Looking for the perfect patriotic treat to serve at your Summer parties? This easy 4th of July Snack Mix is colorful, crunchy, sweet, and completely addictive! Made with crispy Rice Chex cereal, creamy candy melts, powdered sugar, and patriotic M&M’s, this no-bake snack comes together in minutes and is always a huge hit at cookouts, pool parties, fireworks, and backyard BBQs.
This patriotic Chex mix is a sweet dessert snack made with Rice Chex cereal coated in melted candy and tossed in powdered sugar. It’s inspired by classic muddy buddies (also called puppy chow), but decorated with red, white, and blue colors for the patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and Independence day.
Whether you package it up for party favors, serve it in a big bowl for guests to snack on, or make it for a movie night while watching fireworks, this patriotic snack mix disappears fast every single time! The crunchy cereal paired with the creamy candy coating creates the perfect sweet treat for sharing during Summer gatherings.
Why You’ll Love This 4th of July Snack Mix
- Quick and easy to make – You’ll only need 10-15 minutes to whip this up – so easy!
- No baking required – This is the perfect quick treat to make for your dessert table without having to turn on your oven.
- Perfect for patriotic parties and cookouts – The bright red, white, and blue colors instantly make any dessert table look festive and fun.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll only need 4-ingredients to make this delicious patriotic muddy buddies recipe (get the full amounts in the recipe card below).
- Rice Chex cereal – Corn Chex or Crispix cereal also work well in this recipe.
- Candy melts – You need the colors red and blue. Any shades of these colors will work.
- Powdered sugar– I like to sift the powdered sugar first to prevent clumps.
- M&M’s – Red, blue and white patriotic M&M’s.
How to Make 4th of July Snack Mix
This takes only 10-15 minutes to make!
- Prepare the Cereal. Divide the Rice Chex cereal evenly into two large mixing bowls.
- Melt the Candy. Melt the red candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each heating until smooth. Repeat with the blue candy melts in a separate bowl.
- Coat the Cereal. Pour the melted red candy over one bowl of cereal and gently stir until evenly coated. Repeat with the blue candy melts and the remaining cereal.
- Add Powdered Sugar. Transfer each coated cereal mixture into separate large zip-top bags with powdered sugar. Seal the bags and gently shake until the cereal is fully coated.
- Cool and Combine. Spread the cereal onto parchment paper or wax paper and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes to fully set.
- Add M&M’s. Combine the red and blue coated cereal together in a large serving bowl and stir in the patriotic M&M’s.
Serve immediately or store for later snacking!
Tips & Variations
- Use Fresh Cereal. Fresh, crispy cereal gives the best crunch and helps the coating stick properly. You can also use other cereal like Cheerios, etc…
- Don’t Overheat the Candy Melts. Heat the candy slowly to keep it smooth and creamy. Overheating can cause it to become thick or clumpy.
- Let it Fully Set. Allowing the snack mix to cool completely keeps the powdered sugar coating from becoming sticky.
- Add Extra Mix-Ins. Want to customize your 4th of July Chex Mix?
Try adding these additions:
- Mini marshmallows
- Pretzels – pretzel sticks or twists.
- Salted Peanuts
- White chocolate chips
- Sprinkles
- Mini cookies
Another yummy version of this is to make our Patriotic S’mores snack mix!
Storing and Serving
Store your 4th of July Snack Mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Serve. You can also package it into individual treat bags for party favors or holiday gifts. Perfect for 4th of July parties, Memorial Day cookouts, Summer BBQs, pool parties, fireworks celebrations, camping trips or movie nights!
4th of July Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 4 cups Rice Chex cereal divided
- 1 cup red candy melts
- 1 cup blue candy melts
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- 2/3 cup patriotic M&M's
Instructions
- Line a 9×13 baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place 2 cups of the Chex in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, place the red candy melts. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping every 30 seconds to stir the candy melts so they don’t burn. Once the candy melts are smooth when stirred, without lumps, drizzle them over the top of the Chex cereal and gently mix until the cereal is fully coated. Be patient or you’ll break all your cereal.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup powdered sugar over the chocolate coated cereal while it’s still wet, and using rubber gloves, gently toss the cereal before adding another ¼ cup powdered sugar and tossing again so they’re nice and coated.
- Place the muddy buddies on one side of the prepared baking sheet and roughly spread them to dry (this doesn’t have to be flat or perfect). Repeat steps 2-6 for the blue candy melts.
- Allow the muddy buddies to rest on the pan for 10 minutes. Place the muddy buddies in a serving bowl and toss in the M&M’s. Enjoy!
Last Step:
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