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.
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.
Why I love this popcorn mix recipe:
The beauty in this sweet and salty treat is that we don’t have to bake it or spend an inordinate amount of time putting it together. There’s no preheating the oven or even running the microwave, 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 to make the perfect snack.
That’s. It.
The end result is sweet, salty popcorn that’s a special treat for whenever you serve it, be it movie night, a birthday party or just because.
I purchased my ingredients from the Bulk Department at my local Sprouts Farmers Market.
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 | Christmas Chex Mix
What you need to make this recipe:
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- Large bowl
- Tongs or mixing spoons
Let’s talk ingredients!
In addition to the tools above, you’re going to need some ingredients to make this recipe, too! Chances are, you might already have some of them in your fridge or pantry. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full measurements and instructions.
Here are the simple ingredients that you need to grab at the grocery store:
- Lightly buttered popcorn — I grabbed a bag of pre-popped plain popcorn, but you could certainly pop yours fresh, if you prefer.
- Mini twist pretzels — or thin pretzel sticks
- Dark chocolate pretzels — because these add lovely flavor and texture. I love the dark chocolate, but you could use another type of chocolate coating, if you prefer. (You can also make your own chocolate dipped pretzels.)
- Wild West Roasted and Salted Trail Mix — I love the mixture of ingredients in this trail mix because it includes some sweet and savory ingredients.
- Dark chocolate almonds — 85% chocolate with sea salt, but use your favorite chocolate-covered almonds or nuts. You can skip these if you or someone you know and love has a nut allergy.
- Dried red tart cherries — these add a nice tart pop to the mixture. You could replace them with dried cranberries, if you prefer it sweeter.
Variations
Add chocolate chips. Dark chocolate chips, semisweet, milk or even white chocolate chips would all be excellent additions. Add a handful.
Sprinkle in regular or mini M&M candies. While the trail mix has some peanut chocolate candies in it, these add a nice pop of color and crunch.
Swap out the popcorn. I used lightly buttered popcorn. Feel free to use regular popcorn (be it stove popped or microwave popcorn) or even kettle corn.
Balance out the sweet flavors with additional savory ingredients. Additional nuts or even cheese crackers would make an interesting addition.
How to make this Sweet and Salty Popcorn Snack Mix
The total time for this recipe is less than 5 minutes, and I guarantee that running to the store to get the ingredients will take longer than mixing it together.
The base for this is lightly buttered 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 can be anything you like.
I went for mini pretzels, dark chocolate pretzels (a personal favorite snack), trail mix, dark chocolate almonds and some dried cherries. I’ve included variations above for inspiration, in case you need that.
If you want to add a dark chocolate or white chocolate drizzle to the popcorn, sprinkle it in an even layer on a cookie sheet or a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper, drizzle on the melted chocolate and then give it a gentle toss before adding the toppings. Let it cool before serving.
How to store:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature (in a cold dark place, like the pantry) for up to a week.
Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips
This Popcorn Snack Mix would be an excellent addition to any special occasions. Whether you’re watching a movie with your friends (and your 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. If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, use milk chocolate instead. Don’t like cherries? Use cranberries! Have fun with it.
- Double the recipe. If you’re serving this to a large crowd, it is very easy to double. Keep a batch in the kitchen and bring it out if and when you run out of the first.
- Make it in advance. It keeps for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature, so make it whenever is most convenient for you. Pour it into a serving container just before guests arrive.
- Serve it in treat bags. If you’re making this for an occasion, portion it out into individual-sized baggies.
- Involve your kids. My older daughter loved helping mix this, and since there’s no heating or baking, it was easy! Let kids measure and mix with you. (Just be prepared that some of your party mix recipe might end up on the countertop or the floors.)
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m all about sweet-and-salty flavors, which is why I used a bunch of salty products with dark chocolate.
If you’re not a dark chocolate fan, purchase items with milk chocolate or even white chocolate!
If you’re skeptical of the dried cherries, leave them out or throw in some raisins or dried cranberries instead.
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 can!
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 quite simple. 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. Once you have ingredients that suit your taste, throw them 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 make as much as I can before guests arrive so I can enjoy myself. Since this mix will keeps well, make it whenever is most convenient for you.
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. popped popcorn Lightly Buttered flavor
- 1 ½ cups mini pretzel twists
- 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
- Pour the popped popcorn the popcorn into a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle in the mini pretzels, dark chocolate pretzels, trail mix, almonds and dried cherries.
- Toss until combined with tongs or salad spoons.
- Serve in bowls or popcorn bags, and enjoy!
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!