Gather Your Ingredients

This holiday popcorn recipe is a festive spin on our best caramel popcorn recipe, so if you’ve already tried that, you’ll notice some familiar ingredients. Let’s take a look:

How To Make Cinnamon Pecan Caramel Popcorn, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with spray oil or a little butter.
2. Start By Popping Your Popcorn. If you haven’t already, pop the popcorn before you begin. Measure 12 cups (3 quarts) of popped popcorn and place in your a very large bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (If you have extra popcorn, keep it close by in case you want to add it in later.)
3. Then Start The Caramel Sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly until the caramel comes to a boil. (Try not to rush this by cranking the heat up, as dissolving the sugar completely gives you the best texture.)
4. Boil The Caramel Sauce 5 Minutes. Watch the clock and boil the caramel sauce 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Remove From Heat & Finish. After 5 minutes, quickly remove the caramel sauce from the heat and whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, and baking soda. (This will make the caramel sauce bubble and foam.)

6. Quickly Pour Caramel Over The Popcorn. Pour the caramel sauce mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. I recommend pouring about half of the caramel sauce over the popcorn, then stirring and adding the pecans and the rest of the caramel sauce to any “dry” spots as needed. This makes it a bit easier to coat it evenly. Stir until the popcorn and pecans are pretty evenly coated. The popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.)
7. Spread The Popcorn Out On Your Prepared Pan. Transfer the cinnamon caramel popcorn mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread out fairly evenly. (Don’t worry about a few clumps here and there!)
8. Bake The Popcorn. Place the pan of popcorn in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the popcorn from the oven and stir. (The caramel will be more melty and fluid, so the pieces will get more evenly coated with caramel). Return to the oven and bake 15 minute more. Repeat this process two more times, until you’ve baked the caramel popcorn for 60 minutes total.
9. Spread The Caramel Corn Out Onto Parchment Paper or a FRESH parchment lined baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature. Do NOT leave the popcorn on the original baking sheet or it will stick! Wait until the caramel corn is completely cool before drizzling with white chocolate.
10. Drizzle With Chocolate. Add white chocolate melts to a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on low power in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the white chocolate is melted and glossy. Drizzle over the cooled caramel pecan popcorn and let the white chocolate set.
11. Cool, Serve & Store. Let the white chocolate set completely, then break the popcorn into clusters and transfer to an airtight container or bags.

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Cinnamon Pecan Caramel Corn

Pack It Up For Gifting! A cookie tin with a tight fitting lid, or small cellophane bags tied with a cute ribbon are my favorite ways to share this pecan cinnamon caramel corn. It’s SUCH a fun treat to share!

Can I Make Caramel Popcorn Without Corn Syrup? Corn syrup helps prevent crystallization of the caramel sauce and gives caramel corn its signature glossy sheen and delicate crunch. If you’re nervous, I’d first recommend using this Organic Corn Syrup I find at Sprouts (made without pesticides), but if you MUST use something else, glucose syrup or Lyle’s golden syrup (invert sugar syrup) are the only other substitutes I recommend.

How Long Does Caramel Corn Last? Once it’s baked and cooled, this cinnamon pecan caramel popcorn will keep in an airtight container for at LEAST a month! (Note: if you live in a humid climate, it will not stay as crispy)

Feel Free To Use Other Nuts! For variety, feel free to swap out the pecans for raw almonds or raw mixed nuts. (You don’t want to use roasted or toasted nuts, or they’ll burn in the oven!)

More Easy Holiday Treats To Try

Gluten-Free Christmas Chex Mix

Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Zebra Popcorn

Gluten-Free Rolo Pretzel Bites

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Cinnamon Pecan Caramel Popcorn With White Chocolate

This white chocolate drizzled cinnamon pecan caramel popcorn is a PERFECT holiday treat for a holiday movie night or sharing with friends!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword popcorn

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cups popcorn

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 10-12 cups popped popcorn (use 10 cups for more heavily coated popcorn)
• 2 cups raw pecans
• ½ cup butter (113 grams/1 stick)
• ½ cup corn syrup light corn syrup
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (200 grams)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 3-4 ounces White Chocolate Melts or Vanilla Candy Melts

Instructions

• Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pans. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with spray oil or a little butter.
• Start By Popping Your Popcorn. If you haven't already, pop the popcorn before you begin. Measure 12 cups (3 quarts) of popped popcorn and place in your a very large bowl, discarding any unpopped kernels. (If you have extra popcorn, keep it close by in case you want to add it in later.)
• Then Start The Caramel Sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly until the caramel comes to a boil. (Try not to rush this by cranking the heat up, as dissolving the sugar completely gives you the best texture.)
• Boil The Caramel Sauce 5 Minutes. Watch the clock and boil the caramel sauce 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove From Heat & Finish. After 5 minutes, quickly remove the caramel sauce from the heat and whisk in vanilla, cinnamon, and baking soda. (This will make the caramel sauce bubble and foam.)
• Quickly Pour Caramel Over The Popcorn. Pour the caramel sauce mixture over the popcorn and stir to coat. I recommend pouring about half of the caramel sauce over the popcorn, then stirring and adding the pecans and the rest of the caramel sauce to any "dry" spots as needed. This makes it a bit easier to coat it evenly. Stir until the popcorn and pecans are pretty evenly coated. The popcorn will not look full-coverage/completely covered in caramel at this point. (There will still be some white spots visible at this point. This will resolve in the oven.)
• Spread The Popcorn Out On Your Prepared Pan. Transfer the cinnamon caramel popcorn mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread out fairly evenly. (Don't worry about a few clumps here and there!)
• Bake The Popcorn. Place the pan of popcorn in the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the popcorn from the oven and stir. (The caramel will be more melty and fluid, so the pieces will get more evenly coated with caramel). Return to the oven and bake 15 minute more. Repeat this process two more times, until you've baked the caramel popcorn for 60 minutes total.
• Spread The Caramel Corn Out Onto Parchment Paper or a FRESH parchment lined baking sheet to cool completely to room temperature. Do NOT leave the popcorn on the original baking sheet or it will stick! Wait until the caramel corn is completely cool before drizzling with white chocolate.
• Drizzle With Chocolate. Add white chocolate melts to a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on low power in 15-20 second intervals, stirring in between each interval until the white chocolate is melted and glossy. Drizzle over the cooled caramel pecan popcorn and let the white chocolate set.
• Cool, Serve & Store. Let the white chocolate set completely, then break the popcorn into clusters and transfer to an airtight container or bags.

