Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies

Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies make the perfect holiday snack mix! These treats are rich, chocolatey, and packed with chopped peppermint bark candies.

Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies

Nothing screams Christmastime to me like settling in with a cheesy Hallmark movie, complete with big cozy blankets and a bowl of festive treats like these Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies! This Hot Chocolate Snack Mix is another perfect pairing for said movie night.

This variation on muddy buddies is based on my very favorite treat of the season — peppermint bark! Nothing can beat the combination of chocolate and peppermint– I love it! This snack mix channels those flavors — in fact, it has actual pieces of peppermint bark in it. Just about everybody knows Muddy Buddies–a perennial favorite snack, made with Chex® cereal and promoted by the General Mills company. So, put this all together, and we’ve created Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies!

Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies Tips

• Use high-quality chocolate chips for a better melt and a richer taste. My favorites are Ghirardelli® or Guittard® (not sponsored).
• Microwave chocolate chips in sturdy, microwave–safe (glass) bowls, instead of using plastic or melamine. Melt the chocolate slowly — if it’s overheated, it may turn cloudy and sticky. Going slowly and gradually is the best way to prevent ruined chocolate!
• Control the sweetness. These Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies are rich. If you’d prefer a less-sweet mix, use semi-sweet or dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. On the other hand, if you’re a total chocoholic you can make these even richer by using Chocolate Chex cereal in place of the Rice Chex.
• Make sure to use peppermint extract, not mint. Mint extract will make this snack mix taste like toothpaste; the peppermint is combined with spearmint (you can read more here). The actual strength of the peppermint extract will also depend on the brand (some are more potent than others). I use 1/2 teaspoon of McCormick® peppermint extract, which we find to be the perfect amount, but feel free to increase to personal preference.

How to crush peppermint

Candy canes or hard peppermint candies are perfect for Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies. I’ve found the easiest way to evenly crush the candy is with a mini food processor. I like this one in particular. A small powerful blender also works.

Alternatively, add the unwrapped peppermint candies to a large plastic bag (or two; the peppermint has a tendency to rip through plastic bags as it is crushed), seal the bag without air in it, and then crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet until fine crumbs are formed.

Peppermint Bark

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make your own peppermint bark before starting this recipe (allow plenty of time for it to fully harden and set up).  I prefer to buy peppermint bark candies, in bar form, minis, or regular sized. The bar form is probably the least annoying since there isn’t much unwrapping required. Our favorite readily available peppermint bark is Ghirardelli. (not sponsored).

There are different types of peppermint bark candy — some have a dark chocolate base and others use milk chocolate. Since we’re using milk chocolate to coat the cereal in these treats, I like using the dark chocolate peppermint bark candy for a contrasting flavor.

Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies Storage

• This recipe doubles well and on the flip side, it can also be halved easily. 
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. We like it best within 3-4 days.
• Freeze: You can freeze PBMBs in an airtight container/bag for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.

QUICK TIP

Jazz up these Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies with some fun additions like Christmas M&M’s, festive sprinkles. or miniature chocolate chips. Muddy buddies also make a great gift; Put them in decorative boxes or tins and give out for a fun holiday treat.

More Peppermint treats

• No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake with an Oreo® cookie crust
• Peppermint Brownies with a chocolate ganache topping
• Peppermint Snowball Cookies with pecans
• Soft Peppermint Sugar Cookies with peppermint-cream cheese frosting
• Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies brownie mix cookies
• See the original: Muddy Buddies recipe!

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Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies

4.67 from 3 votes

- Review this recipe

These Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies make the perfect holiday snack mix! These festive treats are rich, chocolatey, and packed with chopped peppermint bark candies.

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Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies

4.67 from 3 votes

- Review this recipe

SAVE TO RECIPE BOX

Print Recipe

These Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies make the perfect holiday snack mix! These festive treats are rich, chocolatey, and packed with chopped peppermint bark candies.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Peppermint Bark Muddy Buddies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10 as a snack mix to share

Chelsea Lords

Calories 838kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $7.12

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 cups Rice Chex cereal or Chocolate Chex
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 cups peppermint bark candies coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup candy canes finely crushed (7 candy canes)
• ▢ 2 cups good quality milk chocolate chips
• ▢ 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (See Note 1)
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar

US - Metric

USMetric

Instructions

• PREP: Measure out the cereal into a very large bowl and set aside. Unwrap and coarsely chop the peppermint bark candies.
• CRUSH PEPPERMINT: Unwrap the candy canes and add to a powerful miniature blender or food processor. Pulse or chop until candy is very finely crushed into a powder. Set aside.
• CHOCOLATE: In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add the milk chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Microwave, in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring in between each burst for 15 seconds, or until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal. Add the crushed peppermint on top. Gently stir to coat the cereal and distribute the peppermint.
• POWDERED SUGAR: Pour powdered sugar into a large (2-gallon) freezer bag. Pour the chocolate-coated cereal into the bag on top of the powdered sugar. Seal the bag (do not squeeze air out of the bag) and shake to coat the cereal in the sugar. Once the cereal is well coated, pour into a large bowl or serving bowl. Mix in the coarsely chopped peppermint bark candies.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Make sure to use peppermint extract, not mint. Mint extract will make this snack mix taste like toothpaste. The actual strength of the peppermint extract will also depend on the brand (some are more potent than others). I use 1/2 teaspoon of McCormick® peppermint extract, which we find to be the perfect amount. Increase to personal preference if you'd like mintier muddy buddies.

Nutritional information is for approximately 1-cup servings. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 838kcal | Carbohydrates: 189g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1275mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 67g | Vitamin A: 2629IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 525mg | Iron: 47mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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