Caramel Chex Mix
Caramel Chex Mix – Salty, sweet homemade snack mix. Made in 10 minutes & in the microwave. Perfect for serving a crowd on football Sunday!
Warning. This recipe is dangerously addicting. It is physically impossible to STOP eating bite by bite by bite. Before you know it, the entire batch will be gone. I speak (type?) from experience.
This caramel chex mix doesn’t require a candy thermometer
Most caramel recipes require a candy thermometer. But this one doesn’t!!!
It also doesn’t require a long baking time with mixing in between. It’s made in the microwave in about 5 minutes.
Which makes this the easiest recipe ever.
Recipe modifications?
This recipe is like a blank canvas. There are so many different versions you could make with this.
You could do a fall themed snack mix and add pretzels, peanut butter cups, reece’s pieces, and candy corn.
You could also make a chocolate version and use chocolate chex cereal instead of the corn chex cereal.
What to serve with this snack mix?
This would be the best snack to take to a fall tailgate or Halloween party. You could also take this fruit dip, or this apple black bean salsa!
Caramel Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 10 cups corn chex cereal
- 1 cup roasted salted peanuts
For the caramel:
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine corn cereal and peanuts. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add butter and whisk constantly until fully combined and boiling. Remove from heat, whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, and baking soda until completely combined.
- Pour over cereal/peanuts and fold mixture with a rubber spatula to even coat.
- Transfer bowl to microwave and microwave for 1 minute, remove from microwave and stir. Repeat 2-3 more times. (Microwave for 3 minutes for a slightly softer caramel, and 4 minutes for a slightly crunchier caramel.)
- Spread snack mix into a single layer onto a large baking sheet lined with foil. Allow to cool on the pan and break apart large clusters if desired. Cover the snack mix tightly once cooled; it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.