Video

Notes

• Pack It Up For Gifting! A cookie tin with a tight fitting lid, or small cellophane bags tied with a cute ribbon are my favorite ways to share this pecan cinnamon caramel corn. It’s SUCH a fun treat to share!
• Can I Make Caramel Popcorn Without Corn Syrup? Corn syrup helps prevent crystallization of the caramel sauce and gives caramel corn its signature glossy sheen and delicate crunch. If you’re nervous, I’d first recommend using this Organic Corn Syrup I find at Sprouts (made without pesticides), but if you MUST use something else, glucose syrup or Lyle’s golden syrup (invert sugar syrup) are the only other substitutes I recommend.
• How Long Does Caramel Corn Last? Once it’s baked and cooled, this cinnamon pecan caramel popcorn will keep in an airtight container for at LEAST a month! (Note: if you live in a humid climate, it will not stay as crispy)

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

If you’ve made some of our other Chex Mix recipes, like our gluten-free Bunny Bait or Christmas Chex Mix, you will notice some familiar ingredients here, with just a few St. Patrick’s Day swaps. Let’s take a look:

• Corn Chex. This crispy cereal provides a great neutral backdrop for this St. Patrick’s Day snack mix. You can use rice Chex, if you prefer, but I like the flavor of corn chex cereal here.
• Lucky Charms. Our first fun flourish! Swapping out Cheerios or rice chex for Lucky Charms instantly gives this gluten-free Leprechaun Bait a fun St. Patrick’s Day twist. (Regular Lucky Charms cereal is now gluten-free in the U.S.!)
• Gluten-Free Pretzels. Regular pretzels are NOT gluten-free, so be sure to buy gluten-free pretzels to keep this snack mix safe for Celiac disease. We recommend Snyders gluten-free pretzels for taste and texture, though you can use gluten-free pretzel sticks, if you like.
• Extra Lucky Charms Marshmallows. Adding a few extra Lucky Charm marshmallows at the end adds a fun pop of color to this fun snack.
• Vanilla Candy Melts or White Chocolate Melts. I find candy melts like white almond bark or these White Chocolate melts from Ghirardelli super easy to work with. They add sweetness and bind the snack mix together into little delicious clusters.
• Green M&Ms. Another fun addition! I use gloves or a spoon to separate just the green M&Ms from a bag of milk chocolate M&Ms or dark chocolate M&Ms. We’re not using mint M&Ms or other seasonal packages. See which kinds of M&Ms are gluten-free here.
• Sprinkles. Finishing this yummy treat with some rainbow sprinkles is so fun! I like nonpareils or jimmies sprinkles, but you can try other types of sprinkles, if you like.
• Flaky Sea Salt. Leprechaun Bait runs fairly sweet, so I love adding a little sprinkle of salt at the end for a sweet & salty flavor. It really won’t make this salty. Just balance the flavors a bit better.

How To Make Gluten-Free Leprechaun Bait, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep. Before you start, have all ingredients measured and ready to go. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set close by. The melted chocolate sets up quickly, so you’ll need to be ready to move quickly once its melted. 
2. Combine. Set aside half of the M&M candy for the end. In a large bowl, combine corn Chex, Lucky Charms cereal, gluten-free pretzels and 1/3 cup of green M&M candy. 
3. Melt the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the white chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy. Keep in mind the chocolate will continue to melt after you remove it from the microwave. 
4. Pour white chocolate over the cereal mixture and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle in the 1/2 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows and stir to combine. 
5. Spread the coated cereal mixture out into a single layer on your prepared pan and quickly sprinkle with reserved 1/3 cup M&Ms, the sprinkles, and the flaky sea salt. Let the chocolate set completely. 
6. Serve & Store. When the chocolate is set, gently break the mixture into small clusters. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. 

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Leprechaun Bait Snack Mix

Make It Pretty! Dip some pretzels first. If you really want to go all out, you can lightly dip 1/2 cup of the pretzels into the melted almond bark, sprinkle them with sprinkles, and set them aside on a piece of parchment paper to dry before pouring the rest of the melted almond bark over the cereal/pretzel/candy mixture. This will give you a few really pretty pretzels that stand out! (But this is 100% cosmetic!)

Can I Use White Chocolate Chips Instead? I like using Ghirardelli White Chocolate Vanilla flavored candy melts or vanilla almond bark, since they’re so easy to work with and aren’t as likely to burn, separate, or seize. If you prefer to use white chocolate chips, you’ll want to melt them with 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil to help them melt smoothly enough to stir into the chocolate.

Our Favorite Way To Package Chex Mix For Gifting. If you want to package this Leprechaun bait snack mix up for a St. Patrick’s Day party or for gifting, I like to scoop it into these large cellophane bags and tie it with a cute ribbon. Green ribbon looks extra cute!

Extras. Feel free to add 1/2 cup salted peanuts for extra crunch, or use peanut butter M&Ms for a yummy twist! Or, add some gluten-free peanut butter pretzel nuggets at the end for an extra layer of salty crunch.

More Gluten-Free Snack Mix Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Chex Party Mix

Gluten-Free Cookies & Cream Muddy Buddies

Gluten-Free Sweet Chex Mix (Coconut + Almond)

Recipe Card

Gluten-Free Leprechaun Bait

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 17 minutes
• Yield: 9 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This easy St. Patrick’s Day snack mix is full of sweet, salty, crispy, crunchy mix-ins in every bite! 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups Lucky Charms cereal
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free pretzels
• 12 ounces white candy melts or almond bark*
• 1/2 cup additional Lucky Charms marshmallows
• 2/3 cup green M&Ms candy*
• 1 teaspoon rainbow sprinkles (nonpareils or jimmies)
• pinch flaky sea salt

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Instructions

1. Prep. Before you start, have all ingredients measured and ready to go. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set close by. The white chocolate sets up quickly, so you’ll need to be ready to move quickly once its melted.
2. Combine. Set aside 1/3 cup M&Ms candy for the end. In a large bowl, combine corn Chex, Lucky Charms cereal, gluten-free pretzels and 1/3 cup of green M&M candy.
3. Melt the candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in 15-20 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the white chocolate mixture is smooth and glossy. Keep in mind the chocolate will continue to melt after you remove it from the microwave.
4. Pour white chocolate over the cereal mixture and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle in the 1/2 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows and stir to combine.
5. Spread the coated cereal mixture out into a single layer on your prepared pan and quickly sprinkle with reserved 1/3 cup M&Ms, the sprinkles, and the flaky sea salt. Let the chocolate set completely.
6. Serve & Store. When the chocolate is set, gently break the mixture into small clusters. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Notes

