Caramel Crispix Snack Mix (Sweet and Salty)
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Caramel Crispix Snack Mix Recipe is the perfect sweet and salty snack mix for a movie or game night. This finger-food snack mix is easy to make and will feed a crowd.
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 8/26/17 TO IMPROVE READER EXPERIENCE.
Caramel Crispix Snack Mix is an easy finger-food recipe that can be made ahead of time and can feed a crowd.
With minimal ingredients, a bag, and a microwave, you have a snack mix that’s quick to make and clean up is a breeze.
This Crispix mix is so addictively delicious that they’ll ask you NOT to bring it.
Have you ever been somewhere and ate something where you just couldn’t leave it alone and demanded the recipe before you left? I got this Addictive Caramel Crispix Snack Mix recipe just that way.
When our children were in grade school, we got together with some of their classmate’s parents. One of the mothers made this Crispix Snack Mix and the rest is history.
I can’t say where she got it but it’s one of our favorite snack mixes and we’ve been making it for the last 20 years.
When we’re asked to bring something where finger-food is a must, this is the one we take.
This recipe for Crispix mix fills three rimmed baking sheets so will feed a crowd! And, it’s cooked in the microwave in a brown paper bag so there isn’t any mess! Let me show you how I did it.
How to make Caramel Crispix Snack Mix
Shopping List for Crispix Mix
- Crispix Cereal
- Peanuts – I like roasted with light salt
- M&M or other candy-coated chocolate
- Butter
- Brown sugar – I like dark but either will do
- Light corn syrup
- Salt
- Baking soda
- Two brown paper grocery sacks
Combine Crispix Party Mix Ingredients
- Take two brown paper sacks and put one inside the other.
- Pour in the Crispix cereal, the M&M candy, and peanuts.
- Shake to combine
Caramel Sauce Recipe
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the brown sugar, Karo syrup, and salt. Cook until dissolved and combined.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in baking soda. Be careful because it will foam up.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the ingredients in the bag and shake to combine.
Caramel Crispix Microwave Recipe
- Fold the top of the bag together and shake the sauce and dry ingredients together. Microwave the contents in the bag for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and shake it again. Return the bag to the microwave. Repeat this process for a total of 3 times shaking after each minute.
- Pour the ingredients out onto 2 or 3 rimmed baking sheets and spread it out to dry, stirring occasionally.
- This mix can be left out to dry overnight and covering it isn’t necessary.
- Once dry, store the mix in a covered bowl or recloseable plastic storage bag.
I packed up two of the pans by putting the Caramel Crispix into plastic ziplock bags and took a pretty dish to pour it into once we got there.
Caramel Crispix Tips:
- I like cooking this recipe in a brown paper bag from the grocery store. The cleanup is a breeze! However, it’s getting hard to get these bags since we use our own reusable bags. This recipe can easily be made in a large microwave-safe bowl as well.
- Use a deeper sided saucepan for cooking the brown sugar mixture than you think you’ll need. Remove the pan from the heat before you add the baking soda. Be careful when you add the baking soda it will foam up quickly and be very hot.
Variations to make this Snack Mix Recipe your own:
- Replace the peanuts with pecans or cashews
- Add pretzel sticks
- Use another cereal such as Rice Chex
- Substitute the chocolate M&M’s with another variety. Their caramel or peanut butter flavors would be amazing.
- Color coordinate the cany for the holidays
A few gadgets to make your Crispix Snack Mix Recipe:
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- Baking Sheets – These sheet pans are durable and I have four of them so I can have everything baked in a jiffy!
- Glass Mixing Bowl Set – I use this set of bowls for mixing, serving, storing, and transporting food. The pretty lids guarantee no spilling too!
We’ve been taking this Caramel Crispix Snack Mix to our friend’s houses ever since we first tried it. We have some friends who have forbade us from bringing it because once you get started, it’s just too hard to stop munching.
If you enjoy this snack mix recipe here are a few more you may like
- Spicy Nacho Cheese Pretzels Recipe
- Candy Bar Popcorn
- Candy Coated Popcorn A.K.A. Crack Corn
- Caramel Apple Pie Snack Mix
- Unicorn Popcorn
- Sweet Jarcuterie
- Rice Krispie Treats {The Best}
If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
Caramel Crispix Snack Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 oz Crispix cereal Rice chex also work
- 1 lb peanuts salted or lightly salted
- 1 lb M&M candies or chocolate coated candy pieces
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup I used Karo Syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 brown paper bags grocery bag size
Instructions
- Place one paper bag inside the other and pour cereal, peanuts, and M&M candies into it.
