Red White And Blue Trail Mix - 4th of July Snack Mix

Red White and Blue Trail Mix recipe is homemade sweet and crunchy cereal coated in white candy coating and loaded with festive M&Ms, and salty pretzels. Soft mini marshmallows too. This 4th of July Snack Mix is going to be a hit at your party.

This recipe is always one of my go to 4th of July recipes.  I can't wait to hear your thoughts about this 4th of July Trail Mix.

I love the 4th of July. It’s one of my favorite holidays. Every year we throw a giant pool party and family cookout. We buy our own fireworks and enjoy family time together.

The kids always get hungry between dinner and the fireworks, so I make this Red, White, and Blue Trail Mix that keeps the munchy happy. They can grab a handful and then go back to playing kickball.

I think the kids would be disappointed if I showed up at the party without the 4th of July Snack Mix one year. I might not even let me in the door. 

If you are planning to feed this snack mix to small children, I recommend making individual servings with your trail mix. You can use snack size storage bags or even use 4 oz plastic cups.

I like to use short, clear cups when I am feeding little ones that are on the go. You could even use these clear cups with Red, White and Blue designs on them. They are so fun and festive.

What is candy coating, and where do I buy it

Candy coating is a smooth melting candy similar to chocolate that is used in baking. Candy coating typically contains oils such as palm kernel oil.

Therefore, it melts smoothly and sticks to your food well. Candy coating comes in a variety of colors. For this recipe, you will need a white candy coating. You can purchase candy coating at big box stores or craft stores.

If you want to save a trip to the store, you can even buy it online here like I do. 

Candy coating comes in block or wafer foam. You can use either foam for this recipe. I like to use the wafer form before it melts faster. 

The difference between candy coating and chocolate is that when you are using real chocolate, you need to temper your chocolate by adding oil to make sure that your chocolate is smooth enough for dipping.

With candy coating, you do not need to add anything. You just melt your candy coating and dip. 

You definitely want to buy candy coating instead of chocolate for your 4th of July snack mix. 

Can I melt the candy coating in the microwave

Yes, you can also melt your candy coating in the microwave. If you would like to use the microwave instead, place your candy coating in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 30 seconds at a time.

Be sure to stir your candy coating every 30 seconds until the coating is completely melted and smooth. 

I prefer to melt my candy coating on the stove on medium-low heat. While you are heating your candy coating, you will need to stir often to prevent sticking and burning.

While heating your candy coating on the stove, don’t walk away from the stove. Your candy coating may darken slightly as the candy coating melts. 

If you have a double boiler, that can prevent your candy coating from darkening if you use it to melt candy coating. If you want to use a double broiler to make your candy coating fill the bottom of your double boiler with about two cups of water.

Reheat until boiling and then adding your melting candy coating, and stir often until it is completely melted and smooth.

What other items could I add to this 4th of July snack mix recipe

The options that you can add to your snack mix are endless but here are a few suggestions for you

• Peanuts 
• Bite size licorice pieces 
• Peanut M&M’s 
• White chocolate chips
• Dried fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, and bananas
• Chocolate or yogurt covered raisins

Can I make Red White and blue Trail Mix ahead

This Red White and Blue Trail Mix recipe is great first after it dries. But, you can also make up to 4 days in advance. Just make sure that you eat this delicious tasty treat within four days of when you make it.

I don’t think you will have a problem with having leftovers though, they should disappear quickly if your house is anything like mine. 

I think making your 4th of July trail mix about 24 hours ahead is ideal. But, the trick is getting your family not to eat the entire batch during that 24 hours. Hopefully, you have better luck than I do with this task. 

Where to find ingredients for Red White and Blue Snack mix 

You can purchase all the ingredients for your Red White and Blue snack mix at your local grocery store. It does not matter if you are purchasing store brand items for your recipe or if you want to purchase name brand.

No matter which brand item you choose, your red white and blue snack mix will still be delicious. 

If you don’t want to make a trip to the grocery store to pick the ingredients, you can do like I did and order them to be delivered from Amazon Fresh.

I use Amazon Fresh for many of my grocery deliveries because they can deliver in as little as two hours. That’s faster than I can drive myself to the store, shop, and get back home. 