• Pretzels. Regular pretzels are NOT gluten-free, so be sure to buy gluten-free pretzels. We recommend Snyders gluten-free pretzels for taste and texture.
• White Chocolate. I like using Ghirardelli White Chocolate Vanilla flavored candy melts or vanilla almond bark, since they’re so easy to work with and aren’t as likely to burn, separate, or seize. If you prefer to use white chocolate chips, you’ll want to melt them with 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil to help them melt smoothly enough to stir into the chocolate.
• M&Ms. Use gloves or a spoon to sort the green M&Ms out of a regular package of milk chocolate M&Ms or dark chocolate M&Ms. We’re not using mint M&Ms or other seasonal packages.
• Extras. Feel free to add 1/2 cup salted peanuts for extra crunch, or use peanut butter M&Ms for a yummy twist!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Microwave
• Cuisine: American

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Simple Ingredients To Get Started

If you’ve made our brown sugar cream cheese fruit dip recipe before, you’ll likely notice a familiar cast of characters! This fruit dip with toffee bits is a riff on that recipe, so you’ll need:

• Cream Cheese. We only recommend full-fat cream cheese like Philadelphia for this toffee fruit dip, reduced-fat cream cheese will not have the same texture. Use brick-style cream cheese NOT cream cheese spread for best results.
• Brown Sugar. Some light brown sugar adds sweetness and subtle toffee notes, which we’ll play up even more later in the recipe. (Dark brown sugar also works, but it will add a deeper molasses flavor to this creamy dip.)
• Vanilla & Salt. Some vanilla extract and a pinch of salt fill out the flavor and bring balance to every bite. Yum!
• Chopped Toffee or Toffee Bits. Last, but not least, you’ll need some toffee! Our favorite way to make this toffee dip is with chopped Heath bars or Skor bars, since you get a nice variety of sizes and shapes when you chop the toffee yourself. But, Heath also sells chocolate-covered toffee bits that work beautifully as well. (They’re labeled Heath English Toffee Bits.) Use whichever is easiest for you!

How To Make Toffee Apple Dip, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Combine. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla & salt. Use a hand mixer to whip on medium speed 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to make sure there aren’t any lumps in the dip.  
2. Stir In Toffee. Next, reserve 2 Tablespoons of toffee, then stir the rest into the dip until evenly distributed. 
3. Garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish the top of the dip with the reserved 2 Tablespoons toffee. 
4. Serve & Store. Enjoy with your favorite apples, sliced bananas, pretzels, and more! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. 

FAQ + Tricks For The Best Toffee Apple Dip

Make-Ahead Tips. This toffee apple dip is GREAT for making in advance, since it keeps like a dream. If making it ahead of time, I like to save the 2 Tablespoons of toffee bits for garnish until right before serving. That way I can give the dip a good stir before serving.

How to Store Leftover Apple Dip. Leftover toffee dip will keep in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days for best results.

Try It With Caramel! For an ultra decadent option, you can drizzle the toffee dip with caramel sauce before garnishing with the extra toffee bits for a caramel apple effect. It’s DELICIOUS.

Bonus Tip: Keep Your Apples From Browning! A popular way to keep fresh apple slices from turning brown is with a little bit of lemon juice, but my favorite way is actually with water! It works like a CHARM!

More Recipes For Toffee Lovers

Gluten-Free Cinnamon White Chocolate Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Toffee Brownies

Gluten-Free Toffee Oatmeal Cookies

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Toffee Apple Dip

Paired with fresh, juicy apples, this easy toffee fruit dip is one of my favorite healthier desserts to serve at parties, potlucks, and picnics. It’s easy to make, can be mixed up in advance & is a hit with both kids & grown-ups!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Keyword toffee apple dip, toffee fruit dip

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1.5 cups dip

Author Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup brown sugar (100 grams)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch salt 1/8 teaspoon
• 1/2-3/4 cup chocolate covered toffee bits or chopped Heath bars

Instructions

• Combine. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla & salt. Whip 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to make sure there aren’t any lumps in the dip.  
• Stir In Toffee. Next, reserve 2 Tablespoons of toffee, then stir the rest into the dip until evenly distributed. 
• Garnish. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved 2 Tablespoons toffee. 
• Serve & Store. Enjoy with apple slices, bananas, pretzels, and more! Store leftover dip in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days. 

Video

Notes

• Toffee. My preference for this dip is chopped Heath Bars or Skor Bars (both of which are gluten-free!), but if you’re using store-bought toffee bits, you have two choices. Heath English Toffee Bits (chocolate covered toffee bits) are my favorite kind of toffee bits for this dip. Otherwise, Heath Bits O’ Brickle do NOT have a chocolate coating and will work (though the look & flavor will be slightly different). 
• Make-Ahead Tips. This toffee apple dip is GREAT for making in advance, since it keeps like a dream. If making it ahead of time, I like to save the 2 Tablespoons of toffee bits for garnish until right before serving. That way I can give the dip a good stir before serving. 
• Try It With Caramel! For an ultra decadent option, you can drizzle the toffee dip with caramel sauce before garnishing with the extra toffee bits for a caramel apple effect. It’s DELICIOUS.

How To Make This Gluten-Free banana Bread, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat Oven Temperature to 350 Degrees and line a metal 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mash Bananas. If you haven’t already, mash the ripe bananas with a fork (or puree in a food processor for a super-smooth texture). Measure the mashed bananas for accuracy.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract (or ground cinnamon). Stir until well combined and cohesive.
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until almost fully combined, with just a few dry patches left.
5. Fold In Chocolate Chips. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and gently fold them in with a spatula until evenly distributed.
6. Pour Batter Into Prepared Pan and smooth the top a little so it’s even.
7. Bake 45 Minutes at 350 degrees.
8. Tent Loosely With Aluminum Foil & Bake Another 20-25 Minutes, or until the top is golden brown, a toothpick inserted in middle of the loaf comes out with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter), and the interior reaches 200 degrees F.
9. Cool & Slice. Let the banana bread cool about 5-10 minutes in the pan before lifting it out of the pan using the parchment paper handles and placing it on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and enjoy.
10. Store leftover banana bread in a bag or airtight container 1-2 days at room temperature, 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer. I like to warm slices up in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or you can use a toaster oven!

More Gluten-Free Recipes For Banana Lovers

Gluten-Free Banana Crumb Muffins

Gluten-Free Banana Cream Pie

Gluten-Free Brown Butter Banana Bread

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This one-bowl banana bread recipe is ultra moist & delicious thanks to a few simple ingredients. We love the soft, fluffy texture and chocolate in every bite! 

