Sweet and Savory Party Mix
This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market. As always, all opinions and recipes are my own.
Entertain a crowd with this Sweet and Savory Popcorn Party Mix recipe. This popcorn-based snack, which features lightly buttered popcorn, salted mini pretzels, dark chocolate-covered pretzels, trail mix, tart dried cherries and dark chocolate almonds, balances salty, sweet and tart beautifully.
Love snack mixes? Don’t miss Chex Mix Puppy Chow and Halloween Trail Mix!
Movie night has been one of my favorite things, dating back to Friday nights of my childhood, slumber parties and perusing the shelves of our local video store, searching high and low for the perfect movie to watch after basketball practice. Those memories of curling up with a bowl of popcorn, a cozy blanket and a film I’ve specifically chosen for that evening make me smile.
A few weeks back, some friends invited us to their home for movie night. The plan was to watch a musical that we’d never seen, but adored the music from.
My friend’s only stipulation for movie night? “Bring fancy popcorn as a party snack.”
This Sweet and Savory Party Mix recipe is perfect for movie night, and it’s oh-so-simple to put together.
And thanks to my friends at Sprouts Farmers Market, I was able to create this recipe in no time flat.
Why I love this popcorn mix recipe:
The beauty in this sweet and salty popcorn recipe is that we don’t have to bake it. There’s no preheating the oven, tossing it gently every so often, coating it in an onion powder and butter mixture. There’s also no peanut butter, even though I love peanut butter.
All you have to do is acquire the ingredients, open them up and toss them together in a bowl.
That’s. It.
I purchased my ingredients from my local Sprouts Farmers Market and really enjoyed finding a majority of them in the Bulk Department.
Why? You can mix and match so many products, like coffee, rice, nuts, dried fruits, granolas, trail mixes, spices and sweet treats and more! And then bring home as little or as much as you want without the fuss of purchasing a giant container or bag. It’s also better for the environment because it requires less packaging!
I’ve found shopping bulk super handy if you want to try something out, but it’s also clutch for snacky things like this because you don’t need a ton of the ingredients.
Other recipes that are great for sharing: Easy Snack Board | Garlic Herb Cream Cheese Dip | Chex Mix Puppy Chow | Pretzel Cheese Dip | Pepperoni Dip | Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Chex Mix or Christmas Chex Mix
What you need to make this recipe:
- A large mixing bowl
In addition to this singular mixing bowl, you’re going to need a few ingredients to make this Popcorn Snack Mix really come to life!
- Sprouts Organic Popcorn, Lightly Buttered flavor
- Mini Twist Pretzels
- Dark Chocolate Pretzels
- Wild West Roasted and Salted Trail Mix
- Dark Chocolate Almonds (85% chocolate with sea salt)
- Dried Red Tart Cherries
By now, y’all should know my affinity for shopping at Sprouts. I’m all about the grocery’s mission, which speaks to healthy living being a journey, and every meal being a choice. I’m also all about their low prices and high-quality products.
Honestly, y’all, it’s a win-win, and I’d love them, even if they didn’t work with me.
How to make this Sweet and Salty Party Mix recipe
The base is Sprouts Lightly Buttered Organic Popcorn. While I toyed with the idea of getting popcorn kernels and popping them myself, the convenience of pre-popped popcorn won over. Also, it ran less of a risk of me burning it, which is kind of my specialty when it comes to popping popcorn.
All you’ve got to do is open up the bag, pour it into a bowl and then add the toppings, which are all available from the Bulk Department at Sprouts.
And then the toppings can be anything you wish… though I went for mini pretzels, dark chocolate pretzels (a personal favorite snack), trail mix, dark chocolate almonds and some dried cherries.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This Popcorn Snack Mix would be an excellent addition to any party or gathering.
Whether you’re watching a movie with your friends (and your entire brood) or hosting friends to watch a sporting event (hello, college football or March Madness), this snack mix is a top-tier and EASY choice for sharing.
