here are some other suggestions of great additions:
- Nuts - I would leave these out if making them for young children who can't have whole nuts. But otherwise they are a great addition and a good way to add some nutrition to an otherwise sugar filled snack. We like pecans, pistachios, walnuts and almonds.
- Dried Fruit - Keep it festive with some dried cranberries, but you can also add dried apricots, raisins or cherries.
- Cereal - Another budget friendly ingredient that can bulk this Christmas mix out. Cheerios are a good addition, but if you can find some Christmas shaped cereal, then that's a good way to keep with the festive theme.
- Marshmallows - This is one ingredient that my kids said was missing from the Christmas snack mix and I will definitely add in next time. You could add some mini marshmallows, or some larger Christmas shaped ones.
- Chocolate - We added so many different types of chocolate to this as I just couldn't decide. But you could just keep it simple with some chocolate chips or chocolate buttons. More colourful chocolate works better though.
How to Make Merry Mix (Christmas Snack Mix)
Put all of the ingredients into a large jar or bowl. Give everything a good mix.
Storage and gifting
Store: This needs to be stored at room temperature in a cool place. If it is too warm, then all the chocolate will melt and it will be a big melted sticky mix. Make sure your jar is air tight too, so the crunchy ingredients stay crunchy. You could also store in in a nice Christmas biscuit tin.
Gift: We LOVE making up little bags of these to give our as gifts. Just make sure you know of any allergies of the people you are gifting to and adjust the ingredients accordingly. It doesn't take a lot to make this merry mix look extra special. Just pour some into little cellophane bags and tie up with some festive ribbon. You could also add them to little mason jars with lids too. The perfect addition to a homemade food hamper.
You could print some cute festive labels and stick them to the bags too and even personalise them.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Whilst pretty much any ingredients work here, it's best to try and use ingredients of a similar size, so all the smaller ingredients don't get lost.
- You can make a gluten free version of this, and even a vegan version, but you will need to check the ingredients of everything and make substitutions where needed.
- You can serve this in a big bowl/jar or in individual bags to give out as presents. If doing individual bags, we recommend about 1 cup per serving.
More Christmas Recipes
If you've tried this Merry Mix recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Merry Mix (Christmas Snack Mix)
Ingredients
- 102 g (3.6 oz) of Maltesers
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of Milky Way Stars
- 105 g (3.7 oz) of Smarties
- 90 g (3.1 oz) of Pretzel Flipz
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of Pretzels
- 50 g (1.75 oz) of Popcorn
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into a large jar or bowl.
- Mix it all together to evenly distribute all the ingredients.
Recipe Tips
- Whilst pretty much any ingredients work here, it's best to try and use ingredients of a similar size, so all the smaller ingredients don't get lost.
- You can make a gluten free version of this, and even a vegan version, but you will need to check the ingredients of everything and make substitutions where needed.
- You can serve this in a big bowl/jar or in individual bags to give out as presents. If doing individual bags, we recommend about 1 cup per serving.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Karlie says
This is perfect for holiday get-togethers so that people have something to snack on while sipping a cocktail :)
Chenee says
I love this idea - I think it would make a perfect stocking stuffer!
Gianne says
It's the perfect Christmas snack mix that brings all the festive flavors together. The combination of sweet and salty is amazing, and the colorful candies add a fun touch. It's the ultimate treat to enjoy during the holiday season!
Carrie Robinson says
What a fun snack mix for the holidays! This would make great homemade neighbor/hostess gifts too. :)
Ruth says
I added a box of Cinnamon Grahams to my mix, which gave it a really Christmas flavour. So it was mainly salty popcorn and cereal with jelly sweets, pretzels and chocolates. Loved it. Now assembling one based in the Berry Cheerios for spring.
Ann says
Such a sweet gift idea. But so good I may eat it all first. Thanks!
Dina and Bruce says
This mix is so clever! Made to make up bags for the neighborhood kiddos!!