This 4th of July Chex Mix is the perfect sweet and salty treat for summer celebrations. Made with homemade Chex Muddy Buddies, dipped pretzels, M&Ms, and sprinkles, they are an easy no-bake treat to make. They make summer cookouts, picnics, and fireworks parties more festive and are a fun way to get the kids involved in helping in the kitchen.
What we love about this 4th of July Snack Mix
This 4th of July Snack Mix is a yummy, sweet, and salty treat. My kids have always loved Chex Muddy Buddies, and these easy homemade Muddy Buddies are the base for this festive mix. Combined with red, white, and blue M&Ms and sprinkles, and our Mini Patriotic Pretzels, this snack mix is a fun, addictive, and festive treat. The colors of the sprinkles and M&Ms are adaptable to any holiday, but for this mix, I love how the red, white, and blue colors stand out and give such a fun patriotic vibe. This is an adaptable mix; you can use your own mix-ins and substitute yogurt-dipped pretzels for the Patriotic Pretzels if needed.
If you’ve never made homemade Chex Muddy Buddies, it comes together in minutes. You just melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in the microwave, and mix with vanilla and stir it into the cereal. Dump the cereal into a bag with powdered sugar to coat, and you are done. They are a great treat to have little hands helping in the kitchen; only a microwave is needed to help melt the ingredients.
Looking for some more summer treats? Try our Berry Crumb Bars, our Homemade Strawberry Shortcakes, our Strawberry Glazed Pie, our Old Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler, our Fruit Pizza Cookies with Berries, or our Cream Cheese and Strawberry Pie, and our Cherry and Cream Cheese Pie.
What you need to make this 4th of July Party Mix
You will need the following ingredients:
- Rice Chex Cereal
- Corn Chex Cereal
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Peanut butter
- Butter
- Vanilla
- Powdered Sugar
- Mini Patriotic Pretzels
- M&Ms milk chocolate candies, red, white, & blue mix
- Patriotic Sprinkles (any variety, these are available in craft stores like Michael’s and Hobby Lobby starting in May) or plain red and/or plain blue sprinkles available in most grocery stores
4th of July Chex Mix Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You can use different add-ins for the chex mix. Try Reese’s Pieces, chocolate chips, different types of M&Ms (like peanut or peanut butter filled), mini Oreos or other mini cookies, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate-covered nuts, or other colored candies.
- You can try different cereals, like Crispix or other types of Chex Mix, like Chocolate, Wheat, or Cinnamon.
- We love using our Mini Patriotic Pretzels for this mix, but you can also buy yogurt-covered pretzels or just use regular pretzels.
- You can use any type of patriotic sprinkles. You could also do all blue or all red, which are easier to find than a patriotic mix.
- If short on time, you can also buy Chex Mix Muddy Buddies at the store.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. Pour the Chex cereal into a large bowl and stir gently to mix. Pour 1 cup of powdered sugar into a one-gallon-sized Ziploc bag or covered container, and the additional 1 cup of powdered sugar into a separate bag/container. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave in additional 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Step 2. Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl with the cereal and gently stir and fold together until all the cereal is coated.
Step 3. Pour half of the Chex mixture into one bag/container with powdered sugar, seal, and shake to mix it until all of the cereal is coated in powdered sugar. I use my 1 cup measuring cup to pick up the mix and pour it into the bag with powdered sugar. Repeat with the other half of the cereal and powdered sugar in the second bag/container. Let the mix sit and cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 4. Pour the mix onto the prepared sheet pan and spread it out evenly. Repeat with the other half of the cereal and powdered sugar in the second bag/container. Let the mix sit and cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Clean the large bowl used for mixing, or use a separate large bowl, and gently mix together the Muddy Buddies, dipped pretzels, M&Ms, and sprinkles. Serve from the bowl or pour into snack containers for individual servings.
Step 6: Serve from the bowl or pour into snack containers for individual servings.
Tips
- I like using wax paper to line a cookie sheet to set the Muddy Buddies on to sit and cool. The cereal doesn’t stick to the paper, and it helps with cleanup.
- This Chex Mix is easily adaptable; check out my substitution suggestions to make it your own or to make it for different holidays throughout the year.
- Patriotic sprinkles are available in craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby starting in May, or on Amazon. You can also use plain red and/or plain blue sprinkles, which are available in most grocery stores. I got the star sprinkles at Michaels.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can 4th of July Chex Mix be made in advance? |
| Both the dipped mini patriotic pretzels and the Muddy Buddies will last about one week when stored in an airtight container and are easily made in advance. It does not need to be refrigerated. |
| How to store 4th of July Chex Mix? |
| a. Store it in an air-tight container for up to a week. It is probably the most crunchy within the first 3-4 days. I use a Tupperware container, or you can use a Ziploc gallon-sized bag. b. These freeze well and can be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. |
4th of July Chex Mix
This 4th of July Chex Mix is the perfect sweet and salty treat for summer celebrations. Made with homemade Chex Muddy Buddies, dipped pretzels, M&Ms, and sprinkles, they are an easy no-bake treat to make. They make summer cookouts, picnics, and fireworks parties more festive and are a fun way to get the kids involved in helping in the kitchen.
24
1/2 cup servings15
minutes10
minutesIngredients
8 cups Chex cereal (I use half Rice Chex and half Corn Chex)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups Mini Patriotic Pretzels or yogurt-covered pretzels
1 10-ounce bag M&M milk chocolate candies, red, white, and blue mix
3 tablespoons patriotic colored sprinkles
Directions
- Line a sheet pan with waxed paper.
- Pour the Chex cereal into a large bowl and stir gently to mix.
- Pour 1 cup of powdered sugar into a one-gallon-sized Ziploc bag or covered container, and the additional 1 cup of powdered sugar into a separate bag/container.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave in additional 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl with the cereal and gently stir and fold together until all the cereal is coated.
- Pour half of the Chex mixture into one bag/container with powdered sugar, seal, and shake to mix it until all of the cereal is coated in powdered sugar. I use my 1 cup measuring cup to pick up the mix and pour it into the bag with powdered sugar. Pour the mix onto the prepared sheet pan and spread it out evenly. Repeat with the other half of the cereal and powdered sugar in the second bag/container. Let the mix sit and cool for about 10 minutes.
- Clean the large bowl used for mixing, or use a separate large bowl, and gently mix together the Muddy Buddies, dipped pretzels, M&Ms, and sprinkles. Serve from the bowl or pour into snack containers for individual servings.
Notes
- To prevent the chocolate from overheating, always melt the chocolate at 50% power in your microwave. After the first 30 seconds of heating, only heat in 15-second intervals and stir well in between each interval. The candy continues to melt while being stirred.
- You can use a double boiler if you don’t have access to a microwave for melting the chocolate chip mixture.
- This Chex Mix is easily adaptable; check out my substitution suggestions to make it your own or to make it for different holidays throughout the year.
