This snack mix is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and salty, plus the homemade candy coating takes it to the next level.
Sweet and Savory Snack Mix
Are you looking for a savory snack that’s a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and completely addictive? Look no further than this Sweet and Savory Snack Mix! With the base ingredient of the original Chex Mix, you can customize it to your liking by adding your favorite snacks, like: Chocolate Chex, Rice/Corn Chex, pretzels, popcorn, and nuts. But the real star of the show is the homemade candy coating, which is AMAZING!
The recipe is incredibly easy to make and only takes an hour in the oven to get that non-sticky crunch!
This Sweet and Savory Snack Mix is an any occasion food! It’s perfect for snacking on during a movie night or for serving at a party. Take it on your next road trip. Plus, it makes a great homemade gift!
What about the Original Chex Mix?
Chex Mix is a popular American snack that consists of various kinds of Chex cereal mixed with pretzels and other small snacks. The history of Chex Mix dates back to the 1930s when the Ralston Purina Company first introduced Chex cereal, which was originally made from wheat, corn, and rice.
In the 1950s, a recipe for a snack mix using Chex cereal was printed on the cereal box, and it quickly became popular among home cooks. The recipe was further popularized in the 1980s when it was featured in a Chex cereal commercial.
Chex Mix has since become a staple snack in the United States, and various flavors and variations have been introduced over the years. In 1992, Chex Mix was acquired by General Mills, which continues to produce and market the snack today.
Ingredients in the Sweet and Savory Snack Mix:
- Original Chex Mix: This base ingredient brings the “savory” to this recipe. You can make the Original Chex Mix in your own kitchen or purchase it already made and packaged at the grocery store. Costco has a large 40-ounce version with bagel bits included.
- Neutral, sweet and salty snacks: Some of the choices I liked best for this recipe included Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex (a personal favorite), Snyder’s Snaps Pretzels, Skinny Pop Popcorn, Cheerios Oat Crunch (Oats ‘n Honey flavor). You may have other favorite snacks or cereals that would be fun to add.
- Nuts: I added cashews to my mix, but you can add a different nut or a variety of nuts. You can also leave the nuts out and it will taste great too!
- Unsalted butter: For this recipe, salted butter would work just as easily.
- Granulated sugar: I used granulated sugar for this recipe because I wanted the “sweet” taste, as opposed to the caramel taste that brown sugar would create.
- Light corn syrup: I prefer Karo syrup because I know it does not contain high fructose corn syrup in it.
- Baking soda: This ingredient gives this candy the crunch during the baking process.
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How to Make the Sweet and Savory Snack Mix:
- In a large bowl, combine all the snack ingredients. Set aside.
- Prepare jelly roll pan with Silpat or non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 250°F.
- In a medium-large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Continue to stir until boils.
- Stop stirring and cook to 252°F on a candy thermometer (at sea level), about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Candy mixture will bubble up.
- Carefully pour hot candy mixture over snack ingredients in the bowl. Stir to disperse.
- Pour candied snack ingredients into prepared jelly roll pan. Bake at 250°F for 1 hour, tossing/stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Break apart and store in a sealed container.
So next time you’re looking for a snack that’s a little bit different, try making this Sweet and Savory Snack Mix. You won’t be disappointed!
–Kim
Sweet and Savory Snack Mix
Equipment
- 1 jelly roll sheet pan
Ingredients
Snack Ingredients:
- 5 cups Original Chex Mix
- 10-12 cups mixture of neutral, sweet, salty snacks (Corn/Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex, Snaps Pretzels, Skinny Pop Popcorn, Cheerios Oat Crunch)
- 2 cups nuts optional
Candy Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the snack ingredients. Set aside.
- Prepare jelly roll pan with silpat or non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 250°F.
- In a medium-large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar and corn syrup. Continue to stir until boils.
- Stop stirring and cook to 252°F on a candy thermometer (at sea level), about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Candy mixture will bubble up.
- Carefully pour hot candy mixture over snack ingredients in the bowl. Stir to disperse.
- Pour candied snack ingredients into prepared jelly roll pan. Bake at 250°F for 1 hour, tossing/stirring every 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Break apart and store in a sealed container.
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