Homemade Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

A few weeks ago I made Snack Mix Cookies using the M&M Sweet and Salty Snack mix and last year I made rice krispie treats using the mix and a salted caramel swirl.  I love that snack mix so much, but it's not cheap.  As I looked at the combination of mini cookies, mini pretzels, peanuts and M&Ms, I couldn't help but think I could mix together something similar.  The trick was finding the right replacements, particularly the right sized pretzels and a mini cookie.  A bit of trial and error later, and I've come up with a pretty tasty alternative to the store bought version, yielding about twice as much mix for just about the same cost.  And I kind of like this version a little better because I think my mini cookie substitute has a lot more flavor to bring to the party.

This really came together after I tried the Pepperidge Farm Vanilla Cupcake Graham Goldfish.  They are the perfect mini cookie replacement.  The first batch I made included regular mini pretzel twists, the standard size you'd grab for tailgating--mini, but not tiny.  The result meant the pretzels were significantly larger than the rest of the pieces in the mix and you couldn't just pop and handful of the stuff in your mouth because you might just choke on a pretzel.  When I went back to the store for more vanilla cupcake goldfish, it hit me.  Pretzel Goldfish!  So I picked up a bag of those too and that was that.  The pieces are all about the same size and the flavors are exactly what I wanted to replicate from the store bought snack mix.  This is perfect for back to school snacks or even a fun alternative for watching the big game.  I figure this makes about 9 cups and if you get your ingredients on sale, it probably costs half, if not less, than the same quantity of the prepackaged stuff.  Easy to mix up, I'm sure the kids will want to help--it could even be a little one's job: open packages, dump, cover and shake.  Easy peasy!

Homemade Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

Ingredients

12.6 ounces milk chocolate M&Ms
8 ounces Pepperidge Farm Pretzel Goldfish
8 ounces party peanuts
6.6 ounces Pepperidge Farm Vanilla Cupcake Graham Goldfish

Combine all ingredients in a large container with a sealed lid or a gallon sized zip top bag.  Seal and toss to mix ingredients, distributing throughout.

Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 18-20 servings.

Happy Baking,
The Cookie Princess

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