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3–4 bananas)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar (150 grams)
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted (85 grams)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (113 grams)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
• 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (128 grams/4.5 oz.)

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Instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees and line a metal 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Mash Bananas. If you haven’t already, mash the ripe bananas with a fork (or puree in a food processor for a super-smooth texture). Measure the mashed bananas for accuracy.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, brown sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract (or ground cinnamon). Stir until well combined and cohesive.
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until almost fully combined, with just a few dry patches left.
5. Fold In Chocolate Chips. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and gently fold them in with a spatula until evenly distributed.
6. Pour Batter Into Prepared Pan and smooth the top a little so it’s even.
7. Bake 45 Minutes at 350 degrees.
8. Tent Loosely With Aluminum Foil & Bake Another 20-25 Minutes, or until the top is golden brown, a toothpick inserted in center of the bread comes out with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter), and the interior reaches 200 degrees F. (Adding the foil prevents the bread from getting too brown)
9. Cool & Slice. Let the banana bread cool about 5-10 minutes in the pan before lifting it out of the pan using the parchment paper handles and placing it on a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Slice and enjoy.
10. Store leftover banana bread in a bag or airtight container 1-2 days at room temperature, 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer. I like to warm slices up in the microwave for 15-30 seconds, or you can use a toaster oven!

Notes

• Loaf Pan. A light-colored aluminum loaf pan will bake the most evenly and gently. If you use a glass or ceramic pan, your bake time will vary (and usually take longer)
• Is It Done? The most accurate way to tell if your banana bread is completely cooked through is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the loaf. It should reach at least 200 degrees F. to be considered fully done. (If it’s very close (198-199 degrees, you can still pull it out of the oven, as the residual heat from the pan will help it continue cooking for a few minutes.)
• Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour, but if you use another brand, make sure it contains xanthan gum, and measure carefully so you don’t add too much flour! Use a scale or the scoop & level method for best results.
• Bananas. We recommend spotty, overripe bananas (yellow with lots of brown spots). I suggest measuring mashed bananas rather than going by the number of bananas for the best results.
• Sour Cream. If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can use an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt. Don’t have either? You can add 2 Tablespoons more butter & know that your banana bread won’t be *quite* as moist as mine.
• Butter. I usually make this banana bread with salted butter, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you have.
• Freezing Tips: If you’re freezing the whole loaf to thaw later, let the banana bread cool completely. Then, wrap in plastic wrap/reusable food wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer. (The double-wrapping keeps it extra fresh!) If you prefer to freeze individual slices, lay the slices out on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze 30-40 minutes or until no longer tacky (this keeps them from sticking together!). Then, transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
• Category: Bread
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

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Start With Simple Ingredients

Snacky treats like Caramel Corn, Muddy Buddies, and Chex Mix are SO great this time of year because they’re easy to share and easy to make. Just take a look at these simple ingredients:

• Rice Chex & Corn Chex. Since we’re making a gluten-free Halloween snack mix, I use a mix of gluten-free cereals. I like mixing Rice Chex & Corn Chex for the combination of colors and flavors, though you can absolutely do all of one flavor or the other!
• Cheerios. Next up is plain Cheerios. They add a nice crunch and subtle shape. Sometimes choose the multigrain Cheerios for a bit more color. Use whichever you like!
• Gluten-Free Pretzels. Now for a little SALTY for this sweet & salty snack mix! I like the Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels for this, but Glutino gluten-free pretzels are another good choice. Some Halloween Chex Mix recipes use pretzel sticks, but I like regular pretzel twists so the shapes are a bit more uniform and easier to snack on.
• Salted Peanuts. Make sure you pick up salted peanuts made with just peanuts, oil and salt (or dry roasted peanuts with just peanuts & salt). Some salty peanuts also have other seasonings like garlic or onion that will MAJORLY throw off the flavor here. (Bleh!)
• Halloween M&Ms. Now for some cute holiday color! Halloween M&Ms in green, orange, and purple add a fun, festive touch to this Halloween snack mix and give it it’s signature spooky look! If you can’t find Halloween m&ms in grocery stores, you can just use the orange, green, and brown from a regular bag.
• White Chocolate Melts Or Vanilla Almond Bark. Lastly, to bind all the snack mix ingredients together, you’ll use a bit of vanilla almond bark (easiest to work with!), white chocolate candy melts (that come in wafers) or some white chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli or Guittard).
• Halloween Sprinkles. For a cute look at the end, you can use a few shakes of sprinkles. We love nonpareils or jimmies for this job, but check out our Sprinkles 101 post to find other shapes that can work! (Get 10% off your order at Sweetapolita with my link!) It’s also fun to add a few eyeball sprinkles if you can find them!
• A BIG Bowl! You’ll need your biggest mixing bowl to stir all this goodness together. The bigger the better!

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How To Make Halloween Chex Mix, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a sheet of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a cookie sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Halloween Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the Halloween M&Ms candy to decorate with at the end. In a very large bowl (your largest large mixing bowl), combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal mixture onto your prepared sheets of parchment in an even layer, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store Halloween Chex Mix at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Halloween Chex Mix

Our Favorite Way To Package Chex Mix For Gifting. Whenever we’re packaging up Halloween Snack Mix for giving to friends or neighbors, I like to scoop it into these large treat bags and tie it with a cute ribbon, like orange polka dot ribbon for a fun, spooky look.

What Can I Use Instead Of Peanuts? If you’ve got a peanut allergy, feel free to swap them for more cereal, pretzels, or other nuts instead. No problem!

Can I Make This Dairy-Free? If you use dairy-free white chocolate/candy coating & swap out the m&m’s for a dairy-free chocolate candy, like Unreal candies, ChocoNoNo’s or Little Secrets, this Halloween party snack mix recipe CAN be dairy-free!

More Gluten-Free Halloween Treats To Try

Gluten-Free Chex Party Mix

Gluten-Free Candy Cookie Bars

The BEST Caramel Popcorn

Recipe Card

Easy Halloween Chex Mix (Gluten-Free!)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 10 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This easy Halloween Chex Mix recipe is the perfect snack for spooky season. (Don’t miss all the yummy mix-ins for this Halloween snack mix below.) Happy snacking! 

