Caramel Popcorn Snack Mix (with Chex!)
Homemade caramel sauce over fresh popcorn, Chex cereal, and pretzels is a deliciously addicting snack mix that the entire family won't be able to get enough of!
Servings: 15 cups
Calories: 596kcal
Ingredients
- 8 cups popped popcorn make sure no un-popped kernels get in mix
- 4 cups rice square cereal Crispix or Chex Mis
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists
- 1 cup pecan halves can be substituted for other nuts like honey roasted peanuts, almonds, or walnuts
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter equal to 1 stick
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix popped popcorn, square cereal, mini pretzels, and pecan halves in a very large mixing bowl and mix well; set aside. Remember that this bowl will not only need to hold the ingredients but mix with caramel sauce so use the largest one you have.
- Add brown sugar, butter stick, and light corn syrup into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring and bringing the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Do not stir during this time.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and carefully stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. The mixture will begin to lighten in color and double in size.
- Pour caramel sauce into the popcorn mixture bowl and combine to evenly coat all of the snack mix.
- Spread the snack mix between two baking sheets as evenly as you can.
- Bake coated popcorn mixture for 10-15 minutes in preheated oven.
- Remove sheetpan from oven and stir/flip the mixture and rotate baking sheets (top rack onto the lower rack and vice versa) before returning to the oven. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Remove caramel popcorn from the oven and let it stand to cool completely before enjoying it or placing into a sealable bag and storing it at room temperature.
Notes
Instead of pretzels, try dry asian noodles (or add some in!)
If you want a little sweet bite, add in mini M&M or Reese’s candies.
To turn this into a holiday snack, add holiday friendly candies like red and green M&Ms, candy eyeballs, baby candy pumpkins.
Drizzle white chocolate or milk chocolate over the mix.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 107g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 223mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 8mg