Valentine Snack Mix
Show your loved ones you care with this Valentine snack mix! Bursting with strawberry white chocolate flavor coating your favorite cereal, pretzels, popcorn, and more, it's the ultimate Valentine's Day treat for family, friends, and kids.
This Valentine Snack Mix recipe is sponsored by Lily’s Sweets. All thoughts are my own. Thank you so much for supporting brands that make The Fit Peach possible!
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Ahh, Valentine's Day - aka the holiday where it's socially acceptable to enjoy chocolate every hour of the day. My favorite kind of holiday!
Although a box of chocolate, candy hearts, or a bundle of flowers sound incredible, a handful of white chocolate salty snack mix sounds even better ;). Bonus points because this sweet & salty treat is made with nutrient-dense mix-ins like wheat cereal, popcorn, nuts, and more AND is naturally colored pink with the help of freeze dried strawberries. The best of both worlds if you ask me!
For more Valentine's Day treats, check out my gluten-free Valentine's Day sugar cookies, strawberry mini pop tarts, and Valentine's Day cookie bars.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- White chocolate chips - The star of the snack mix show! I used Lily's White Chocolate style baking chips which have no added sugar and effortlessly melt into a silky smooth deliciousness.
- Cereal - I like to use wheat biscuit cereal for the added crunch but chex mix will work too.
- Popcorn - Air popped sea salt pop corn works best as the flavor won't overpower the white chocolate coating. Butter popcorn will work too.
- Pretzels - You can't have a salty sweet snack without pretzels! I used normal-sized pretzel twists and broke them into smaller pieces. Mini pretzel twists or even pretzel sticks work too.
- Nuts - Roasted cashews and pecans are great with the snack mix. Peanuts or slivered almonds would also be a great option. Feel free to omit the nuts and swap with another type of cereal or more popcorn to make the snack mix nut free.
- Freeze dried strawberries - The secret the the pretty pink hue. Freeze dried raspberries will also work. Fresh berries won't work in this recipe.
Step by step instructions
Step 1 : Add the mix-ins to a bowl and toss. Use a large bowl as this is where everything will be mixed together.
Step 2 : Melt the white chocolate. This can be tricky as white chocolate is not actually real chocolate. I highly recommend using a double boiler or making your own by placing a skillet or pot on top of a pot of simmering water. The indirect heat from the hot water will effortlessly melt the white chocolate without burning it. Keep the heat on low and stir continuously until you reach a silky smooth consistency.
If needed, add a little spoonful of coconut oil to help thin out the mixture.
Step 3 : Fold in the freeze dried strawberries. You only need a little bit here depending on how bright you want your pink hue. I like to use the powder at the bottom of the bag and save the large pieces to mix into the snack mix later. You can also crush up some of the bigger pieces into a powder.
Gently stir the strawberry powder into the white chocolate until you get a light pink hue with little specks of red throughout.
Step 4 : Toss the snack mix with the melted strawberry white chocolate. Add some of the extra freeze dried strawberries to the bowl with the mix-ins. Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and gently toss until every piece is coated.
Step 5 : Let the snack mix set. Pour the snack mix onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it set at room temperature for at least an hour until the chocolate has set.
When ready to enjoy, break the snack mix up into small pieces and dig in!
Expert Tips
- Use crunchy salty mix-ins. The key to a good snack mix is a good ratio of sweet to salty. The white chocolate and strawberry flavor add the sweetness so the saltiness needs to come from the mix-ins.
- Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. I have personally tried melting white chocolate many times with just a skillet on the stove or in the microwave and it does-not-work. White chocolate isn't real chocolate so you need the tiniest amount of heat to get it to melt down. If you don't have a double boiler, make your own by placing a skillet on top of a pot of simmering water.
- Crush up the freeze dried strawberries for best color results. I like to use the powder at the bottom of the bag. Or you can make your own powder by crushing up some pieces with your hands. The powder is what gives the white chocolate a subtle pink hue. You only need 1 - 2 tablespoon of crushed strawberries. Any more than that and you risk the chocolate becoming too thick.
- Coat the mix-ins well with the white chocolate. This is what binds everything together! Use a rubber spatula to really toss everything together and make sure every pieces has a little bit of chocolate on it.
- Allow the snack mix to set in an even layer, not in a giant pile. Spread the mixture onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and use a spatula to make sure everything is in one even layer.
Variations
The best thing about this snack mix has to be that there are SO many ways to make it!
- Add some Valentine's Day M&Ms or candy for more pops of color.
- Use some Cherrio's for more crunchy mix-ins. The strawberry flavor would be great in this mix too!
- Add a dusting of your favorite Valentine's Day sprinkles over top of the mixture as it's setting on the baking pan for a more festive flare.
- Toss in some candy conversation hearts too!
How to Store
Store the white chocolate snack mix in an airtight container or jar. It will keep for up to 5 days out on the counter or a week in the fridge. When the white chocolate is melted as directed, it will stay solid at room temperature!
I don't recommend freezing this as it will become too hard to eat and will melt.
For more fun sweet snack ideas, check out my:
PS : If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star review and comment below! Also be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Pinterest to stay up to date on all tasty recipes here at The Fit Peach!
Recipe
Valentine Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups wheat biscuit cereal
- 2 cups popcorn
- 1 cup pretzel twists - broken into smaller pieces
- 1 cup nuts - any mixture will work, I used cashews and pecans
- 9 oz bag Lily’s White Chocolate Style Baking Chips
- .8 oz bag freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the wheat biscuit cereal, popcorn, pretzel pieces, and nuts. Gently toss to mix. Set bowl aside.
- Melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, make your own by placing a skillet on top of a pot of simmering water. The indirect heat will effortlessly melt the white chocolate. Stir continuously until it reaches a silky smooth consistency. If needed, add a little spoonful of coconut oil to help thin it out.
- Add 1 - 2 tablespoon of freeze dried strawberry powder to the white chocolate. I like to use the powder at the bottom of the bag but you can also crush up a few big pieces with your hands to create a powder. Gently fold into the melted white chocolate until you reach your desired pink hue. It will be subtle but with specks of red throughout!
- Add the remaining freeze dried strawberries to the bowl with the mix-ins. Pour the melted strawberry white chocolate into the bowl and gently toss to coat. Mix until each piece is coated in the melted chocolate.
- Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment and spread it out into an even layer. Let it set out on the counter for at least an hour until the chocolate has set. You can speed this up by placing the pan in the fridge too.
- Once set, break the snack mix up into smaller pieces and dig in! Store in an airtight container or jar out on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
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