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free pretzels (we like Snyder’s)
• 1 1/2 cups Cheerios cereal
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup Halloween M&Ms candies
• 16 oz. Vanilla Almond Bark, White Candy Melts, or White Chocolate Chips
• optional: 1 Tablespoon Halloween sprinkles

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Instructions

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a sheet of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a large baking sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Halloween Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the Halloween M&Ms candy to decorate with at the end. In a very large bowl (your largest large mixing bowl), combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a large microwavable bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted white chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal mixture onto your prepared sheets of parchment in a single layer, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store Halloween Chex Mix at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

Notes

More Mix-Ins To Try:

• Candy Corn – Brach’s & YumEarth are gluten-free!
• Candy Pumpkins – Brach’s Mallocreme pumpkins (candy corn pumpkins) are gluten-free
• Bone Sprinkles or Candy Eyes
• Peanut Butter M&Ms – try these peanut butter candies instead of regular M&Ms!
• Reese’s Pieces. Try swapping m&ms for Reeses Pieces! They’re delicious (and gluten-free!)
• Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Stuffed Pretzels (like Quinn Snacks)
• Popped Popcorn – Try swapping 2 cups of the cereal for 2 cups of popped salty popcorn
• Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups – These are TINY. Little unwrapped bite-sized baking bits.

A Trick For Pretty Chex Mix:

• Dip some pretzels first. If you really want to go all out, you can lightly dip 1/2-3/4 cup of the pretzels into the melted almond bark, sprinkle them with sprinkles, and set them aside on a piece of parchment paper to dry before pouring the rest of the melted almond bark over the cereal/pretzel/candy mixture. This will give you a few really pretty pretzels that stand out! (But this is 100% cosmetic!) You could even get purple, green, black, or orange candy melts for the pretzels!

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Start With Simple Ingredients

• Gluten-Free Flour. We’re keeping things simple with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. I highly recommend this blend from King Arthur Baking (which I use for all my muffins, cookies, brownies, etc.), but if you use another brand (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum. I do not recommend substituting in oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour in this recipe.
• Baking Soda & Salt. For just enough puff and the perfect balance of flavor.
• Warm Spices. I love a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in these apple spice muffins. SO GOOD!
• Oil. A neutral-tasting oil like avocado, canola, or vegetable oil works best. (Coconut oil will impact the flavor, so I don’t like it here.) 
• White Sugar & Brown Sugar. For moisture, sweetness & flavor.
• Unsweetened Applesauce. So what does adding applesauce to muffins do? Just like using mashed bananas or pumpkin puree, applesauce adds moisture! It also keeps these muffins sweet and fluffy.
• Eggs. Then, adding eggs helps bind the muffin batter and give them just enough rise.
• If You want: Some Grated Apple. If you don’t mind a little texture, a peeled, grated green apple adds even more apple flavor!
• Our Cinnamon Sugar Topping. I love this trick for a quick, easy finish. Top these gluten-free apple muffins with a mixture of melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and gluten-free flour. Adding that little bit of flour helps the cinnamon sugar mixture really stand out on top of the muffins!

How To Make Muffins With Applesauce, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat & Prep. Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup metal muffin tin with parchment liners or grease each muffin cup.
2. Combine The Dry Ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, combine gluten-free flour blend, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk to combine well.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Whisk to combine. Mix in applesauce, the mix in the eggs one at a time. 
4. Finish The Batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. If desired, fold in 1 cup grated apple or chopped nuts. 
5. Let The Batter Rest. For best results, let the batter rest for 30-60 minutes. This will give your muffins a MUCH bigger rise and is worth the wait!

6. Mix Up Cinnamon-Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, and flour. Stir with a fork until everything is well combined and the butter is coating all the dry crumbs. It’ll be thick and powdery. 
7. Scoop The Batter. After letting the batter rest, gently use an ice cream scoop to spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup, filling each muffin cup almost up to the top of the parchment liner. (Depending on how much the batter has expanded, you may end up having 1-2 muffins extra batter. You can bake these in a second batch.) Try to be gentle here so you don’t deflate the batter. Sprinkle tops the muffins with cinnamon sugar mixture. 
8. Bake & Cool. Put the muffins in the oven and bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 10-14 minutes, or until the muffins are done. The interior should reach at least 205 degrees F., the tops should spring back when gently pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the muffins cool 1-2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Serve & Store. Enjoy warm muffins right away, or store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in a freezer bag in the freezer up to 2 months.

Start With Simple Ingredients

• Raw Pecans. You’ll start with raw pecans (usually labeled raw pecan halves at the grocery store). Loaded with healthy fats, a little protein, and fiber, they’re perfect for this project! They easily hold up well with time in the oven and give you a better surface area for all that cinnamon-sugar goodness. If you’re gluten-free, make sure your pecans haven’t been processed on shared equipment with gluten. (Most packages will disclose this near the ingredients list.)
• Sugar. I use white sugar/cane sugar for cinnamon candied pecans. It’s got a light, lovely texture and no extras. (Brown sugar *can* work, but sometimes has a harder time drying out. It’s best to stick with white sugar here.)
• Cinnamon. Next up is plenty of cinnamon. I love the way it infuses the sugar to give every pecan a delicious cinnamon flavor. (Wondering if cinnamon is gluten-free? Get all our favorite gluten-free brands of cinnamon here)
• Salt. Kind of a not-so-secret ingredient! Using a dash of salt balances the flavors and wakes up the vanilla and cinnamon notes.
• An Egg White. The trick to old fashioned cinnamon pecans is an egg white! Egg whites help the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the crunchy pecans and gives them their signature light crunchy coating. Don’t skip it! (P.S. Don’t miss our 3 Ways To Separate Eggs tutorial if you need a refresher!)
• Vanilla Extract. Some recipes beat the egg white with water, but I’ve found that using vanilla extract adds another delicious layer of incredible flavor.

How To Make Cinnamon Pecans, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep Your Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees F. Set out a cookie sheet/sheet pan for later. (Don’t line it with parchment paper or foil–it interferes with the dehydrating process)
2. Combine The Cinnamon Sugar Mixture. In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk or stir until very well blended and set aside.
3. Froth The Egg White And Vanilla. In a large bowl, combine egg white and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg white 1-2 minutes, or until frothy. This works with a whisk, too, it’ll just take longer. You don’t want it super liquid (not enough beating) and you don’t want to whip it to stiff peaks (too much beating!)
4. Coat The Pecans. Add pecans to the frothy egg white mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir again, until all pecans are well coated with cinnamon-sugar and egg white.

5. Bake The Pecans. Spread the cinnamon sugar pecans out into a single layer on your prepared baking sheet. Roast pecans in the preheated oven at 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. (Bake the full time, or the cinnamon-sugar coating won’t be as dry and crisp as you need.)
6. Cool Completely. Remove the pecans from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before storing.
7. Serve Or Store. Store cooled cinnamon pecans in an airtight container, jar, or bag at room temperature 2 weeks, or freeze for 1 month.

