Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes 25 Holiday Snacks for Your Christmas Movie Marathon By Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein is an Editorial Fellow for Southern Living covering food and culture. She has been published in Modern Luxury magazines, Our State Magazine, and Hudson Valley Magazine. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 28, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Gather the whole crew and settle around the TV for one of the best parts of the holiday season: the movies. Before you get too comfy on the couch though, make sure you have all your snacks at the ready. Movie time calls for easy, handheld treats—something you can throw in a bowl and enjoy without prying your eyes away from the screen, preferably by the handful. Movie snacks should also be come in bites so as to not get too many crumbs on the couch. But this is no ordinary screening. We look forward to watching Christmas movies with loved ones all year long; It's one of our favorite holiday traditions. That's why no ordinary snacks will do—definitely not anything that comes from the microwave or straight from the bag. For your Christmas Eve marathon, we gave classic snacks an upgrade. From salty crackers and popcorn to sweet treats (or both!), these snack recipes are spruced up for the festive season's much anticipated films. From classics to family favorites, Hallmark holiday originals, and even Die Hard, these snacks will make for a merry movie marathon. 01 of 25 Salted Caramel Popcorn Southern Living Recipe: Salted Caramel Popcorn Have you ever tried popcorn with M&Ms? This recipe has the same allure of that sweet and salty movie theater delicacy taken to a whole new level. 02 of 25 Fire Crackers Recipe: Fire Crackers Alabama Fire Crackers are simple but delicious, starting with a few staple sleeves of saltine crackers. Introducing some new flavors to these classic, salty crackers brings a wow factor worthy of this once-per-year occasion. 03 of 25 Hot-and-Sweet Fried Peanuts Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Hot-and-Sweet Fried Peanuts These spice-infused nuts will be a crunchy hit. Two types of sugar and two types of hot pepper are the flavor combination you'll love. 04 of 25 Hush Puppies Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Recipe: Hush Puppies No Southerner will say "no" to Hush Puppies. The secret to perfectly crispy homemade Hush Puppies is the oil temperature. 05 of 25 Ranch Snacker Crackers Sheri Castle Recipe: Ranch Snacker Crackers Set out a bowl of these crackers and watch the magic happen. Ranch snacks made with oyster crackers will be gone in a flash. 06 of 25 Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs Recipe: Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix Cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, and mini marshmallows are coated in a buttery mixture to bring this snack together. Whether you're craving sweet or salty flavors, this treat is the one for you. Serve it in waffle ice cream cones for extra fun and fewer dishes. 07 of 25 Chile-Lime-Honey Roasted Peanuts Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry Recipe: Chile-Lime-Honey Roasted Peanuts Six ingredients is all you need for these zesty snacking nuts. The dynamic trio of lime juice, chile powder, and honey are a flavor punch of hot heat that comes together in a low oven. 08 of 25 Fried Olives with Blue Cheese Aïoli Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Fried Olives with Blue Cheese Aïoli Fried bite-sized options will always be a favorite and these olive snacks are more proof of that rule. We like to use pimiento-stuffed green olives for an extra-Southern twist. 09 of 25 Homemade Potato Chips with Fried Herbs Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Homemade Potato Chips with Fried Herbs Serve up a bowl of fresh, homemade potato chips and you'll hear no complaints but lots of satisfied crunches. Use a mandolin to slice russet potatoes into thin, uniform chips. 10 of 25 Georgia-Style Boiled Peanuts Alison Miksch Recipe: Georgia-Style Boiled Peanuts Salty nuts are a hit at any occasion. We put our slow cooker to work for tender and tasty popping snacks. 11 of 25 Apple Chips Micah A. Leal Recipe: Apple Chips Thin, mandolin-sliced apples are coated in warming cinnamon spice before baking slowly. On first bite, they're snappy before softening and melting in your mouth. 12 of 25 Spicy-Sweet Pecans Helen Norman Recipe: Spicy-Sweet Pecans Spiced pecans are easy to make and even easier to devour. This is the kind of snack that you can't just eat one of. 13 of 25 Crack Crackers Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Crack Crackers Introducing your new favorite snack. Cheez-Its spruced up with ranch dressing mix, garlic, and dill are so tasty that your whole movie crew will be addicted in no time. 14 of 25 Cheddar Cheese Straws Photo: Lee Harrelson Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws Set some cheese straws down in front of a group of Southerners and no matter the time and place, they'll be gone in a jiffy. Our recipe for this classic snack is cheesy and rich with just the right touch of peppery kick. 15 of 25 Cracker Toffee Abbi Wilt Recipe: Cracker Toffee Can't decide whether you want salty or sweet? Or perhaps you're intent on having both? This is the Christmas snack for you. Saltine crackers bring a salty crunch while chocolate and nuts balance it all out with decadent, sweet flavor. 16 of 25 Salted Butterscotch Popcorn Southern Living Recipe: Salted Butterscotch Popcorn You can make microwave popcorn any other night of the year. For Christmas Eve, we're doing something special. Scotch-infused caramel sauce and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt are a surefire way to serve up an impressive and tasty snack. 17 of 25 Spicy Cheese Twists Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Spicy Cheese Twists For the special occasion, try this twist (literally) on cheese straws. Spicy Cheese Twists are flaky, cheesy, and deliver a delicious kick thanks to cayenne pepper. 18 of 25 Muddy Buddy Mix Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Muddy Buddy Mix You might also know Muddy Buddy Mix as Puppy Chow, Muddy Munch, Monkey Munch, or Reindeer Chow. No matter what you call it, you can't go wrong with Chex cereal coated in chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. 19 of 25 Fried Pickle Chips Alison Miksch Recipe: Fried Pickle Chips We take a simple approach to fried pickles because sometimes, you just can't beat the classics. Throw in some of our Roundhouse-Kick Sauce on the side though, and you've got a game-changer on your hands. 20 of 25 Bacon Bow Tie Crackers Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers We love everything about this recipe. We love bacon; We love buttery crackers: We love how easy this snack comes together; And we love how much everyone else will love them too. 21 of 25 Smoky Snack Mix Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Smoky Snack Mix This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style snack mix is elevated by unbeatable smoky flavors. We especially love the smoky, buttery white cheddar cheese crackers in this mix. 22 of 25 Bacon Bites Oxmoor House Recipe: Bacon Bites With only three ingredients, this snack couldn't be easier. When the ingredients are bacon, brown sugar, and breadsticks, Bacon Bites clearly couldn't get any more delicious, either. 23 of 25 Buttery Toasted Pecans Iain Bagwell Recipe: Buttery Toasted Pecans The soulmate of Christmastime "chestnuts on an open fire," these roasted nuts will get you in the spirit. Nutty, warm aromas will dance around your home to set the scene for your holiday movie marathon. 24 of 25 Cheddar Cheese Shortbread Crackers Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Shortbread Crackers These crackers are a reliable treat for any situation. Serve them on their own, with cheese and jam, or send guests home with extras in a cookie tin. Try the Pimiento Cheese, Pecan-and-Thyme, and Bacon, Bourbon, and Benne Seed flavors to experience these crackers' full holiday potential. 25 of 25 Stove-Top Bacon Popcorn Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Stove-Top Bacon Popcorn It doesn't get better than bacon and popcorn. Fry up your bacon first then use the bacon drippings to pop your kernels. Everyone in your movie crew will thank you for it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit