Looking for a last minute Halloween treat idea? How about some yummy in the tummy, and oh, so spooky Monster Munch? We were notified by B's teachers that we could send in a Halloween treat for his class party, or treat bags for each child in his class (there are 15). I knew that I didn't want to make cupcakes or buy pre-made cookies. I would rather send in something that the kids could take home and enjoy after school, and something that might be semi-healthy.

I decided to go with Monster Munch, because using popcorn and pretzels would be a healthier alternative. There are so many different ways to make Monster Munch. I wanted B to be able to help me pick out what we would add in for the munch, so we decided popcorn would be the base, and then headed to the store to pick out some other goodies.

We wound up with:

Popcorn

Pretzel Sticks

Candy Corn (B's favorite!)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Mini Marshmallows

Halloween Fright Night Sprinkles from Weavers Nuts

Green Colored Candy Melts

Step 1- Make the popcorn

We don't use microwavable popcorn. We buy the whole kernels, and pop the popcorn on the stove. This way, the popcorn is fresh, there are no additives, except for the little bit of oil we use for popping, and sea salt that we add ourselves. This also allows us to make large batches at one time.

Step 2- Spread the popcorn out in a layer over a wax paper lined jelly roll pan.

Step 3- Enlist the help of your kiddos to add the extra stuff!

Step 4- Add a layer of the pretzel sticks.

Step 5- Add candies, marshmallows, etc.

*If I had been making this for myself, I would have omitted the candy and marshmallows, and used almonds and cranberries.

Step 6- Melt the Candy melts in the microwave and drizzle over the Monster Munch.

Add final touches like sprinkles and chocolate chips.

We let the chocolate harden for about 30-45 minutes, before breaking the Monster Munch into chunks, and then adding it to Halloween treat bags for B's class. From start to finish, it took about an hour to make three batches of the Monster Munch (three cookie sheets). The part that took up the most time, was popping more than one batch of fresh popcorn on the stove.

The Monster Munch that we made is a fun mix of salty and sweet that we know B's friends will love! Why not give it a try, and put your own spin on it?