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Leprechaun Bait

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posted: 03/07/23

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Leprechaun Bait is a fun and easy goodie to make with the kids for St. Patrick’s Day. Just a handful of ingredients, a little sorting (perfect for tiny hands), and you end up with a delicious treat!

close up of a bowl of leprechaun bait

This delicious Leprechaun Bait was first posted on this website in 2013 with the most adorable pictures of my kiddo making it and setting a trap to catch his leprechaun. That same kiddo is a teenager now, and a lot less interested in being posted on the internet, let alone trying to catch leprechauns.

We still love making this delicious treat though and seeing if we can catch that little sneaky guy on March 17th. He always manages to get away, but leaves chocolate gold coins, fun books, and changes everything he can green.

overhead of a bowl of ingredients broken up by ingredient, marshmallows, lucky charms, green m&ms, cheerios, lucky charms marshmallows, cirspix

How to Make Leprechaun Bait

This is a brief overview, showing you how to make this fun treat. For the full recipe with all of the ingredients, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  1. Sort the ingredients. We are pulling some marshmallows out of Lucky Charms and we are picking green M&Ms out of bags. This is a perfect job for little hands.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients together. In a large bowl combine the marshmallows, M&Ms, Lucky Charms, Lucky Charm Marshmallows, Crispix, and Cheerios.
  3. Coat the mixture in white chocolate. Melt the chocolate, and pour it over the mixture, stir it to combine.
  4. Spread the mixture out. On a lined baking sheet, spread the mixture out into as much of a single layer as you can. Once dry, break it apart and enjoy!
white chocolate being poured over ingredients for leprechaun bait in a bowl

Substitutions and Variations

This is a super versatile recipe, and you could swap in so many different things. This would perfect to change up for another holiday. Make it with pastel marshmallows, M&Ms, and a different cereal for a great Easter treat.

  • Swap the Cheerios or Crispix out for small pretzels.
  • Leave out the mini marshmallows.
  • Add in some popcorn. Popcorn coated in white chocolate is amazing! Its what makes my Pumpkin Spice Popcorn so crazy good.
  • Use green mini marshmallows. These come in the pastel pack, and is another ingredient little hands would love to sort.
overhead photo of tray of leprechaun bait drying

Working with White Chocolate

White chocolate morsels are what we are using to coat the bait. It holds everything together and makes it delicious, but it can be a little tricky to work with. Here are a few tips:

  • Be careful not to get any water near the white chocolate. Liquid will make seize. This means making sure the bowl you melt it in is 100% dry. Avoid steam from a double boiler.
  • Follow the directions on the packaging for melting. This is typically melting at half power in the microwave for 1 minute and then for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Be very careful not to overheat the chocolate. Resist the urge to put it back in the microwave if its not melting, sometimes it just needs to be stirred longer.
  • If the chocolate does start to seize or you need to thin it out, add a little bit of vegetable shortening, such as Crisco.
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Storing Leprechaun Bait

Leprechaun Bait can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week. Though, I suspect you might not be able to keep it around that long. It’s pretty irresistible. Keep in mind that if you plan on storing it longer, you might want to skip the marshmallows. They don’t hold up to storing as well as the other ingredients.

This recipe will also freeze really well. Store it in an airtight bag for up to three months. I will warn you that you may not want to freeze it, because it is even harder to resist straight from the freezer.

close up of a child's hands holding leprechaun bait

Other Easy Treats

If you make this recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

close up of a bowl of leprechaun bait
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Leprechaun Bait

Serves: 34 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Leprechaun Bait is a fun and easy goodie to make with the kids for St. Patrick's Day. Just a handful of ingredients, a little sorting (perfect for tiny hands), and you end up with a delicious treat!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1 cup green M&Ms
  • 1 1/2 cups Lucky Charms
  • 1/2 cup Lucky Charm Mallows (picked from the cereal)
  • 1 cup Crispix
  • 1 cup Cheerios
  • 12 ounces white chocolate (read here about working with white chocolate)

Instructions

  • Coat a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
  • Mix the marshmallows, M&Ms, Lucky Charms, Lucky Charm Marshmallows, Crispix, and Cheerios together in a big bowl
  • Pour the melted chocolate over it, and stir to combine. It will be a little difficult to stir, but do your best to coat everything before the chocolate hardens.
  • Spread the mixture over the wax paper. Allow it to harden. Then break it apart and store it in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
Serving: 0.24cup Calories: 107kcal (5%) Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) Protein: 1g (2%) Fat: 5g (8%) Saturated Fat: 3g (19%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0.01g Cholesterol: 3mg (1%) Sodium: 39mg (2%) Potassium: 43mg (1%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin A: 101IU (2%) Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) Calcium: 40mg (4%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
close up of a bowl of leprechaun bait

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Leprechaun Bait

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Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

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