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Hype surrounding the Barbie movie has reached a fever pitch, and its July 21 premiere can’t come soon enough (both for those psyched to see the movie and those tired of hearing nonstop buzz about it). Pinterest even reported that searches for all kinds of Barbie food were on the rise, particularly Barbie cakes and pink treats, be they cocktails or cookies.
But in my book, the ideal Barbie-themed snack is one I can bring to the theater, munching as I watch. I’ve always loved sweet and salty combos, so I created a little pink chocolate trail mix—which I’m dubbing a Barbie-Inspired Movie Snack Mix—that can be stirred into a bucket of popcorn at the theater to savor during the screening. Of course, that’s provided your theater allows you to bring in snacks—and if they have a policy against it, please listen to them and save the treat for your ride home.
This Barbie-inspired snack mix blends well with warm, buttery popcorn: The pretzels play up the saltiness, which is balanced out by the sweetness of the Honey Nut Chex and pink chocolate. Dark chocolate M&M’s add depth and richness; they’re a must over regular M&M’s in my book (otherwise it could be cloyingly sweet).
What Substitutions Can I Make With This Snack Mix?
- You can use candy melts instead of white chocolate chips (and save a step by using pink candy melts, rather than coloring them yourself, if you’d like)
- We scored the dehydrated marshmallows at Michaels, and Amazon sells them, but you could just as easily use Lucky Charms
- Feel free to swap out the Honey Nut Chex for another variety or another type of cereal entirely
How Do I Store The Snack Mix?
You can store the mix—separate from any popcorn—in an airtight container for up to three days; five if you nix the Lucky Charms/dehydrated marshmallows, because they can get soggy fast. (Popcorn also tends to suck up moisture, becoming soft and, well, generally unpleasant to eat.)
Barbie-Inspired Movie Snack Mix
Equipment
- measuring cups
- 1 microwave-safe bowl
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 cups pretzels
- 1 cup Honey Nut Chex cereal
- 1/2 cup dehydrated marshmallows (or Lucky Charms)
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate M&Ms
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (or white candy melts)
- 8-10 drops pink gel food coloring
- 1 tablespoon sprinkles
Instructions
- Lightly crush pretzels, then spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the Honey Nut Chex, marshmallows/Lucky Charms and M&Ms. (Some overlap is great.)
- In a microwave-safe bowl, pour white chocolate chips and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted (about 2 minutes). Stir in pink food coloring, a few drops at a time, until you achieve the shade of pink you want. Use a spoon—or place in a resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped—to drizzle the pink chocolate over the snack mix. Top with sprinkle and set aside until fully cooled, at least 20 minutes.
- Crumble the mix into bite-sized pieces and place in bags. Sprinkle and mix into popcorn before serving, or enjoy as is.
Oh, and in case you’re curious, I used Supernatural Rainbow Pop Sprinkles, Fancy Sprinkles Jelly Hues in Malibu Pink for the gel food coloring and Dollar Tree rainbow treat bags (no longer sold, but Amazon has a similar set here).
