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in Recipes· Valentine's Day

Cupid’s Crunch Recipe – Valentine’s Day Treats! (Easy to be allergy friendly)

A friend gave us a package of this delightful treat just before Christmas, and everyone in my house loved it.  Christmas is over, and I did mean to share this before the holiday because it is so delicious, but we got sick and…I didn’t.  So I changed things up a little bit and came up with what I call Cupid’s Crunch (and you’ll find many variations on Pinterest or via Google search, I have) which is so easy to do and SO yummy!

Cupid's Crunch Valentine Popcorn Mix- This Mama Loves

Cupid’s Crunch Recipe

What you need:

2 bags microwave popcorn or 1/2- 2/3 cup popcorn kernels, popped

12 oz bag Wilton candy melts (I did the pink for this recipe)

2 cups pretzels- broken into pieces

1 – 11/2 cups M&Ms

Sprinkles, Nonpareils, Holiday shaped candies for decoration

cupids crunch recipe ingredients

How to make it

Pop popcorn, set aside.  Be sure to pick any unpopped kernels out– they aren’t fun to bite into when you don’t expect them!
Melt the candy melts at 30 second intervals in the microwave if you want this done quickly.  Otherwise, you can always do a double boiler method (it’ll take longer), stirring frequently.

Toss broken pretzels and M&Ms into the bowl with popcorn.  Then pour 1/2 the melted candy over the top and combine with a rubber spatula.  (I actually found that using 2 rubber spatulas worked a lot better for me and I didn’t get covered in Cupid’s Crunch mess!)

Spread mixture out on a sheet of wax paper- drizzle remaining melted candy over the top.

Sprinkle the nonpareils, candy bits or sprinkles (I call them shots)

After the chocolate dries/firms up again, break into bits and either store in an airtight container (for about a week) or package it up into treat bags to share with friends, classmates and neighbors!  If you try to do it before the chocolate is ready, you’re going to have a big mess on your hands.  Of course, you can always lick your fingers. But really, it’s better to wait. I promise.

The fun part of this recipe?  Thanks to the candy makers all finding holidays fun for products, you can make this mix for every holiday and for no reason at all!  Next Christmas we may get those holiday shaped pretzels and leave them whole, for a fully themed crunch.

Cupid's Crunch Valentine Popcorn Mix Recipe- This Mama Loves

Want to make this a NUT FREE recipe?  Use the Vermont Nut-Free Chocolate’s “Skippers” as an M&M alternative.  Be sure your pretzels are nut-free as well, and voila! Nut free treat!

I have spent hours online trying to find the original source for this recipe.  I can’t find it.  I’ve modified it, and I’m sure you will too!

[mpprecipe-recipe:692]
cupids crunch recipe

About Brett

I'm a 40 something lifestyle blogger living in Connecticut with my husband and our 3 kids, plus our two rescue pups. We love to hike, travel, play games, watch movies, and just be outside together! Having 3 active kids makes for a hectic schedule and I try to share content, recipes and other things that can help to make today's busy family life simpler, easier, or just plain more fun!

I started working full time at a local middle school in fall 2021 and some of my students are insistent that I am mean.

Comments

  5. Michelle Cantu says

    What a fun Valentine’s treat. We homeschool and I just love having a fun snack my kids can help me make.

  7. Victoria says

    This is so cute. For the past couple of Valentine’s Day’s I haven’t really done anything for the kids so I may have to surprise them with this.

  8. Lynndee says

    That looks like the perfect snack to munch on while you and your hubs are watching a movie together at home on V-day.. Going to save your recipe. Thank you!

  9. Ruth I says

    I am super thrilled seeing this. The color looks super dreamy and sure it’s yummy. I am very exited trying this with a bunch of friends!

  13. Beth says

    This looks like a great snack for Valentine’s Day! I might have to make it this year for myself!

  14. Mitch Chaitin says

    What a great idea! This is perfect for valentine’s Day. And a great project to get the kids involved, because their reward at the end is some fun eating!

  17. Mary says

    Hi!
    I was really excited to try this for my anniversary, but almost immediately after having the chocolate harden the popcorn tasted stale. Is there a way to prevent the stale taste of the popcorn?

    • Brett says

      Hmm. Perhaps if you just use very little chocolate more like a drizzle? I haven’t made it in a while but now i want to to see if it tastes stale!

  21. SAMANTHA says

    I have been on the lookout for a sweet treat for my sons valentines party! Think I might have found it. Pinned! I am stopping by from ducks in a row blog hop!

  25. Erin says

    I love the way this looks…and crunch mixes are the best! I featured you on my blog today if you want to check it out 🙂

  27. Melissa says

    So funny – I just was surfing Pinterest, adding things here and there and saw this – I laughed when I clicked the picture only to be taken to your site 😀 So fun!!!

  28. jodi says

    just finished a batch and can’t wait for it to cool, looks yummy. I added 1 c of flaked coconut. during the holidays I made something like this using chex, cherrios, pretzles, m&m’s and chocolate. I have another to try (because I love peanut butter) gram crackers, marshmallows, m&m’s (don’t think mini chocolate chips would hold up to the melted chocolate) and use peanut butter chocolate to hold it all together. thanx

  31. joanne gentry says

    I am so happy I happened upon your blog, this is an awesome idea. I usually send my daughters and my grandchildren a home made treat for Valentine’s Day, and this will be the recipe I use this year!!! Thank you!

  32. Jen says

    Love this recipe/mix! Also, for allergy free be careful of the melting chocolate…..most of the time this too is processed on the same equipment as nuts and other foods. There are certain kinds that are made that are super safe. Just got to check labels and sometimes make a call…..

    • queenb says

      Agree- you can’t be too careful. The Wilton ones I have here- I just checked- they are all “safe” that I have. You can’t be too careful though!

    • Jayne says

      Just an FYI on the allergens: WIlton processing is not allergy safe. I have found other alternatives for Wilton sprinkles. LAtely, Target has sprinkles in their $1 spot that are labeled for allergens, ie: safe for peanut and tree nut. Planning on trying this for my grandkids…

      • queenb says

        Jayne- Interesting. I will note that next time. My friend’s kids have nut allergies but apparently are life threatening- they eat wilton sprinkles even (I bought a TON Of those safe Target sprinkles- and keep doing so when I find them!!)

  33. Sandi says

    I did similar for Christmas – even used the Captain Crunch Christmas Cereal & the Christmas pretzels (just the right size) Grands loved them.

    • queenb says

      Oh! What a fun idea!! Do you know, Christmas Captain Crunch is the only “sugar” cereal my mom would buy us as kids- and only 2 boxes in December? I bet the kids loved them

  38. Katie says

    Looks great!! Just a tip to make it safe for allergies, check your sprinkles!! A lot of sprinkles are made on equipment that processes nuts as well! I’m a teacher and have a nephew with an allergy and this came up last year in my class!!

  39. Lisa says

    Hoe many servings does this make? I was planning to fill sandwich bags. Trying to plan how much would feed 30.

    • queenb says

      Lisa I’d do a double batch for 30 people. You can easily fill 15 bags but I’m not sure you can get 30 from one!

  43. Bill Elliott says

    These looks very good and easy to make. These would be fun to make with my Grandchildren for Valentines Day. Thank you for the recipe

  45. Rama says

    This looks like fun! will defiantly give this a try, V-day is just right around the corner 😉 Great Post!

  46. Jo-Ann Brightman says

    Thank you for the 2 rubber spatulas tip. I love changing the color for the different holidays.

  50. Kelley S says

    This looks great and the variations for the holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are endless!

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