This easy, no-baking-required Leprechaun Bait makes the perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day. This addictive snack mix is packed with Lucky Charms, Chex cereal, pretzels, chocolate-covered candies, and is coated in melted white chocolate.

Package Leprechaun Bait up in snack-sized resealable plastic bags and attach a FREE printable (fill out the form directly above the recipe). 

Overhead image of the Leprechaun Bait.

I blame my mom for my obsession with all things holiday related. She went all out for just about every single holiday and St. Patrick’s Day was no exception. She’d hide gold chocolate coins around the house, make sure we all had plenty of green to wear, and then serve an all-green dinner.

That usually meant dyed-green spaghetti, green grapes, and a green salad. For dessert, we’d have her famous Rice Krispies Treats, covered in green sprinkles. While I don’t usually do quite as much for St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll usually serve something green-ish (like this Pesto Tortellini) and whip up a festive treat. And this year that treat is definitely going to be Leprechaun Bait.
Image of all the ingredients that go into Leprechaun Bait and the white chocolate chips in a separate bowl.

The best part of this festive treat is how simple it is to make. Below I’ll share the process and then a few tips for melting white chocolate in the microwave. 

How to make Leprechaun Bait

  1. Combine Ingredients. Toss all the ingredients together in a very large bowl.
    • Note on ingredients: This mix is best with ingredients that are generally the same size. While most of the ingredients are similar sizes, regular-sized pretzels can easily overpower everything else. If your store sells “itty bitty mini” pretzels, those are the best in this snack mix.
  2. Melt white chocolate. Microwave the chocolate until melted and then immediately toss it with the mix. Read below for tips on melting white chocolate!
  3. Let harden. Let the mix stand at room temperature to harden–or if you’re in a rush, refrigerate it for about 10-20 minutes. Break apart and enjoy or package up!

Image of the dry ingredients that go into Leprechaun Bait.

A few quick tips

  • Use high-quality white chocolate for best results: Good-quality chocolate means you’ll get both a better melt and a richer taste. (My favorite is Ghirardelli® or Guittard®.)
  • One of the biggest mistakes is thinking the chocolate isn’t melted all of the way, and then returning it to the microwave where it then burns. Remember, the chocolate is still melting even after it has been removed from the microwave. The best tip I have for avoiding burned white chocolate: stir it often in between the melting process (every 30 seconds) and stir it for at least 20-25 seconds in between each microwave burst.
  • Work quickly: White chocolate hardens quickly, so mix it with the leprechaun bait immediately after it is fully melted.

Image of the melted white chocolate being added to the wet ingredients .

How to use the printable

  • Print the bag toppers on glossy cardstock paper. (Email the PDF’s to Staples or Office Max and print there for best quality.)
  • To make cutting and folding the printable easy use a good Paper Cutter and a Scoring Board.
  • I found that Zip-loc® has the nicest-looking snack-size bag, but any resealable snack-size plastic bags will work.
  • Do not print straight from the website file; make sure to first SAVE it to your computer and then print. If you’re still having issues, try a different browser, or feel free to drop me an email!
  • To assemble: fill up snack-sized bags with the Leprechaun Bait, seal them, and staple a cut and scored printable on top.

Image of the Leprechaun Bait with a fun bag topper.

More Delicious Desserts

Free Leprechaun Bait Printable

5 from 10 votes

Leprechaun Bait

This easy, no-baking-required Leprechaun Bait makes the perfect treat for St. Patrick's Day. This addictive snack mix is packed with Lucky Charms, Chex cereal, pretzels, chocolate-covered candies, and is coated in melted white chocolate.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Set Up Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 cups corn Chex or similar crispy cereal
  • 1 cup miniature pretzel twists
  • 1 and 1/2 cups Lucky Charms cereal
  • 1/2 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows (pick out of cereal)
  • 3/4 cup green M&M's, or other candy-coated chocolate, divided
  • 1 bag (11 ounces) white chocolate chips
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Instructions 

  • Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine corn Chex, pretzels, Lucky Charms, Lucky Charms marshmallows, and 1/2 cup of the green M&M's.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, add the white chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave for another 25 seconds. Stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, return to the microwave for a little longer. (Use bursts of 10 seconds stirring for 10 seconds in between each burst). Pour the melted and smooth white chocolate over the snack mix.
  • Gently stir until completely combined and then transfer to the prepared baking sheet and spread into one even layer. Add remaining 1/4 cup M&Ms on top.
  • Allow to harden at room temperature or place in the fridge until firm, about 10-20 minutes. Break into pieces and serve or fill plastic bags and attach the free printable (link to printable above this recipe).

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 646IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

 

This easy, no baking required Leprechaun Bait makes the perfect treat for St. Patrick's Day. This addictive snack mix is packed with Lucky Charms, chex cereal, pretzels, chocolate-covered candies, and coated in melted white chocolate. PLUS FREE PRINTABLE! via chelseasmessyapron.com #st #patrick #day #patricks #dessert #treat #quick #easy #free #printable

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 10 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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27 Comments

  1. Macayla says:

    5 stars
    This was a HIT! I got so many compliments on it, and itโ€™s good for spring too, not just St Patrickโ€™s day. Itโ€™s so addictive and I had people coming to my desk all day to get more. My favorite part is how flexible it is to mix in other things. I ran out of m&ms and just used some mini chocolate chips, I added some green sprinkles and green sanding dust, pretzel sticks, etc. This will definitely be a regular work treat! I didnโ€™t even take a picture before it was all gone.

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Macayla! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Teresa Pridgen says:

    5 stars
    So good!!!

    1. Chelsea says:

      Thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Taylor Foote says:

    5 stars
    It was very good and delicious ๐Ÿ˜‹

    1. Chelsea says:

      So happy to hear this! Thanks Taylor! ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Manon Leclerc says:

    Could I use coconut oil instead of vegetable

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Yes

  5. Kelsey says:

    This is great! How long will it stay fresh for after making?

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      It’s great for up to a week in a gallon size bag!