Ingredients You Need To Make Muddy Buddies

• Chex Cereal. You can make gluten-free muddy buddies with either Rice Chex or Corn Chex (or a mix!). I usually go for Corn Chex or a 50/50 mix of corn and rice Chex, but this part is personal preference.
• Chocolate Chips. Most Muddy Buddy recipes recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I really love dark chocolate chips here since there’s the powdered sugar adds plenty of sweetness. Use your favorite! (Milk chocolate chips will be too sweet!)
• Peanut Butter. You can use either classic peanut butter (like Jif, Skippy, etc.) or natural peanut butter (with just peanuts + salt) to make muddy buddies. We’ve used both with great results. I do prefer creamy peanut butter/smooth peanut butter over crunchy peanut butter/chunky peanut butter.
• Butter. This helps the chocolate peanut butter mixture blend extra glossy and smooth.
• Vanilla. The subtle notes that vanilla extract adds are LOVELY!
• Salt. This is one of THE BEST things you can add to puppy chow to make it taste amazing! A little salt makes the chocolate and peanut butter flavors taste more vibrant, AND it helps balance all the sweetness from the powdered sugar! Speaking of which…
• Powdered Sugar. Last, but not least, you’ll need some powdered sugar. After coating the cereal in a melty chocolate peanut butter mixture, you’ll toss it in powdered sugar to coat it. This powdered sugar coating gives muddy buddies their signature look!

How To Make Gluten-Free Muddy Buddies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Measure Cereal. Add the cereal to a very large bowl, (your largest mixing bowl!) and set aside. 
2. Melt. In a medium or small microwavable bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Melt in the microwave in 15-20 second increments, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add in the vanilla and salt and stir to combine. (If you prefer, you can melt these ingredients together in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat))
3. Coat. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal and gently stir with a spatula to coat the cereal evenly with the chocolate peanut butter mixture. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so the chocolate mixture ends up on the cereal, not the bowl! (You want all the cereal pieces coated with chocolate peanut butter goodness!)
4. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and stir to coat the cereal evenly in the powdered sugar. 
5. Optional: Chill. If you’d like to form clusters, chill the muddy buddies in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30 minutes. (This goes faster if you spread the coated cereal mixture out in a single layer on a large baking sheet or pan lined with parchment paper.) 
6. Serve & Store. Enjoy right away, or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. 

OR, USE A BAG. Alternatively, you can add the cereal and other ingredients to a large ziploc bag/plastic bag to combine them, but I find you lose a lot of the chocolate mixture to the sides of the bag and it’s harder to see if the cereal has been evenly coated. If you’re using this method, add cereal to the large bag. Pour chocolate mixture over the cereal in the bag. Seal the bag and shake to coat the cereal. Add powdered sugar, close bag, and shake to coat with powdered sugar. 

3 Secrets For The Best Gluten-Free Puppy Chow

1. Switch Up Your Ratios

Our gluten-free muddy buddy recipe uses a slightly different recipe than the original Chex Muddy Buddies recipe. We use a little less cereal, a little more peanut butter, and we add salt to balance the flavors. This helps each piece of cereal get more fully coated in the chocolate peanut butter mixture and makes the flavor even better!

2. Use A Bowl

If you really want to coat the cereal evenly, the best way is to use a large mixing bowl instead of a large ziplock bag for mixing. When you use a bag, some of the chocolate mixture ends up sticking to the sides of the bag instead of the cereal. When you use a bowl, you can scrape up every last bit of the chocolate peanut butter mixture and get it on the cereal! It’s also easier to see when everything’s been coated evenly.

3. Try Chilling Them!

My family often popped our puppy chow in the fridge or freezer to help it set up faster. This also helps you get delicious muddy buddy clusters since some pieces will set together as they chill. YUM. These are THE BEST!

Simple Ingredients To Start

• Oil. I recommend a neutral-tasting oil (like canola oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil) for zucchini bread so you don’t impact the flavor. I don’t recommend coconut oil, since it’ll overpower the flavor. See the FAQ if you’d rathe use butter!
• Sugar & Brown Sugar. I like using a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar for zucchini bread, since the molasses in brown sugar adds an extra layer of rich flavor, and keeps the bread super moist.
• Sour Cream. Adding some sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt!) is another way to make moist zucchini bread. The acidity also brightens up the other flavors, so win-win!
• Eggs. To help bind the batter together.
• Vanilla Extract. I love the notes of vanilla in every bite. Yum!
• Cinnamon & Nutmeg. In my opinion, the best zucchini bread has plenty of spices! I love this mix of flavors.
• Shredded Zucchini. No need to squeeze out the excess liquid in this easy recipe!
• Gluten-Free Flour. Keeping things simple with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. We love this King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour for all our quick breads, brownies, cookies, and more! If you use another blend (like Bob’s Red Mill), be sure it contains xanthan gum, or your zucchini bread won’t turn out correctly. Don’t try to substitute in coconut flour or almond flour (they won’t work here).
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda. For just the right puff.
• Salt. To balance the flavors.
• Optional: Chocolate Chips or Walnuts. I love to add chocolate chips to my zucchini bread because they taste delicious, but if you prefer to make gluten-free zucchini bread with walnuts or pecans, you can swap those in instead!

How To Make Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread, Step By Step

1. Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Line. a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper. (This makes it easier to lift out later.)
2. Combine Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk or mix until well combined.
3. Mix In Zucchini. Add the zucchini to the wet ingredients and stir to distribute the zucchini evenly.
4. Add Dry Ingredients. Next, add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Gently stir until the flour is almost entirely mixed in (with just a few floury patches left).
5. Fold In Chocolate Chips. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until the chocolate chips are evenly mixed in and there are no dry patches left. Try not to over-mix. Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared pan and smooth out on top. (Feel free to add a few extra chocolate chips on top!)
6. Bake 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. (There shouldn’t be any wet or gooey batter.) After putting the zucchini bread in the oven, set a timer for 30 minutes and loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get too brown. Continue baking another 30-40 minutes, or until the bread is done.
7. Cool 1 Hour. Let the zucchini bread cool 1 hour in the pan before lifting out of the pan to cool on a cooling rack.
8. Serve & Store. When the zucchini bread has cooled, you can cut it into individual slices. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days. Or, you can wrap the whole loaf in plastic wrap, place it in an freezer bag and freeze up to 1 month. 

