Leprechaun bait snack mix recipe (with free printable tag)

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and making a batch of Leprechaun Bait snack mix is a fun and festive way to celebrate. Made with 7 simple ingredients, this no-bake, sweet and salty snack mix is a hit with kids young and old.

Add a bowl of Leprechaun bait to your Leprechaun trap, or download your free printable Leprechaun Bait tags at the end of this post for the cutest party favors around.

Why You’ll Love Leprechaun Bait Snack Mix

• This no bake recipe looks best when you allow yourself to be messy, which means it’s easy to make.
• Who doesn’t love the combination of sweet and salty? Then add in that little bit of mint, and it’s sheer perfection.
• The combination of green candy melts with gold star sprinkles and rainbow colored marshmallows means this is a colorful treat that will look gorgeous on your St. Patrick’s Day buffet

How to Make Leprechaun Bait Snack Mix

To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it turned out in the comments below. This provides helpful feedback for me and to other readers. And if you want more fun party ideas, subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Prepare a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

Add popped popcorn, Chex cereal, mini pretzel twists, Lucky Charms marshmallows, and 1/4 cup mint green M&Ms to your pan.

Gently mix your ingredients together.

Heat the green candy melts to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high heat for 30 seconds. Stir with a fork. Repeat until the candy melts are almost all melted.

Use a fork to drizzle green candy melts onto the snack mix.

Sprinkle gold stars on top before the candy melts have set.

Move your tray with the snack mix to the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes until the candy melts have set. Once it sets, break the snack mix apart and enjoy!

Adaptations & Substitutions:

• Popcorn is not safe for little kids. If you’re making this for kids ages 5 and under, I recommend substituting puffed corn snacks (like this) for the popcorn.
• We used Corn Chex Cereal, but you can substitute with rice Chex, or your favorite flavored Chex cereal.
• Lucky Charms Marshmallows: Pictured here are the Large & fluffy Lucky Charms marshmallows. We’ve also made this with Limited Edition Just Magical marshmallows. If you use the dried marshmallows, reduce the quantity to 1/2 cup.
• Star Sprinkles: We’ve made Leprechaun bait in the past with these star sprinkles, but found them to be too hard for kids. For most of the pictured St. Patrick’s Day snack mix, we used a dusting of these gold foil star sprinkles (much more kid friendly!)
• Green Candy Melts: We used dark green candy melts for those photos, but you can also use vibrant green candy melts for a lighter color if you like.

Leprechaun Bait Recipe Tips:

Don’t skip these tips – read them before baking to avoid any potential mistakes.

Don’t overheat your candy melts

Remember, the candy continues to melt after you remove it from the microwave. Only heat the candy melts to the point where the candy wafers are mostly, but not completely, melted. Then use your fork or spoon to stir them until they finish melting and are smooth.

Work Quickly

Candy melts develop a sold ‘crust’ pretty quickly, so it’s important to add your sprinkles while it’s still melted. Otherwise they might not stick well.

You might want to alternate drizzling candy melts with sprinkling the gold stars so you get more even coverage.

FAQs:

What is Leprechaun Bait?

Leprechaun bait is a Saint Patrick’s Day snack mix that is bright and colorful. There are a number of versions available out there, but most use cereal, pretzels and Lucky Charms marshmallows.

When developing this version, I focused on using a variety of flavors and easy to find ingredients.

Can I use white chocolate instead of candy melts?

You can substitute white chocolate for the green candy melts. However, I recommend only using oil based food coloring to turn it green. If you use liquid or gel food coloring, you candy may seize.

How to Store Leprechaun Bait

Store your finished snack mix at room temperature in an airtight container (we like this one) for 1-3 days. After 3 days, it will still be safe to eat, but the popcorn and pretzels will likely turn stale.

Leprechaun Bait Printable Tag

Want to take your Leprechaun Bait up a notch? You can add this cute printable tag I designed specifically to go with it.

1. Add your Leprechaun bait to clear cellophane treat bags.
2. Download your free copy of the Leprechaun bait printable at the end of this post.
3. Print out the tags on white card stock.
4. Cut the tags along the edges. (Recommended: straight edge paper trimmer)
5. Punch a hole in the corner of the tag, and use ribbon or baker’s twine to tie it around your treat sacks

In just a few minutes, you’ll have adorable little treats to share with a whole class of kids.

If you liked the Leprechaun Bait recipe, you’re going to love my rainbow cupcakes. They’re a cute and colorful addition to your St. Patrick’s Day dessert bar.

Or you can check out my other St. Patrick’s Day treats here.

Printable St. Patrick’s Dy Snack Mix Leprechaun Bait Recipe

Download Your Free Printable Leprechaun Bait Tags Here

Whether you’ve got a class party coming up, or just want a fun activity with the kids, these St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun bait tags are a fun snack for everyone.

As a lucky treat, these Leprechaun bait tags are available free to newsletter subscribers. All you have to do is fill in the form below to get them sent right to you.

Don’t want to subscribe? You can also purchase a copy of the Leprechaun Bait Tags for a small price right here.