Here are some things to do if you want to share it:
- Customize it to you and your guests’ tastebuds. You can tinker with the sweet elements. Not a fan of dark chocolate? Use milk chocolate instead. Don’t like cherries? Use cranberries! The world is your oyster, so have fun with it.
- Double the recipe. If you’re serving this to a large group and think it’ll get gobbled up quickly, this recipe is very easy to double. Just keep one of the batches in the kitchen and bring it out if and when you run out of the first.
- Make it in advance. This mix can keep for up to a week in an airtight storage container, so make it whenever is most convenient for you, then pour it into a serving container just before guests arrive.
- Involve your kids. My daughter loved helping mix this, and since there’s no heating or baking, it was easy to involve her in the recipe! Let them measure and mix with you for extra fun. (Just be prepared that some of your party mix recipe might end up on the countertop or the floors, and that’s OK.)
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m all about sweet-and-salty flavors, which is why I used a bunch of salty products along with dark chocolate. The pairing makes my tastebuds sing!
That said, if you’re not a dark chocolate fan, feel free to purchase something with milk chocolate or even white chocolate!
If you’re skeptical of the dried cherries, leave ‘em out or throw in some raisins (which are sweeter) or dried cranberries (which Sprouts offers in various flavors in their Bulk Department!)
I chose not to use rice cereal since we had popcorn as a base. That said, if you want to throw it into the bowl in lieu of pretzels, you absolutely can!
This recipe is really more of a guide, and you can totally customize it for your taste.
If you’re looking for your snack mix to involve Chex, let me recommend Chex Mix Puppy Chow, Christmas Chex Mix and Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Chex Mix!
It’s really quite simple, but what it comes down to is having the right ingredients. I purchased popcorn, mini twist pretzels, dark chocolate pretzels, trail mix, dark chocolate almonds and dried cherries as the ingredients for mine at Sprouts.
Once you have your ingredients that suit your taste, throw them into a bowl together for the ultimate snack mix.
Quick tips and tricks to the best Party Mix recipe
- Customize it to your taste. The beauty in this sweet and salty snack mix is that it’s easy to customize. Add milk or semisweet chocolate in place of the dark chocolate if that’s your favorite. Use a different trail mix. Swap out the dried cherries for another dried fruit you’re into.
- How to store: Keep in an airtight food storage container for up to a week!
- Make it in advance. Whenever we entertain, I like to make as much as I can before my guests arrive so I can enjoy myself, too. Since this mix will keep for up to a week, so make it whenever is most convenient for you, then pour it into a serving container just before guests arrive.
What are some other popcorn or snack recipes I can try, too?
We love classic Caramel Corn with Almonds and slightly sweet-spicy Tabasco Honey Butter Popcorn.
Moose Munch is another fun popcorn dessert. And our entire family enjoys Caramel Corn Cookies!
Ready to make this goodness?
Scroll on down to learn how simple it is to make!
Sweet and Savory Party Mix
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Sprouts Organic Popcorn Lightly Buttered flavor
- 1 ½ cups Mini Twist Pretzels
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate Pretzels
- 1 cup Wild West Roasted and Salted Trail Mix
- ½ cup Dark Chocolate Almonds 85% chocolate with sea salt
- ½ cup Dried Red Tart Cherries
Equipment
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, pour in the popped popcorn.
- Add the mini pretzels, dark chocolate pretzels, trail mix, almonds and dried cherries.
- Toss until combined with tongs.
- Serve in bowls or popcorn bags.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author:
Erin Parker is a Southern gal living in Texas with her husband and two daughters. She started The Speckled Palate to share what she was cooking as a newlywed… and over the years, it’s evolved to capture her love for hosting. Specifically, the EASIEST, lowest key entertaining because everyone deserves to see their people and connect over good food. Learn more about her…
I made this for our Friday night game night and it was perfect! Love snacks that are easy to make, delicious and not messy. Definitely going into our rotation.
Hooray! That makes me SO happy to hear, Samantha! I love snacks that are easy to make, too, and if they’re not messy, it’s even better. I’m glad this is going into your snack rotation, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!