Valentine’s Chex Mix
Valentine’s Chex Mix is the perfect no-bake sweet treat for Valentine’s Day! This delicious snack mix combines two kinds of Chex cereal, Cheerios, salty pretzels, M&Ms, and roasted peanuts in a vanilla coating before being topped with more chocolate candies and festive sprinkles. Adults and kids alike will love this Valentine’s Day snack – it’s sure to be a hit at any Valentine’s Day party or family gathering!
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to get creative with snacks and treats! This no-bake, sweet snack mix is a fun and delicious way to celebrate the special day.
It features crunchy Chex cereal, Cheerios, pretzels, Valentine’s M&M’s candy, peanuts, and cute sprinkles. It’s a tasty treat for kids of all ages and makes a great after-school snack or adorable gift for school parties.
With just a few ingredients this no-bake recipe comes together in minutes – it will quickly become your go-to Valentine’s Day dessert!
How to Make Valentine’s Chex Mix:
We love to make this snack mix as a holiday dessert the whole family will enjoy! It’s so easy to prepare and takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish.
See the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full instructions.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, and set aside.
- Place the Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Cheerios, pretzels, peanuts, and 1 cup of M&Ms into a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl, heat the vanilla melting wafers on half power in 30-second intervals until smooth. Stir every 15 to 20 seconds to ensure the wafers don’t burn.
- Pour the melting wafers over the snack mix ingredients, and work quickly to stir until well coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
- Add the remaining M&Ms and the sprinkles before the coating starts to cool.
- Let the snack mix set for about 30 minutes to allow the vanilla coating to solidify.
Tips for Success:
- Use parchment or wax paper to line the baking sheet for easier cleanup.
- Work quickly when stirring in the vanilla melting wafers so that they don’t begin to set up.
- Give the Valentine’s Chex Mix time to set before serving, at least 30 minutes should do it! Otherwise, the vanilla coating will be sticky and messy.
- Feel free to substitute different cereals and mix-ins depending on your preferences.
- If you are packaging up Valentine’s Chex Mix as a gift, add some festive ribbon or Valentine’s decorations for a pretty presentation!
- Omit the peanuts if desired and replace them with ½ cup of cereal, pretzels, or candy.
- Melt extra vanilla wafers or white chocolate for drizzling the snack mix.
- Double the melting wafers for extra vanilla coating.
Storage:
Room temperature: Store leftover Valentine’s Chex Mix in a sealable container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Freezer: Freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.
What if I can’t find Itty Bitty Mini pretzels?
Several large grocery store chains, as well as Amazon, sell Itty Bitty Mini Pretzels. If you can’t locate them, it’s ok.
Use mini pretzel twists instead. You could even use pretzel sticks or regular-sized pretzels broken into smaller pieces.
The Itty Bitty Minis are great because they’re already the same size as the other ingredients, but they are easy to substitute.
What are vanilla melting wafers?
We use Ghiradelli brand vanilla melting wafers that are made specifically for melting, dipping, drizzling, etc. We prefer these to white baking chips or other candy melts for this recipe.
The vanilla melting wafers melt so smoothly without the need for vegetable oil or coconut oil. The coating also sets up nicely as it cools.
White baking chips are the next best thing if you’re looking for a substitute. You’ll need almost two (12-ounce) bags to yield the same results.
Is it possible to substitute different cereals and mix-ins?
Yes, absolutely! Just try to keep the amounts the same or adjust the amount of melting wafers to compensate. Here are a few mix-in ideas:
- Mini marshmallows
- Mini chocolate chips
- Cinnamon Cheerios
- Cinnamon Chex
- Plain popcorn
More Desserts Perfect for Valentine’s Day:
Ingredients
- 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup Itty Bitty Mini pretzels
- 1 cup plain Cheerios
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 10 ounce(s) Valentine’s M&M’s, 1 bag, divided
- 10 ounce(s) vanilla melting wafers
- 2 Tbsp. Valentine sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
- Place the Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Cheerios, pretzels, peanuts, and 1 cup of M&Ms into a large mixing bowl.2 cups Corn Chex cereal2 cups Rice Chex cereal1 cup Itty Bitty Mini pretzels1 cup plain Cheerios½ cup roasted peanuts
- In a small bowl, heat the melting wafers on half power in 30-second intervals until smooth. Stir every 15 to 20 seconds so they don’t burn.10 ounce(s) vanilla melting wafers
- Pour the melting wafers over the cereal mixture, and work quickly to stir until well coated.
- Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it into an even layer.
- Add the remaining M&Ms and Valentine sprinkles over the top before the coating starts to cool.2 Tbsp. Valentine sprinkles
- Let the snack mix set for about 30 minutes to allow the vanilla coating to solidify. Enjoy!
- Scroll up and see the post for tips, FAQs, and storage options.