Candy corn is a polarizing food. People usually either can’t get enough of it or can’t stand the stuff.

I love it and would eat a whole bag in one sitting. Since that’s probably not the best idea you have to find ways to mix it up and make it a little more filling. This Chex mix isn’t health food but it’s just the right balance of sweet and sweeter for a party or just an afternoon. 

Coating some of the Chex cereal with melted chocolate adds an unexpected layer and makes it slightly more decadent. You can make this more fun at a Halloween party by creating different names for the ingredients like bat droppings and witch’s nails. 

A note from the last batch of Halloween Chex Mix I made: If gelatin’s a problem ingredient for you, some manufacturers don’t use it in their candy corn. Instead of Brachs, try CVS store brand candy corn. 

Halloween Chex Mix

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 12 squares):

• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, divided
• 2  1/2 cups Chocolate Chex, divided
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 cups Vanilla Chex
• 1/2 cup candy corn

Method:

1. Melt 1/3 cup chocolate chips gently, set the rest aside.
2. When melted, stir in the butter and milk until silky and smooth.
3. In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chex cereal with the melted chocolate until covered.
4. Lay the cereal out on a non-stick tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes until the chocolate has set. Once set, break apart any clusters of cereal stuck together. 
5. In a large bowl, toss together the remaining chocolate chips, remaining Chocolate Chex, Vanilla Chex, and candy corn. 
6. Serve or store in an air-tight container at room temperature. 

Did you know today’s national cereal day? I probably wouldn’t have if the people at Chex cereal didn’t tell me and invite me to celebrate.

I really need a calendar with these fun food holidays like national cereal day, national peanut butter day, and—of course—national margarita day(which was thoroughly celebrated). I even forgot the Oscars were last weekend until that day, but thankfully I already had this classy snack to watch it with.

Black tie events are not my style but white and dark chocolate most certainly are. This Chex mix has a good balance of flavors; it’s a perfect class act for an award show party or just a football party. And it’s fairly easy to put together, too.

When you’re making this recipe, just like any other recipe that involves melting chocolate, make sure to pick a brand you trust and know melts well. Some chocolate chips have too many preservatives added to them and seize up instead of melting. Anything that markets itself as baking chocolate is a good bet for melting.

Black & White Chex Mix

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

• 2 cups chocolate Chex cereal, divided
• 2 cups vanilla Chex cereal, divided
• 2/3 chocolate chips, divided
• 2/3 white chocolate chips, divided

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix together 1 cup chocolate Chex cereal, 1 cup vanilla Chex cereal, 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, and 1/3 cup chocolate chips.
2. Melt the remaining chocolate chips over the stove or in a microwave.
3. While the chocolate is melted, mix in the remainder of the chocolate Chex cereal until it’s well-coated.
4. Pour the chocolate covered Chex onto a non-stick surface and gently flatten into a single layer.
5. Repeat the same process with the white chocolate chips and vanilla Chex.
6. Let the Chex sit until the chocolate has rehardened.
7. Break up the chocolate covered Chex into bite-sized chunks.
8. Mix the chocolate covered Chex in with the rest of the ingredients well.
9. Serve at room temperature or store in a cool, dry place.

Since 2014 started, I’ve been to the gym 3 times, the grocery store once, and the kitchen to grab another handful of this Chex mix about 17 times.

Before the holidays General Mills had sent me a box of inspiring ingredients and blogger recipes including Julie’s, Caitlin’s, and my own. For a while they stumped me, but chocolate Chex and caramel candies couldn’t be passed up.

This mix has rich chocolate coated Chex, sweet powdered Chex, and white chocolate chips for a delicious trio that’s hard to beat. It’s more of a dessert but if you want to sneak a few handfuls before dinner, I won’t say a word.

Chocolate Caramel Chex Mix

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 10 cups):

• 10 .5oz caramels(or an equal equivalent)
• 1/3 cup chocolate spread*
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
• 4 cups Chex cereal
• 4 cups chocolate Chex cereal
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

*I used Hershey’s chocolate spread. A spread like Nutella would work as well.

Method:

1. In a small sauce pan, melt the caramels and chocolate spread.
2. Once the ingredients are almost melted, add in the milk and stir until it makes a smooth and shiny sauce.
3. In a large bowl, mix together 4 cups Chex cereal and the chocolate caramel sauce until the cereal is evenly coated.
4. Lay the Chex out in a single layer on a non-stick surface for about 20 minutes to cool.
5. Once cooled, gently break apart the large chunks of cereal to smaller bite-sized pieces.
6. Toss the chocolate caramel Chex with the chocolate Chex cereal and white chocolate chips until evenly mixed.
7. Store in a sealed container at room temperature when not enjoying.

General Mills, the company that makes Chex, recently opened up the “Cinnamon Toast Crunch Swag Shop” with funny merchandise and gave me 2 coupon codes for me and a reader to get a t-shirt. If you want a free Cinnamon Toast Crunch tee for yourself or a friend, comment with your favorite cereal and I’ll randomly pick a winner Friday.

These bars were something of a fail, but definitely one worth sharing.

I love granola bars, prepackaged snack—basically anything from the grocery store that calls itself healthy and has too much sugar in it. They’re always delicious and the right portion but usually overpriced. Why not make your own?

Well, these taste much fresher than your typical grocery store splurge and that’s their only flaw. They’re somewhere between a chewy brownie and a granola bar which is a texture that takes some getting used to. Besides that the ingredients are simple and wholesome and full of fiber.

While the chocolate definitely makes this look like a dessert, it’s not that sweet and the texture is more chewy than cakey. It’s a great power snack or something to pack in a lunchbox that’s a little healthier than other desserts.

Oatmeal Energy Bars

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 16 squares):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour(whole grain or gluten-free are good substitutes)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup peanut butter, separated
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl mix together the flour and the oats.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together 1/2 of cup peanut butter, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg, and water until smooth.
4. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients until they form a batter.
5. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 pan and pour the batter in in an even level.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center has set.
7. Melt the chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter together and mix until they make a ganache.
8. Pour the chocolate on top of the baked good and spread it out evenly.
9. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour until the chocolate has set.
10. Slice into squares before serving.