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

How To Keep Zucchini Bread From Getting Too Brown. There are a lot of natural sugars (and some added sugar!) in zucchini bread, so it has a tendency to brown quickly. To keep zucchini bread from burning, you can tent it with foil about halfway through baking. I recommend setting a timer for 30 minutes, tenting the zucchini bread loosely (don’t seal the foil around the edges of the pan), and then let it bake another 30-40 minutes, or until it’s done.

What’s The Best Way To Grate Zucchini? A food processor! Seriously, you can grate zucchini in SECONDS with a food processor and a grating blade. If you don’t have one, feel free to use a box grater to get the job done! (We made a whole zucchini grating tutorial to walk you through everything you need to know.)

Do I Need To Squeeze The Water Out Of Zucchini For Zucchini Bread? Some recipes call for you to squeeze the excess moisture out of the grated zucchini with paper towels or cheesecloth. You should only do this if your recipe calls for it. This recipe was created NOT to need the zucchini squeezed. For best results, always follow what your recipe advises, since it can impact the ratio of wet:dry ingredients in the recipe.

Should I Peel Zucchini For Zucchini Bread? Nope! There’s no need to peel the zucchini before baking. It will soften during cooking and give baked goods like gf zucchini bread and zucchini muffins their signature green flecks.

Can I Use Butter Instead of Oil For Zucchini Bread? Yes, just keep in mind that oil is 100% fat, where butter is 80% fat, so the bread won’t be as moist unless you make other adjustments to the recipe.

Recipe Card

Simple Ingredients

• Rice Chex & Corn Chex. Since we’re making a gluten-free chex mix recipe, I use a mix of gluten-free cereals. I like mixing Rice Chex & Corn Chex for the combination of colors and flavors, though you can absolutely do all of one flavor or the other!
• Cheerios. Next up is plain Cheerios. They add a nice crunch and subtle shape. Sometimes choose the multigrain Cheerios for a bit more color. Use whichever you like!
• Gluten-Free Pretzels. Now for a little SALTY! I like the Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels for this, but Glutino gluten-free pretzels are another good choice. Some 4th of July Chex Mix recipes use pretzel sticks, but I like regular pretzel twists so the shapes are a bit more uniform and easier to snack on.
• Salted Peanuts. I love sweet and salty snacks! Make sure you pick up salted peanuts that are made with just peanuts, oil and salt (or dry roasted peanuts with just peanuts & salt). Some salty peanuts also have other seasonings like garlic or onion that will MAJORLY throw off the flavor. (Bleh!)
• Red, White & Blue M&Ms. Now for some cute holiday color! Red, White and Blue M&Ms add a fun touch of patriotic colors to this festive 4th of July snack mix and give it it’s signature Independence day look! If you can’t find red, white, and blue m&ms, you can just use the red and blue m&ms from a regular bag.
• White Chocolate Melts Or Vanilla Almond Bark. Lastly, to bind all the snack mix ingredients together, you’ll use a bit of vanilla almond bark (easiest to work with!), white chocolate candy melts (that come in wafers) or some white chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli or Guittard).
• Red, White, and Blue Sprinkles. For a cute look at the end, you can use a few shakes of sprinkles. We love nonpareils or jimmies for this job, but check out our Sprinkles 101 post to find other shapes that can work! (Get 10% off your order at Sweetapolita with my link!)
• A BIG Bowl! You’ll need your biggest mixing bowl to stir all this goodness together. The bigger the better!

How To Make Red, White & Blue Snack Mix, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a few sheets of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a cookie sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Red, White & Blue Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the red white and blue M&M candy to decorate with at the end. In a very large bowl (your largest large mixing bowl), combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second increments, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal into a single layer on your prepared sheets of parchment, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best 4th of July Chex mix

What Can I Use Instead Of Peanuts? If you’ve got a peanut allergy, feel free to swap them for more cereal, pretzels, or other nuts instead.

Our Favorite Way To Package Chex Mix For Gifting. Whenever we’re packaging up Patriotic Chex Mix for giving to friends or neighbors, I like to scoop it into these large treat bags and tie it with a cute ribbon, like red and white striped ribbon, red polka dot ribbon, or red velvet ribbon for a fun, patriotic look.

Can I Make This Dairy-Free? If you use dairy-free white chocolate/candy coating & swap out the m&m’s for a dairy-free chocolate candy, like Unreal candies, ChocoNoNo’s or Little Secrets, this 4th of July snack mix recipe CAN be dairy-free!

Variations & Substitutions: Feel free to add other mix-ins! Sometimes I’ll swap the milk chocolate m&ms for peanut butter m&ms (so good!) or add a handful or two of gluten-free peanut butter stuffed pretzel nuggets at the end. Some people even like mini marshmallows, or red white & blue candy corn, though that tends to run a bit sweet for my taste. You can also substitute 2 cups of the Chex for plain popped popcorn!

More 4th Of July Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Gluten-Free Strawberry Crisp

Gluten-Free S’mores Bars

WE

4th of July Chex Mix (Red White & Blue!)

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

• Author: Emily Dixon, Sweets & Thank You
• Total Time: 15
• Yield: 9–10 cups 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Our crispy, crunchy Gluten-Free Patriotic Chex Mix recipe is an easy summer treat to share with friends. Don’t miss our tips for making it extra pretty below!

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Rice Chex Cereal
• 2 cups Corn Chex Cereal
• 1 1/2 cups Cheerios Cereal
• 2 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Pretzels, like Snyder’s Gluten-Free* (I prefer twists over sticks)
• 1 cup Salted Peanuts (just salted, not seasoned peanuts)
• 1 cup red, white & blue M&Ms candies* (I use milk chocolate, or peanut butter m&ms)
• 16 ounces Vanilla Almond Bark, White Candy Melts, or White Chocolate Chips**

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Instructions

1. Prep Your Station. Spread out a few sheets of parchment paper (I like to put mine on a baking sheet for stability, but feel free to spread the parchment out on your counter).
2. Combine The Red, White & Blue Chex Mix Ingredients. Set aside half of the M&Ms to decorate with at the end. In your largest large bowl, combine rice Chex, corn Chex, Cheerios, gluten-free pretzels, half of the m&ms, and the peanuts (if using).
3. Melt The White Chocolate Coating. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt vanilla almond bark in 20-30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until the white chocolate coating is smooth and has no lumps. (You can also do this on the stovetop in a double boiler, if you prefer)
4. Drizzle & Stir. Pour the melted vanilla bark/candy melts over the cereal mixture and quickly stir to combine. (You want to coat everything well with the white chocolate mixture, but work quickly since the candy melts will start to cool and harden.)
5. Spread Out, Sprinkle & Cool. Transfer the coated cereal onto your prepared sheets of parchment, and immediately sprinkle on the second half of the red, white & blue m&ms and the sprinkles (if using), and let it cool to set. It will form some clusters as it cools. I like to leave some larger sections and some smaller sections rather than breaking it all up.
6. Serve & Store. Once the chocolate is all set, enjoy it right away, or transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature on the counter up to 1 week.

