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Easy Sweet and Salty Snack Mix | Movie Night Favorite

Easy Sweet and Salty Snack Mix

A crunchy snack mix of pretzels, cereal squares, and nuts coated in a light caramel and finished with a white chocolate drizzle and candy pieces.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups pretzel twists
  • 4 cups corn and rice cereal squares
  • 1 cup mixed nuts (peanuts almonds, pecans)
  • 1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat and line pan: Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so the caramel doesn't stick.
  2. Combine the dry mix: In a very large bowl, combine the pretzel twists, cereal squares, and mixed nuts, tossing so they're evenly distributed.
  3. Melt the butter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter completely, swirling the pan occasionally.
  4. Cook the caramel: Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, then bring the mixture to a boil and let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly and smells toasted.
  5. Add vanilla: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, which will foam up briefly as it combines.
  6. Coat the dry mix: Pour the hot caramel over the pretzel mixture and toss with a large spoon until every piece looks glossy and coated.
  7. Spread on the pan: Spread the coated mix in an even layer across the prepared baking sheet, breaking up any large clumps.
  8. Bake and stir: Bake for 45 minutes total, stirring every 15 minutes, until the mix turns deep golden brown and smells like toffee.
  9. Cool slightly: Remove the pan from the oven and let the mix cool for about 10 minutes, just until it's warm instead of hot.
  10. Melt the white chocolate: Melt the white chocolate chips in 20-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, until smooth.
  11. Drizzle and top: Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the warm mix, then scatter the candy-coated chocolate pieces evenly across the top.
  12. Set and break apart: Let the mix sit at room temperature for 20 minutes until the chocolate hardens, then break it into clusters by hand before serving.