Chocolate Peppermint Chex Mix
This chocolate peppermint twist on classic Muddy Buddies is coated in candy cane powdered sugar.
Servings Cups
Ingredients
- 8 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 1 cup chocolate chips dark or semisweet
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract (or ½ tsp peppermint oil) See note
- 10 oz candy canes or crushed peppermints divided
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place cereal in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Place 1½ cups powdered sugar, and 6 oz candy canes* (which is about ¾ cup crushed, if you bought pre-crushed Brach's candy canes) in a food processor. Pulse several times to break up candy canes and then process until smooth. You'll have very tiny bits of candy cane still visible. Set aside.
- Place remaining 4 ounces candy canes in a ziplock bag and use a heavy rolling pin, or meat mallet, to crush them into little bits. You should have a generous 1/2 cup crushed Set aside.
- Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with peanut butter and butter. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in extract (if using peppermint oil, start with only ½ teaspoon and add more to taste) and immediately pour over chex mix. You'll want to move very quickly because the extract causes the chocolate to thicken.
- Quickly pour in the crushed candy canes from the ziplock bag over the chocolate and then stir to coat the cereal. The chocolate mixture might be slightly thick, but keep stirring and it will coat everything. Tip: It helps to use a bowl much larger than you think you need. I also sometimes wear food safe gloves and just toss with my hands.
- Once the cereal mixture is evenly coated with chocolate, I like to set it sit about 5 minutes to let the chocolate set before adding the powdered sugar, but you don't have to! Reserve about ½ cup of your candy cane sugar (it's okay to eyeball) and pour the rest over the chex and toss it well. Once it's well coated, then add the final 1/2 cup and toss.
- Eat out of the bowl, or package up for sharing!
Notes
*If you don't have a food scale, look at the number of ounces on your box of candy canes. They are constantly changing, but right now, a standard box of Brach's brand is 5.3oz and comes with 6 candy canes. 4 ounces is about 8.5 candy canes or 1/2 cup crushed. You can also purchase pre-crushed Brach's candy canes in bags in the baking aisle at many stores during the holidays.
Peppermint Extract vs Oil: If you have food grade peppermint oil, this is a great place to use it as oil will blend smoothly in chocolate and extract will cause it to thicken. If using oil, I cut the quantity down since oil tends to be stronger. You can add more to taste, if desired.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within one week for best results.
- As a candy cane connoisseur, I suggest Bob's or Brach's (they are owned by the same company now) or even the little round starbrite mints. I would avoid Spangler brand for baking in general because the flavor and texture isn't quite as good for cooking and baking.
- Allergy Warning: I think it's a good reminder, since many of you will be giving this for gifts and sharing at holiday parties, to keep in mind that snacks like this, that don't *appear* to contain peanut butter, can be especially dangerous for those with nut allergies. Be courteous, and if you are gifting to someone, or are sharing at a party, include a note clearly labeling that it contains peanut butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 398kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 296mg, Potassium: 185mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 600IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 112mg, Iron: 8mg
Calories: 398kcal
Cost: $7
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!