- Add brown sugar, butter, Karo syrup and salt to a large saucepan. Boil for 1-1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Be careful because the mixture will foam up and be very hot. Pour into the paper bag over the cereal mixture.
- Roll the top of the bag down and shake to distribute the sugar mixture throughout the cereal mixture. Heat bag in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and reshake. Return to the microwave for a total of 3 times.
- Spread out on rimmed cookie sheets to dry for a couple hours or overnight. Occasionally break up the mix. Store dried mix in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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I can’t believe these friends hadn’t had this Caramel Crispix Snack Mix before but we now have more friends that are addicted to this snack. John was going to take the last bag to work so he didn’t eat it all. Well, it didn’t make it to work and he didn’t eat it all. I helped!
I had this during a company holiday party a few years ago. I got the recipe, but lost it. I’m so glad I found your recipe here. I’m putting together Christmas tins for my neighbors and will include a link to your recipe in Pinterest! Thanks so much!!
Thank you so much, Kathy! What a thoughtful gift! I really appreciate you sharing my site with your friends too. That’s so helpful.
Large brown grocery bags won’t fit into all sizes of microwaves. What about pouring this onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and baked it in the oven for a few minutes or longer?
You’re correct, LuAnn. I have to roll the tops down. I’ve not tried making this in the oven but would think you could make it in a 350 oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionly.
If you pour this over your m&ms won’t it melt them ?
I doesn’t, Amanda. You pour and then stir with a spatula. After you put everything out to dry on a baking sheet it all has a delicious brown sugar and butter glaze. We love this addicting snack and it’s great for making and taking.
The coating on the MandMs melted off. I used the MandM crisp type. Maybe I should have stuck with the normal kind? I would think the coating is the same.
I’ve never had this happen Daniel? Did you microwave it for the short bursts? The variety of the M&M’s shouldn’t make a difference because I think they all have the same candy coating.
This is one of my favorite snack mixes!! Making it for our tailgate this weekend!
Thank you Michaela!
I had to make a second batch, because the first batch disappeared mysteriously…. It was so good!
I know! I can’t get enough of it either! Thank you.
I made this for Connor’s class and they devoured it in nanoseconds!
Thanks Jennifer!
This stuff really is addictive! We love it!
I totally agree Brandi! Thank you!
This was such a hit! It’s the perfect party mix and everyone loved it! (Though I did have to shoo Dan away from picking out the m&m’s!
We love this for college game days. I have a batch ready for the Gator game tonight!
These snack mix was great. We ate it while we watched football this weekend. Just what I wanted!
Thank you Debi! I’m making it for a tailgating party we’re having too!
This is so good! Can definitely see us making it again and again for parties and kid get togethers!
Thank you, Michelle! It’s a little dangerous for me to have around!
So very good and a perfect holiday snack. If you use Rice Chex it is totally gluten free. Perfect for those guests that need a gluten free sweet fix!
Thank you so much Sara for pointing out that these are gluten-free friendly! Deliciousness for everyone!
Big bowls of these will be placed out on Thanksgiving this year to keep the masses tame before dinner.
Thank you, Renee! You will have a very popular table indeed!
Made this for the family Thanksgiving gathering and it was a total win! Definitely will make more for Christmas. (Maybe swap out peanuts for cashews?) thanks for sharing, Julie!
So great to see you here, Beth! We love this stuff and you can definitely swap out peanuts. You could even add colored sprinkles to it as soon as you spread it out on the pans to dry to make it even more festive or just use red and green M&M’s. Enjoy your weekend my friend!
Hi Julie! Your recipes are so dangerous! (I meant to put five stars on that recipe but I think I hit send too quickly.) Love following you. Happy Holidays to you and the family!
Thank you so much, Beth! I really appreciate that! I love knowing that people actually read my material and google loves my stars LOL!
Love the sweet and salty taste of this addictive snack Julie. It’s gotta be a killer to try to get away from that jar 🙂
Thank you, Loretta! This stuff is just dangerous to gals like me that can’t stop at one handful!
Any recipe of yours that is 20 years old has to be good! This kind of a snack is always a treat – sweet and salty!
Thank you, Judi! This one is dangerous so I only make it when I can take it.
This sounds a little too dangerous. Nothing so delicious should be so easy to make!
Thank you Kelsie! It is very dangerous so I only make it when I can get rid of most of it real quick!
This is certainly the best snack option for me .. I love the inclusion of M & M’s. Loved the post!
Thank you Vidya!