Monster Munch Popcorn Snack Mix #SundaySupper

Monster Munch Popcorn Snack Mix is a fun Halloween snack for both kids and adults. Plus, the popcorn mix is easily customizable for any holiday theme!

October is such a fun and festive time of year, with the changing of the leaves, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and of course goblins and ghouls!

My kids are teenagers now, but I have so many fond memories of Halloween when they were younger. They always liked to come up with their own costumes, and often times it consisted of them switching around parts of each other’s costumes. I remember one year my daughter went as a witch and my son as a storm trooper and they switched the witches hat and wig for the storm trooper helmet. The people at the houses where they were trick-or-treating were amused…they did look like quite the mismatched pair!

My kids enjoy the candy stash they bring home, but I think they really enjoy the homemade treats the best! They’re constantly making popcorn on the stove so I thought it might be fun to put together a popcorn treat that they’d really enjoy this year.

When I was playing around with making my kettle corn, I tried it a couple different ways since I had both Dixie sugar crystals and powdered sugar in the house. Of course no sooner than I made the popcorn part of this recipe, the kids AND my husband were stealing handfuls of it. I was literally chasing them out of the kitchen!

After making a batch of each, we decided we liked making it with the powdered sugar better than the regular sugar crystals. The sweetness is a little more subtle, but when you mix the popcorn with all the other goodies that are going into the mix, it’s almost better to have it not be quite so sweet. However, it will work either way!

I also decided to add candied pecans to the mix. For my Monster Munch, I used a pumpkin pie spice version, but you could also use the basic recipe that I’ve linked to on my blog. The popcorn and the nuts are really the base for the rest of the mix.

Then you can add whatever candy you would like to the mixture. My kids love gummies, and worms are perfect for Halloween, so I added those, as well as candy corn and mellocreme pumpkins.

As you can tell from my pictures, I used both Dixie Crystals powdered and granulated sugar in making this fun popcorn snack mix. Dixie Crystals has been a trusted Southern brand since 1917. On DixieCrystals.com, you’re going to find thousands of recipes that have stood the test of time, baking videos, vintage cookbooks and a whole lot more. They’re all about family time, and making memories through spending time together cooking, and of course at mealtime as well!

So many of the recipes I make are treasured family recipes, so this speaks to my heart. Our family life revolves around food much of the time. When my husband’s family gets together, we talk about what we are going to make for dinner, we all cook together, and of course sit down to a big family meal. We even plan our vacation rentals so we can all cook together while we’re away, rather than going out.

This popcorn snack mix is actually a great cooking project to make with your kids. It was a fun experiment to see whether we liked using the powdered sugar or the granulated sugar better, and they enjoyed eating both. If you’re looking for more kid-friendly ideas, check out the Kids in the Kitchen section on DixieCrystals.com. You’ll find hundreds of kid-friendly craft ideas, printables, edible art projects, activity sheets and sweet science projects!

 

MONSTER MUNCH POPCORN SNACK MIX

You’re going to want to make the candied pecans ahead of time, as they need time to cool.  After you make your kettle corn, you can easily assemble your Monster Munch popcorn snack mix!

 KETTLE CORN

To make your kettle corn, you will need ¼ cup of oil, ¼ cup of powdered or granulated sugar, and 6 tablespoons of popcorn kernels. Heat your oil, then add a couple of popcorn kernels to the oil to make sure it is hot enough. Once the first couple of popcorn kernels pop, you can add in the powdered sugar and the rest of the popcorn kernels. Stir to mix the popcorn and sugar well, cover and shake. When the popping slows down, you can remove the popcorn from the heat but continue shaking until the popping completely stops.

You’ll have about 12 cups of popcorn when you’re through.

PUMPKIN PIE SPICE CANDIED PECANS

Measure out 3 cups of pecans. Stir together the boiling water, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cream of tartar and a dash of cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook the mixture at a slow boil over medium heat for another 8 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in pecans. Let the pecan and pumpkin pie spice sugar mixture cool for a few minutes, then add the vanilla and continue to stir until the pecans are completely coated. Pour the pecans onto a sheet of parchment paper, separate any nuts that are clumped together using a fork, and let them cool.

You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, so feel free to make them ahead of time if you’d like.

MAKING YOUR POPCORN SNACK MIX

Mix your popcorn, candied pecans and assorted candies together, and place in decorative Halloween miniature buckets, bags or boxes. Kids and adults alike will love this yummy treat!

 

 

 

Don’t forget to check out all the other spooky treats from #SundaySupper!

Bewitching Breakfast Treats

• Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins by April Golightly
• Pumpkin Spice Donuts by Life Tastes Good

Fang-tastic Candy Treats

• Creepy Pumpkin Seed Brittle by Sunday Supper Movement
• Easy Halloween Fudge by The Dinner-Mom
• Soft and Chewy Apple Cider Caramels by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch

Boo-tiful Cakes and Pies

• Cheesecake Mummies by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Cinnamon Frosted Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake by Crazed Mom
• Gluten Free Spooky Chocolate Cupcakes by Fearless Dining
• Graveyard Cupcakes by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Halloween Cupcakes by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Halloween Whoopie Pies by The Chef Next Door
• Mini Jack-O-Lantern Cakes by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Mummy Apple Hand Pies by Eazy Peazy Mealz
• Pumpkin Chocolate Ganache Cake by Taste And See
• Pumpkin Cupcakes by Flour On My Face

Spooktacular Cookies

• Gingerbread Zombies by Family Foodie
• Halloween Spider Cookies by Moore or Less Cooking
• Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars by Savory Experiments
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies by Alida’s Kitchen
• Witch Hat Cookies by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Other Bone-chilling Goodies

• Bloody Crème Brûlée by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Haunted Halloween Ghosts by Shockingly Delicious
• Individual Candy Corn Fruit Salad Dessert by Hot Eats Cool Reads
• Monster Munch Popcorn Snack Mix by A Dish of Daily Life
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cobbler by The Gold Lining Girl
• Vampire Collins Cocktail by kimchi MOM

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