Do you ever crave sweet & salty treats but wish the pre-made stuff at the store wasn't so dang sweet? Yeah, me too. That's why I came up with this simple recipe two years ago around Christmas time.
I wanted to give my friends & family a shelf-stable snack (I live in another state & have to mail their presents) so they'd have something to munch on while opening holiday gifts.
Since everyone is usually inundated with cookies, candies, and sweeter cocktails like White Russians in mid-December, I thought a lightly sweet & salty mix would go over well. Yep - it was a hit. The peanut butter-filled pretzel + kettle corn combo is irresistible. :)
Now that we're officially in the sweltering summer season, I figure it's a good time to share this recipe since it doesn't require heating up your kitchen. For the record, neither do ice cream cookie sandwiches.
Pair it with an icy beverage like cold brew tea, cold brew coffee, flavored sparkling water, or a bubbly white wine spritzer for an almost effortless snack. Or a lazy dinner along with some charcuterie board ingredients. Popcorn & peanut butter pretzels have protein, so that counts, right?
Even better, if you keep a well-stocked pantry, you can fix this in minutes using whatever sweet & salty ingredients you have on hand. I'm sharing my favorite mix today, but there are soooo many possible combinations to try.
Ingredients For Making This Snack Mix:
- Kettle Corn: This is a lightly sweetened popcorn, typically made with butter or oil and cane sugar. You've probably seen it being made in big drums at fairs or carnivals. It's a nice median between regular popcorn & caramel corn. You can use my homemade recipe to fix a smaller batch on your stovetop with coconut oil or butter + sugar OR buy pre-popped bags (I use this brand for Christmas gifts) to keep things simple.
- Milk Chocolate Gems or M&Ms: I add these for some color & crunch + a bit of sweetness. The ones I used here are made with natural food dyes but M&M's are easier to find in most stores (I got mine at Natural Grocers).
- Golden Raisins or Dried Sweetened Cherries: I'm not a fan of regular raisins but love golden raisins. I've also used dried sweetened cherries in the past. Any dried fruit that's in bite-sized pieces works.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: The mini-sized chips are fun to eat but regular chocolate chips work fine here. I use semi-sweet or bittersweet chips since I already have milk chocolate in the mix, but you can use whatever sweetness or flavor you prefer.
- Peanut Butter-Filled Pretzel Nuggets: We love these in our home and often buy the HUGE canisters from Costo (I think they're around $8). They're quite popular now, so you should be able to find smaller containers or bags at almost any grocery store. If you can't find the PB ones, substitute regular pretzels instead.
- Salted Roasted Nuts: I sometimes add them and other times leave them out. It depends on if I have any bulks nuts on hand (my favorites are pecans, walnuts & cashews) and if I'm using them for other recipes like savory rosemary nuts. They're a good way to add extra protein + fat to the mix, which makes it more filling. If you want extra sweetness, make a batch of candied pecans for this!
Yield: 10 servings
Sweet & Salty Popcorn Snack Mix
Prep time: 5 MCook time: Total time: 5 M
An easy no-bake snack mix made with sweet & salty ingredients from your pantry! This has a blend of savory & sweet foods with some protein mixed in so it's sure to satisfy everyone's cravings. Fix a batch in minutes for movie nights, birthday parties, camping, road trips, and holiday food gifts!
Ingredients:
- 10 cups of popped kettle corn popcorn (homemade or pre-popped storebought)
- 5 oz of naturally colored milk chocolate gems or M&M's
- 1/2 cup (heaping) of golden raisins or dried sweetened cherries
- 1/2 cup (heaping) of mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet or bittersweet)
- 6 1/2 cups of peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets (like these or these)
- (optional) 1 1/4 cups of salted roasted nuts (like cashews, walnuts, or pecans) OR candied pecans
Instructions:
- To serve party-style, add popped kettle corn to a large serving bowl, top with the rest of the ingredients, then toss gently to combine. Let everyone dig in!
- For individual packaging, follow step #1 and divide it into 10 equal portions in your favorite containers (bowls or bags). See my notes below for specific measurements if you plan to place the ingredients directly into individual serving containers without mixing first.
Notes:
For Individual Servings: Add the following into each small bowl or bag: 1 cup of popped kettle corn, 1 tablespoon of milk chocolate gems, 1 tablespoon of golden raisins, 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips, 1/2 to 2/3 cup of peanut butter-filled pretzels, and 2 tablespoons of salted roasted nuts.
If using freshly popped kettle corn, allow the popcorn to cool slightly before mixing with the other ingredients. This way the chocolate chips & candies don't melt on contact.
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