This White Trash mix is everything you want in a snack: sweet, salty, crunchy, and dangerously easy to eat.
The almond bark adds just enough creamy coating to pull everything together without tipping it into candy overload. And that salty crunch from the peanuts and pretzels is what keeps you reaching back in for more.
What Ingredients Are In It?
Ingredient Swaps That Work (and Ones That Don’t)
✅ Rice Chex – Slightly lighter than Corn Chex but still great.
✅ Honey Nut Cheerios – Adds a subtle honey flavor that fits right in.
✅ White Chocolate Melting Wafers – Works fine; melt gently, they scorch easily.
❌ Candy melts or colored coating discs – Skip. Waxier texture.
How to Mix It Right
Use your biggest bowl (six quarts or more). The space makes all the difference for folding without crushing the cereal. A silicone spatula helps scrape down the sides and get an even coat.
Work fairly quickly once the bark is melted — it starts to firm up as soon as it hits the cooler cereal mix.
If you see dry patches, spread the mix out on your baking sheet and drizzle a touch more melted bark over top before it hardens.
Right after spreading, toss on a handful of M&M’s for color before it sets — the glossy candy coating pops against the creamy white bark. It’s simple but makes the mix look instantly festive.
Storing & Gifting
Let it set completely, then break into clusters and store in an airtight container at room temperature. It stays crisp for up to two weeks.
❌ Don’t refrigerate or freeze — it’ll soften the cereal and make the candy dull.
White Trash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Corn CHEX cereal
- 2 cups Cheerios cereal
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts
- 2 to 2 ½ cups regular M&M’s candies, divided (2 cups for the mixture and up to ½ cup for garnish)
- 24 ounces vanilla almond bark candy coating
Instructions
- Line a large (half-sheet 18×13 inches) rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- To an extra-large (6-quart) mixing bowl combine together the Corn CHEX cereal, Cheerios cereal, mini pretzels, peanuts, and 2 cups M&M’s candies. Set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the vanilla almond bark according to package directions, heating in 30-second intervals and stirring between each until smooth.
- Pour the melted almond bark over the cereal mixture and gently fold to coat all the cereal mixture evenly with the melted almond bark. Work quickly as the almond bark does start to firm back up quickly.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and spread to an even layer. If desired, sprinkle up to ½ cup additional M&M’s candies evenly over the top of the mixture for added pops of color as a garnish.
- Allow the white trash mixture to set at room temperature for at least 1 hour or until the vanilla almond bark has fully hardened and set up.
- Once hardened, break apart with your hands into bite-sized clusters. Transfer the clusters to a serving bowl or package in cellophane bags for gifting.
Notes
- Rice CHEX cereal can be substituted for the corn variety in this recipe.
- You can use holiday colored M&M’s candies if serving this during those times of year.
- Honey Nut Cheerios can be substituted for the original cereal if desired.
- Good quality white chocolate melting wafers can be substituted for the vanilla almond bark in this recipe. Be sure to heat, and melt, according to the package directions.
- 2 (10-ounce) sharable size bags of M&M’s candies was enough to yield the 2 cups called for to mix with the other cereals with about ⅓-½ cup left over to sprinkle on top for optional garnish.
Nutrition
Tested By Real People, Not AI
This recipe earned its seal of approval from the toughest crowd around — a pack of hungry teenage football players. Angela made a batch for her son Bradley and his teammates to eat after practice. They wiped out the entire batch. That’s when we knew the recipe was spot on.