How do I store this 4th of July trail mix

You want to store your 4th of July trail mix in the fridge. It is essential that you keep your trail mix in a tightly covered airtight container.

You can use storage bags or even a Rubbermaid type container. It doesn’t matter which type of container you use to store your snack mix. You just need to make sure that it is away from the air.

Air will make your snack mix become stale. Also, be sure to keep your snack mix away from heat sources. Candy coating melts at a lower temperature than chocolate, so keep it cool to avoid melting. 

Your Red White and Blue trail mix will store well in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

Should I chop up my pretzel twists

You only need to chop up your pretzels if you are using large pretzel twists. I used mini pretzel twists for this recipe so that I didn’t need to chop them. If you do decide to chop up your pretzel twists, be sure to not chop them too finely.

You want to leave them in large chunks so that you get salty pretzel flavor burst in each bite of trail mix. 

How many people can this recipe serve

This recipe makes about 12 one cup servings. If you want to stretch your trail mix a little more, measure out ¾ cup servings. If you are feeding a child, you can get about 24 half-cup servings out of this snack mix.

If you want to portion out your servings before your event, you can place the servings in small snack size bags or in small plastic cups. I like to use plastic cups with children.

What kind of sprinkles do I need for Red White and Blue Trail Mix 

For this Red White and blue Trail Mix, I used a festive mix of red, white, and blue sprinkles. I prefer a Jimmie type of sprinkle.

Jimmies are long and softer sprinkles that aren’t known for bleeding. Not only do they maintain their color, but they don’t have a tough crunch like the tiny ball-shaped sprinkles have.

You can use any type of sprinkles that your family prefers. Just look for sprinkles that match your red, white, and blue color theme. 

Can this Red White and blue Trail Mix recipe be doubled

Absolutely, you can certainly double this recipe. I would make the doubled recipe in two separate batches so that your candy coating can coat your cereal and snack mix clearly. 

You can go ahead and melt all your white candy coating at one time. Just be sure to work quickly so that your candy coating doesn’t start to harden while you are mixing your first batch of trail mix. 

How do I store leftover 4th of July Snack Mix

I don’t think you will have leftovers. This super fun 4th of July snack mix will just fly off the table.

However, if you do happen to have some of this yummy snack mix leftover, you can store your leftover mix in an airtight container or storage bag in the fridge for up to four days.

But, don’t worry, it never sticks around that long in my household. It just flies right out the door as soon as I make it. Sometimes I think about hiding just so I can have some.

Ingredients for Red White and Blue Trail Mix 

• Chex cereal
• Honey-Comb cereal
• twisted pretzels
• red, white & blue M&M’s
• white chocolate candy coating
• mini marshmallows
• Red, white and blue sprinkles to garnish

Directions for making Red White and Blue Trail Mix 

Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Chex cereal, Honey-Come cereal and pretzels. 

Step 2. Over medium heat, heat candy coating according to package directions. 

Step 3. When candy coating is complete, pour over cereal and pretzel mixture and toss until ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

Step 4. Allow to set for 3-5 minutes before continuing to the next step. 

Step 5. Stir in marshmallows and M&M’s and mix until fully combined. 

Step 6. Lastly, top with sprinkles and serve immediately. 

Notes:

• Target makes a great Vanilla Candy Coating that works well for this recipe. 
• Be sure to read Candy Coating package directions. 
• Candy Coating by brown a bit while cooking. 
• Serve in individual bowls or baggies. 
• Perfect snack to take on the go. 
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days after preparing.

Does your town have a 4th of July parade every year? Mine does and I always take this Red White and Blue Snack Mix along with us.

It makes for an excellent sweet, salty and crunchy snack while we are watching the floats go by. I like to serve it in individual storage bags when we eat it on the go. 

No matter how you serve your 4th of July snack mix, be sure to make extra because I promise this snack mix is going to fly right out of your bowl. You will blink, and it will be gone.

Your family will ask you to make this festive trail mix for every red, white & blue holiday they can come up with. It wasn’t long ago that my family asked me to make it for Veteran's day just because they wanted it.  

Other festive 4th of July recipes

• Patriotic Fruit Cookie Pizza
• Patriotic Berry Trifle
• Homemade Patriotic Funfetti Cake
• Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cones