This Gluten-Free Halloween Muddy Buddy Chex Mix recipe from The Whole Smiths is the perfect treat this season for any gluten-free child or adult. It’s fun, festive and hauntingly addictive!

Halloween Doesn’t Have to be Healthy.

I’m under no guise that this recipe is “healthy” and is anything less than a delicious, festive and gluten-free snack to enjoy this Fall. I really wanted to create a fun seasonal snack that could be enjoyed by gluten-free kids (and adults, of course). I feel this time of year can be particularly hard for kids with food allergies and sensitivities as it feels like “treat” season, but there aren’t a whole lot of gluten-free treats at the helm.

I’m also going to take this moment to get up on my soap box. Let me take a moment to dust it off as I don’t usually pull it out. *dust*dust* There, all set.

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you will 100% know that I think kids eat far too much sugar these days. It’s everywhere. Our children need healthier diets as a foundation to thrive. No doubt. But I also believe in teaching our children the value of enjoyment and balance in their lives. That it’s ok to find joy in a piece of candy on Halloween or a slice of birthday cake on their birthday. I don’t think it does anyone value to control every aspect of our children’s lives at each bite.

I’d like to say that I think most of us agree in the reasonable population agree with this sentiment. But over the years I’ve increasingly seen health influencers lean into the extremes with not only their diets, but that of their children and I think that can get a bit messy. There’s a line between developing heathy habits and orthorexia. I’ve seen it online and I’ve seen it play out in real life as well.

Like everything else, there’s a happy medium to think about. Ok, I’m done. Let’s talk about this Gluten-Free Halloween Muddy Buddy Chex Mix now, shall we?

Ways to Modify Your Gluten-Free Halloween Muddy Buddy Chex Mix.

One thing that makes this recipe so great is that there’s so much room for modification. I’d love for you to make it your own. You can use dried cherries instead of cranberries, freeze dried apples instead of apple chips. And if you’re a candy corn hater, you can add your own favorite candy to the mix. Literally.

You can also modify this recipe to make it nut-free. You can use sunflower butter in place of the peanut butter. Replace the nuts with other seasonal crunchy bits like sunflower seeds (Trader Joe’s has a great pumpkin spiced one!), pumpkin seeds, or rice/mochi bites. Simply use regular M&Ms in place of the recommended peanut butter variety.

Don’t love white chocolate? Use dark or milk chocolate.

Basically, you can walk down the snack isle and throw in what sounds good. But really, give this combo a try first. I really think you’ll love how these flavors work together.

With that, I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this recipe. It’s quite delicious if I do say so myself!

TIPS, TRICKS, & SWAPS

Double this recipe for a larger crowd. Duh.
For the nuts, you can use any salted version but I’d also recommend any seasonal version you may find. Trader Joe’s has a pumpkin spiced sunflower seed that would work well as well a maple roasted almond. Honey roasted is a great sweet and salty variety too.
You can swap mini popcorn cakes for rice cakes if you cannot find popcorn cakes.
For those with a nut allergy, feel free to use sunflower butter in place of the peanut butter. Replace the nuts with other seasonal crunchy bits like sunflower seeds (Trader Joe’s has a great pumpkin spiced one!), pumpkin seeds, or rice/mochi bites. Simply use regular M&Ms in place of the recommended peanut butter variety.

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