Notes

*3 Tricks For Prettier Presentation:

1. First, consider holding back a handful or two of the m&m candies and adding those after you spread the Chex Mix out to dry. Then some of the m&ms will be coated in the white chocolate and some will be easily visible. Since we want people to know we’re making this Chex mix with m&ms, it makes the red, pink, and white pop more!
2. Second, add a few sprinkles. Just a little sprinkle of some nonpareil sprinkles or jimmies sprinkles adds a fun, festive touch! 100% unnecessary flavor-wise, but 100% cute looks-wise!
3. Dip some pretzels first. If you really want to go all out, you can lightly dip 1/2-3/4 cup of the pretzels into the melted almond bark, sprinkle them with sprinkles, and set them aside on a piece of parchment paper to dry before pouring the rest of the melted almond bark over the cereal/pretzel/candy mixture. This will give you a few really pretty pretzels that stand out! (But this is 100% cosmetic!)

**If you use chocolate chips instead of candy melts/almond bark, you may want to add 1 Tablespoon of oil or coconut oil to help it melt more smoothly.

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 2
• Category: Dessert
• Method: No-Bake
• Cuisine: American

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PS – LOVE a seasonal snack mix? Try our Bunny Bait for Easter, this Valentine’s Chex Mix, or our classic Christmas Chex!

Simple Ingredients To Get Started

• Corn Chex Or Rice Chex. Both corn Chex and rice Chex are gluten-free, and PERFECT for making gluten-free muddy buddies! Either flavor will work here, though rice Chex will give you the most neutral flavor and color. (That’s what I used for my photos, but I’ve done it both ways!)
• Gluten-Free Oreos. Regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free, but Oreo makes gluten-free Oreos that work great for this recipe. You can also use one of these brands of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies. (We like Glutino and Goodie Girl!)
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. For the chocolate “cookies” half of the recipe, I prefer semisweet chocolate chips. (You can absolutely use milk chocolate chips for sweeter treat or dark chocolate chips for a more intense chocolate flavor.)
• White Chocolate Chips. Then, for the “cream” half of these cookies and cream muddy buddies, you’ll need white chocolate chips. My absolute favorite are Hershey’s premier white chocolate chips, but you can use your favorite! Guittard and Ghirardelli both melt well and are my back-up choices.
• Powdered Sugar. This will help coat the cereal and give it that signature look.
• A Little Oil. This helps the chocolate spread out better. White chocolate chips, especially, tend to melt less well and end up thicker, which can be difficult to work with. The oil makes this much easier!
• A Pinch of Salt. A little salt is the secret to the BEST muddy buddies! I add some to all my Muddy Buddy recipes and it’s a game changer. It’s that little extra something that balances the flavors and intensifies the chocolate and vanilla notes beautifully.

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How To Make Oreo Muddy Buddies, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

Start With The “Cookies” Half

1. Divide The Cereal. Divide Chex cereal in half. Place half the cereal into a large mixing bowl (or gallon-size zip-top bag) and the other half in a second mixing bowl (or gallon size bag). I find it easier to mix and coat the cereal by stirring it in a bowl, but if you prefer to shake yours in a bag, you absolutely can!
2. Crush Oreos. Next, pulse gluten-free Oreos in a food processor or place them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or measuring cup to a fine powder. These will be used to coat the “cookies” half of the recipe.
3. Make The Crumb Mixture & Powdered Sugar Mixture. Add 2 Tablespoons of the cookie crumbs to the powdered sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of the crumbs mixture to the powdered sugar and set aside. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to both the crumbs mixture and the powdered sugar mixture.
4. Melt The Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the semisweet chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon oil in 15-20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
5. Make The “Cookies” Half. Working quickly, pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal in the first bowl and stir to coat well. (If using a bag, pour the chocolate over the cereal in one bag, seal the bag with as much air in it as possible, and shake to coat the cereal well.) When the cereal is coated in chocolate, quickly add the crushed Oreo crumbs to the bowl (or bag) and stir (or shake) to coat the cereal in cookie crumbs.

Finish with the “Cream” half

1. Make The White Chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, gently melt the white chocolate chips with the remaining 3 teaspoons oil in 15-20-second increments, stirring after each interval, until the white chocolate is smooth and glossy.
2. Make The “Cream” Half. Working quickly, pour the melted white chocolate mixture over the cereal in the second bowl and stir to coat well. (If using a bag, pour the white chocolate over the cereal in the second bag, seal the bag with as much air in it as possible, and shake to coat the cereal well.) When the cereal is coated in white chocolate, quickly add the powdered sugar mixture to the bowl (or bag) and stir (or shake) to coat the cereal in powdered sugar. (There will likely be some leftover powdered sugar. This will help coat the Oreo cereal as you combine them later)
3. Finish The Snack Mix. You should now have half the recipe covered in chocolate and cookie crumbs and half the recipe in white chocolate and powdered sugar. Combine the two halves in a large serving bowl or a sheet pan and mix in the chopped Oreos to finish.
4. Serve & Store. Oreo Muddy Buddies are best enjoyed within 2-3 days. Cover the mix and store in an airtight container or bag at room temperature up to 3 days. (Or freeze for even longer storage!)

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies

Stay Celiac Safe! If you’re gluten-free (or making this for someone who is), be sure to use gluten-free Oreos or one of these brands of gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies. Regular Oreos are NOT gluten-free!

Bowl VS Bag. The classic method for mixing up Muddy Buddies is using large gallon-size bags to shake and combine the cereal and coating. I actually find it easier to work with to put it into large mixing bowls to stir. There are trade-offs for each method (bags = more plastic waste & easily portable, with less dish washing. Bowls = easier to mix, less plastic, more dish washing). No judgement either way!

Having Trouble Melting The Chocolate? Different brands of white chocolate chips have different percentages of fat. More fat = easier to melt! If your white chocolate chips aren’t melting easily, you can add 1/2 teaspoon or so of extra canola, coconut, or vegetable oil to help it melt better. (This shouldn’t impact the taste!)

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