This crunchy peanut butter Chex mix is the perfect mix of sweet and salty. It has a fun combination of cereal, pretzels, and candy with a peanut butter caramel coating. It is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
Sweet and salty snack mixes eaten by the handful are always a good idea. Especially when they are so quick and easy.
This fun peanut butter Chex mix will keep your hand coming back for more every time. It is a fun mix of cereals, pretzels and peanuts all wrapped in a crunchy peanut butter coating.
After the caramel Chex mix was such a hit at last year’s Super Bowl party, I knew I had to make another version this year. So, I combined that idea with the crunchy peanut butter coating from peanut butter popcorn and this mix was born.
Carlee’s Tips and Tricks:
You can follow this recipe exactly and use pretzels, peanuts, cornflakes, and Chex. It is a perfect mix of crunchy goodies.
However, you can very easily experiment with your base ingredients. If you don’t feel like buying all of those items, leave one or two out.
Just make sure to replace that volume with something else. So if you don’t want to do cornflakes, add 2 extra cups of something else.
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If peanuts aren’t your thing, use mixed nuts instead. Or use cashews or almonds or whatever you like best.
Or reduce the amount of Chex and add some Cheerios to the mix. You get the idea, you just want to keep the total volume of goodies pretty close to the original recipe.
When making the caramel, make sure to use an oversized saucepan. The mixture bubbles up pretty big when it is boiling and again when you add the baking soda.
Make sure the mixture is completely cooled before you put it in an airtight container. This maximizes the crunchiness. You don’t want it to get soggy from the condensation that can form when putting it away hot.
Why Do You Add Baking Soda To The Peanut Butter Caramel Mixture?
Adding baking soda to the hot sugar mixture causes it to bubble up. Those air bubbles help to give the caramel volume, making it easier to coat all of the cereal mixture. Plus it helps to give it the right crunchy texture when it is finished.
Peanut Butter Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 4 cups pretzels
- 10 cups Chex cereal rice and/or corn
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 16 ounces roasted peanuts
- ½ cup butter
- ⅔ cup light corn syrup
- 1⅓ cups light brown sugar packed
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups M&Ms
Instructions
- Place the 4 cups pretzels, 10 cups Chex cereal, 2 cups cornflakes, and 16 ounces roasted peanuts in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- In a large saucepan bring the ½ cup butter, ⅔ cup light corn syrup, 1⅓ cups light brown sugar, ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium heat.
- Continue to boil, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Be careful as the caramel mixture is hot and this will cause it to bubble and foam a bit.
- Pour the hot caramel mixture over the cereal mixture. Stir to coat.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250℉ and grease a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Spread the caramel coated cereal mixture over the baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Spread cereal mixture over sheets of wax paper to cool. Sprinkle with the M&Ms.
- Once cool, break into smaller clumps. Store in an airtight container.
Microwave Directions
- This Chex mix can also be made in a large brown paper grocery bag. Just place all of the cereals, pretzels, etc. in the bag. Make the caramel mixture as described above. Pour the caramel mixture over the cereal in the bag and roll down the top of the bag to seal it and carefully shake to coat.
- Place bag in the microwave and cook on high for 30 seconds. Carefully remove bag and shake, turning the bag over to make sure everything is coated. Repeat this process for a total of 5 times in the microwave, with a shake after each.
- After the last trip to the microwave, dump the contents of the bag onto sheets of wax paper. Carefully spread the mixture out a bit. You want clumps, but not one huge clump! Allow to cool completely.
- Once cool, break into smaller clumps and sprinkle with candies. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Video
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