Looking for a quick & easy Christmas gift idea? Make this Christmas Trail Mix!
Kathrynne had a Christmas Party at school two weeks ago and she decided at the last minute that she wanted to make something to bring.
I honestly wanted to say no. It had been a long day, my energy was running low, and it was getting close to her bedtime.
But in the spirit of my 2017 “Year of YES”, we made a quick trip to Kroger and got everything needed for Christmas Trail Mix (if you bought the ingredients at ALDI, it would be quite inexpensive. Unfortunately, our ALDI was already closed by the time she came up with the idea of wanting to make something!).
She made it in less than 10 minutes and was SO happy with the finished results.
Her look of joy and fulfillment when she was done was worth the little bit of extra effort. And she loved being able to bring something she made herself.
This recipe is so simple and would make a great last-minute gift idea. Best of all, you can change it based upon what you have on hand and on what your family/your recipients would like.
This would be a fun gift for kids to make for goodie bags. However, many schools and functions don’t allow peanuts, so you could just omit those. (Our kids go to a really small private school and none of the kids have nut allergies there, so peanuts are allowed.)
Here’s how Kathrynne made hers…
Christmas Trail Mix
- 2 cups square pretzels
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 cups raisins
- 2 cups peanuts (be sure to omit these if there are nut allergies)
- 2 cups Christmas M&Ms
Mix together and serve or put into gift baggies.
You could also add other things like Chex cereal, chocolate chips, yogurt covered raisins, or Cheerios. Any other ideas of fun things to add?
I share more about the Christmas Trail Mix below on my recent YouTube video. Subscribe to my YouTube channel here to see fun videos from me every week.
Looking for another simple last-minute Christmas treat or gift? Make some of this World’s Easiest Christmas Candy.
We made this mix after I saw your post on Instagram about it, really yummy and easy to make! We took bags of it along with us to go on a Christmas light walk at a popular location in our community, and it made it seem festive (and was way cheaper/easier/healthier than waiting In line for the snacks being sold by vendors). We added walnuts and mini peanut butter cups to the “grown up version” for my husband and me. Thanks for sharing, crystal and Kathrynne!
I love this! Thanks so much for sharing!
I adore her jammies! My son and niece are obsessed with everything “camo”, Kathrynne would totally fit in here!
I love how you let her choose clothes that make her feel comfortable and feel like herself. You should be proud of yourself for listening to what your child wants and needs instead of you or your audience. I think she’s adorable. 🙂
Aw, thank you so much for your kind encouragement!
When did you stop homeschooling? Why? Please share as you are able….I could use a fresh perspective.
Thank you
Our kids are going to a 4-day small Classical Christian School this year. We made the change to this for a long list of reasons and we’re just so grateful for God’s leading in this and how great of a fit this school has been for our kids and how it has been everything we had hoped and prayed for — and so much more! I’ve written a little more about it on a few posts on Instagram over the past few months, if you’re interested: https://www.instagram.com/themoneysavingmom/
Kudos to Kathrynne! What a fun treat to share with friends. (And I love her outfit; it looks so warm and comfy)
We got matching footie pjs for Christmas this year!! 🙂
Looks great! We’ll have 20-24 family members over on Christmas Eve and this would be a perfect addition to everyone’s gift bag. How many servings/portions does a single recipe make?
My kids are obsessed with trail mix. Probably because I rarely buy any. They would LOVE this as an early Christmas break project. Thanks!
I didn’t realize you weren’t homeschooling anymore!
Thanks for mentioning nut allergies. My child has a treenut allergy and we avoid shelled peanuts. Hersheys chocolate chips or Enjoy Life Chocolate chips are a safe alternative for M&M’s. Craisins would also be fun too.
Great idea! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Aldi’s chocolate chips are also safe for folks with peanut allergies.
Thanks so much for that tip!
This mix looks awesome! However as a peanut allergy mom, M&Ms should be eliminated if you’re making it for someone with allergies. Even the plain M&Ms aren’t safe because they are processed in the same factory as the peanut M&Ms.
Thanks so much for mentioning that!
You’re welcome! We’ve had a crash in peanut and dairy allergies as my son is allergic to both. His peanut allergy was described as “a real deal peanut allergy” by his allergist. Our home is now peanut free. If someone gives us something that might have peanuts in it, we throw it away or I take it to work.
Dried cranberries are perfect for the season … color and flavor!
What great idea!!!
This would be a good snack for my Sunday School class.