4th of July Snack Mix is sweet, crunchy, colorful, and loaded with white chocolate-coated cereal, pretzels, M&M’s, and sprinkles for the most fun party treat!
Author’s Notes
A Must-Have At My 4th Of July Party
After Halloween, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday! I throw a party every year with hot dogs and smash burgers, plus lots of sides and salads. A few that always make the table: potato salad, cowboy caviar, and, of course, this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad.
And with a big summer spread like that, I always need a few easy desserts and snacks. This 4th of July Snack Mix fits right in! It’s festive, sweet, crunchy, and comes together fast with no baking needed.
At this point, I’m pretty sure everyone would be disappointed if it didn’t show up on the dessert table, haha!
4th of July Snack Mix Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Chex cereal | Corn or rice Chex both work great, so use whichever you like best. |
| Pretzels | Mini twists or rods work best. Break rods in half so they mix in more evenly. |
| Cap’n Crunch | Make sure you grab a bag/box without berries in it. |
| White chocolate chips | Melt slowly and stir often so the chocolate stays smooth and doesn’t seize. |
| M&M’s & sprinkles | Red, white, and blue M&M’s make this 4th of July snack mix extra festive, but regular M&M’s work just fine! I love using star sprinkles or red, white, and blue sprinkles. |
Quick Tip
Use leftover red, white, and blue M&M’s in Patriotic Flag Bark or 4th of July Popcorn!
Chelsea’s Notes
4th of July Snack Mix Tips
- Let it set: Give the mix time to fully harden before breaking it into pieces.
- Use good chocolate: Ghirardelli® or Guittard® white chocolate melts well and gives the best flavor.
- Melt slowly: Microwave in short bursts, stirring well between each one. The chocolate will keep melting as you stir.
- Work fast: White chocolate sets quickly, so toss, spread, and add sprinkles as quick as you can!
Storage
Store 4th of July Snack Mix in an airtight container at room temp for up to 1 week. I like it best within 3 to 4 days. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp.
More Fun Summer Treats
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4th of July Snack Mix
Video
Equipment
- Large sheet pan (15" x 21")
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chex cereal corn or rice
- 1 cup mini pretzel twists or mini pretzel rods, broken in half
- 2 cups Cap’n Crunch cereal without berries
- 2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios cereal
- 1 cup red, white, and blue M&M’s or regular M&M’s, plus additional M&M’s if desired, see note 1
- 1-1/2 bags (16 ounces total) white chocolate chips 2-3/4 cups
- 1-1/2 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons festive sprinkles optional, see note 2
Instructions
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add Chex, pretzels, Cap’n Crunch, Cheerios, and M&M’s to a very large bowl. Gently toss to combine.
- Add white chocolate chips and oil to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for 25 more seconds. Stir until smooth. If needed, microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring well between each burst, until fully melted.
- Pour melted white chocolate over the snack mix, scraping every bit from the bowl with a spatula. Working very quickly, gently fold until the cereal mixture is evenly coated.
- Transfer the coated mix to the prepared sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Immediately press a few extra M&M’s on top and add sprinkles, if using. Add these quickly before the white chocolate sets so they stick.
- Let harden at room temperature, or place in the fridge until firm, about 10 to 20 minutes. Break into pieces and serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this last night, but I changed it a bit. I used peanut m& m’s, pretzels I broke up, cheerios, rice checks, and instead of coconut oil I used margarine and marshmallows instead of white chocolate chips. It was similar to rice crispy treats but did not hold up as well I guess because it was so chunky. Instead of the fridge I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden a bit. It was fine until I took it out to transport it to our small group then it thawed out a bit because of our Florida sun.
Thanks so much for sharing what you tried! That sounds like such a fun mix-in combo. I think you’re right that with the extra chunky ingredients, plus marshmallows instead of white chocolate, it would be a little softer and harder to hold together. And the Florida sun definitely wouldn’t help, haha! Freezing was a smart idea. Next time, I’d try pressing it really firmly into the pan and keeping it chilled until serving. So glad it still worked out for your small group!
Could I use marshmallows instead of the white chocolate and make it like rice crispy treats?
I don’t think that would work great here, sorry Dawn!
Thought this would be perfect for a birthday party snack so I just used regular m and m’s and rainbow sprinkles. The captain crunch didn’t come in my grocery order which I really wanted to try but I didn’t have time to go out so liked how flexible this recipe is. Just added what I had to replace it and it worked just fine.
I love that you made it work with what you had! Regular M&M’s and rainbow sprinkles sound perfect for a birthday party. So glad it was flexible and still turned out great!
Do you think this would work with plain Cheerios instead? My husband is allergic to all nuts
Yes, it won’t be quite as sweet, but if you enjoy plain Cheerios, I think you’ll still love it!
Can I use Ghirardelli white melting wafers in place of chips, if so do I need the oil?
Yes absolutely! You can skip the oil! Enjoy!
When to use the vegetable/canola oil?
Step 3!
When do you use the large cookie sheet lined with parchment?
Step 4!