Leprechaun Bait is a fun and tasty treat. It is a sweet and salty blend of Lucky Charms, Chex Cereal, Pretzels and more. Everything is coated in melted white chocolate for an easy no bake recipe.
Leprechaun Bait is one of the kid’s favorites treats to make for St. Patrick’s Day. It is so easy to make and tastes really yummy.
The sweet and salty combination is always a hit. We have been making this for at least 15 years.
I love that it’s easy to adapt for what I have on hand. We also make St. Patrick’s Day Rice Krispie Treats and St. Patrick’s Day Puppy Chow.
Table of contents
What is Leprechaun Bait?
Leprechaun Bait is a delicious party mix with an assortment of ingredients. This snack mix is packed with Corn Chex or Rice chex, pretzels and lucky charms marshmallows.
Then everything is coated in melted white chocolate chips. It is a delightful St. Patrick’s Day Snack without much work. You might want to make extra for gifts. It is a fun way to set a Leprechaun Trap with the kids.
Ingredients
- Mini pretzels. You can use other shapes if you prefer.
- Lucky Charms Cereal. Make sure it is fresh.
- Lucky Charms Cereal Marshmallows Only. The extra marshmallows are so delicious and pretty.
- Chex rice or corn. Either is fine.
- M&M’s. I like to use dark chocolate mint M&Ms.
- White Baking Chips. Use a good quality chocolate such as Ghirardelli.
The entire recipe and complete ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.
Substitutions and Additions
- Green Candy Melts. You can use green candy melts instead of white chocolate for a festive green treat for St. Patrick’s Day. Almond bark also works good in this recipe.
- M&M. If you do not like mint flavored M&M’s, you can use regular M&M’s. Feel free to use any flavor you like.
- Pretzels. Any type of pretzels can be used. We have used pretzel sticks in the past. You can even combine both types of pretzels.
- Popcorn. Some of the cereal can be substituted with popcorn for another fun flavor twist.
- Sprinkles. Before the coating sets, top the mixture on the baking sheet with sprinkles. You can use fun green sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day.
- Drizzle. Melt green candy melts and drizzle on top of the white chocolate covered mixture before it sets. One dry, it will look so pretty with the color combination.
- Crispix Cereal. This can easily be substituted for the Chex Mix Cereal in the recipe.
- Nuts. Toss in a handful of nuts to the mix. Peanuts taste treat but I bet almonds would too.
- Marshmallows. You can use regular mini marshmallows instead of Lucky Charms marshmallows if you prefer. Either will be great. You can even use a mixture of both in the recipe.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1. Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl combine the Chex, Lucky Charms Cereal, ½ of the marshmallows, pretzels and ½ of the M&Ms.
Step 2. Melt the chocolate. Place the white chocolate and the vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and then melt in 30 second intervals. Make sure to stir between each interval until the white chocolate is melted and smooth. Be careful not to overcook.
Step 3. Coat the cereal mixture. Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal/candy mixture in the large bowl and stir until well coated. Work quickly so everything is thoroughly coated before the chocolate starts to harden.
Step 4. Then pour the coated mixture onto a piece of wax or parchment paper in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms and marshmallows on top and allow to set until hardened. This will take at least 15 minutes. Finally, break into pieces.
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 5 days.
Expert Tips
- Seasonal ingredients. Switch out the green M&M’s and sprinkles for other varieties. You can use seasonal candy and sprinkles to make this work for any holiday or occasion.
- Work quickly. The chocolate dries very quickly so you need to work to combine everything together fast.
- Store completely dry. The mixture needs to set and be completely cool before breaking into pieces. Storing before it is has totally set will be a mess.
- Make Ahead. This recipe is very easy to make ahead for parties, movie night and more. Just store inside an airtight container . You can make it several days in advance.
- Melt the chocolate in intervals. The chocolate can burn easily so make sure to microwave in increments. Then stir to combine.
- Line the baking sheet. We highly suggest lining the baking sheet with wax paper or foil before pouring the mixture on it. It is sticky and mess. Clean up is much easier if you can just toss the liner.
- High Quality Chocolate. The results will taste so much better with high quality chocolate. Try to buy the best ingredients that you can for best results.
More St Patrick’s Day Desserts
- St Patrick’s Day Cake Mix Cookie
- McDonalds Shamrock Shake Recipe
- St. Patrick’s Day Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- St. Patrick’s Day Cake Pops
- Lucky Charms Cookies
- Lucky Charms Treats
Make a batch of this leprechaun bait recipe today and see how delicious it is. Come back and leave a comment and star rating.
Leprechaun Bait
Ingredients
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup Lucky Charms Cereal
- 1 cup Lucky Charms Cereal Marshmallows Only
- 3 cups Chex rice or corn
- 1 cup M&M’s dark chocolate mint M&Ms
- 1 pkg White Baking Chips 12 oz
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the Chex, Lucky Charms Cereal, ½ of the marshmallows, pretzels and ½ of the M&Ms.
- Place the white chocolate and the vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then melt in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the white chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Be careful not to overcook.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal/candy mixture in the large bowl and stir until well coated.
- Then pour the coated mixture onto a piece of wax or parchment paper, sprinkle the remaining M&Ms and marshmallows on top and allow to set until hardened (at least 15 minutes).
- Break into pieces and it’s ready to serve.
