Monster Munch is a delicious sweet snack great for Halloween parties or scary movies. It is made with microwave popcorn and cereal mixture, peanuts, M&M's, and peanut butter caramel drizzle. It's the perfect Halloween treat for peanut butter lovers! 

This recipe is great as part of a Halloween party spread, or fall party. It's a fun and easy recipe to make with the kids and is a fun fall activity. 

This was inspired by my Sweet & Salty Halloween Snack Mix, another tasty snack mix that's easy to make. 

Jump to:

• Ingredients in Monster Munch
• How to Make Monster Munch Halloween Chex Mix
• Substitutions for Monster Munch Recipe
• Variations
• What's Needed to Make Monster Munch
• Storing Monster Munch Snack Mix
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients in Monster Munch

• unsalted butter
• corn syrup
• granulated sugar
• salt
• creamy peanut butter
• vanilla extract
• popped popcorn
• salted peanuts
• Corn Chex or Rice Chex
• Halloween M&M's
• Semisweet chocolate chips

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Monster Munch Halloween Chex Mix

Place parchment paper on a large-rimmed baking sheet and spread the popped popcorn on top of the parchment paper. Layer the salted peanuts and corn or rice Chex on to of the popcorn. 

In a small saucepan, heat the unsalted butter over medium heat, stir in the granulated sugar, and stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  

Bring the mixture to a low boil, reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the corn syrup. Boil for about 4 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the creamy peanut butter until smooth. 

​Pour half of the mixture on top of the snack mix on the baking sheet and stir the popcorn mixture together. 

Drizzle the remaining peanut butter mixture on top of the popcorn stirring thoroughly. 

Allow the mixture to sit and cool for about 5 minutes before sprinkling in the Halloween M&M's and the semisweet chocolate chips. 

This quick and easy Monster Munch Halloween Chex Mix is perfect for Halloween movie nights or Halloween parties.

Substitutions for Monster Munch Recipe

When creating your own Monster Munch, you may want to substitute some ingredients to fit your personal taste or dietary needs.

If you need gluten free options, use gluten free chocolate chips and another chocolate candy to replace the M&M's. 

If you don't have any semisweet chocolate chips they can be substituted with white chocolate morsels or dark chocolate chips. If you're looking for a dairy-free or vegan option, there are also non-dairy chocolate alternatives available.

The Chex cereal can be switched out for pretzels, Cherrios or other crunchy crackers.

In place of M&M's or Reese's Pieces, you can use other small, bite-sized chocolate candies like chocolate chips, chocolate-covered nuts, or chocolate-covered raisins. Alternatively, consider using vegan or allergy-friendly chocolate substitutes if needed.

Variations

The great thing about snack mixes is that you can add or remove the ingredients to create perfect fun Halloween treats. 

Honey Nut Cheerios, Pretzels, candy corn, candy pumpkins, mini marshmallows, Oreo cookies, and Reeses pieces are all tasty mix-ins to make this a fun snack mix. Another fun and spooky candy add-in is candy eyes, they're great to through into this Halloween mix. One popular ingredient to include in your Monster Munch is candy eyes. So for your next Halloween party, the options are endless when creating these fun and salty snacks!

To make a peanut butter free mixture, omit the creamy peanut butter from the caramel sauce and pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn, and leave out the peanuts and other candies that contain nuts.

Alternatively, you can use melted candy melts such as orange candy melts to change the color theme of your Monster Munch but you will lose the peanut butter flavor throughout the snack mix. 

Other candies such as gummy worms can also be added to the mixture when watching spooky movies. 

What's Needed to Make Monster Munch

Other than your ingredients you will need just a few kitchen tools to make this Monster Munch. 

​A saucepan will be needed to make the caramel and peanut butter sauce or a double boiler.

A large-rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a very large bowl to combine this Monster Munch snack mix together thoroughly. 

You'll also need a large spoon to stir this salty snack mix together.

Storing Monster Munch Snack Mix

Monster Munch should be eaten within a few days of making it for maximum freshness. It doesn't take long to create this Halloween popcorn mix so making it the same day it is consumed is best for the best flavor and texture.  It will last for up to 3 at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

It should be stored in an airtight container to preserve its freshness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main ingredients in Monster Munch?

Monster Munch is a snack made from various ingredients, like Chex cereal, M&Ms, popcorn, peanuts, and chocolate. The ingredients can differ depending on the recipe.  The great thing about Monster Munch is that you can make it to satisfy your sweet tooth.

How long does Monster Munch Keep?

If you're making this salty Halloween snack mix ahead of time as part of a Halloween party spread or get-together you can lock in the freshness by storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  For shorter-term storage, it can be stored at room temperature for 3 days. 

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