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Caramel Crispix Snack Mix (Sweet and Salty)

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.

Close up of Crispix snack mix in a white ramekin with \"yummy\" printed on the front. The mix is full of Crispix cereal, M&M\'s and peanuts sitting on a green napkin dotted with spilled snack mix. another ramekin full of snack mix sits in the background.

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.

Top down view of an overflowing bowl of brown sugar glazed Crispix cereal, peanuts and m&ms sitting on a green napkin and spilled cereal mix.

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

Three photo collage of the ingredients used to make Caramel Crispix Snack Mix including Crispix Cereal, M&M's, and Peanuts.
  1. Take two brown paper sacks and put one inside the other.
  2. Pour in the Crispix cereal, the M&M candy, and peanuts.
  3. Shake to combine

Caramel Sauce Recipe

A three photo grid showing how to make the brown sugar butter glaze for Caramel Crispix Snack Mix recipe. The 1st photo is melted butter and brown sugar and baking soda is being added to the hot mixture. The second photo shows how it foarm up while being stirred with a red spatula. The third photo shows the glaze being poured over the other snack mix ingredients in a paper bag.
  1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the brown sugar, Karo syrup, and salt. Cook until dissolved and combined.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in baking soda. Be careful because it will foam up.
  3. Pour the caramel sauce over the ingredients in the bag and shake to combine.

Caramel Crispix Microwave Recipe

Two photo collage of Caramel Crispix Snack mix has been glazed and is being poured out on a sheet pan and the second photo is of the mix spread out on the pan for drying.
  1. 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.
  2. 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

If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!

Close up of Crispix snack mix loaded with m&ms and peanuts sitting on a green napkin dotted with spilled snack mix

Caramel Crispix Snack Mix Recipe

Author: Julie Menghini
This Addictive Caramel Crispix Snack Mix is so good! One batch of this caramel glazed snack mix will feed a crowd that no one can resist!
4.71 from 24 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword: Caramel Crispix Snack Mix, Crispix Snack Mix
Servings: 25 servings

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

Alternately, this mix can be made in a large microwave-safe bowl. 

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 303mgPotassium: 235mgFiber: 4gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 485IUVitamin C: 2.7mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 7.3mg

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.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!

Top angle view of a white ramekin with the word yummy on the front filled with Caramel Crispix Snack Mix over a green napkin. Additional snack mix is sprinkled around the dish over the napkin. The title of the recipe runs across the top.

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!

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Don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest Board!

Two photo collage for Pinterest of a snack mix made of Crispix cereal, m&ms, and peanuts that have been covered in a brown sugar and butter glaze on the bottom, and the snack mix in ramekins over a green napkin in the top photo. The title "Caramel Crispix Snack Mix" runs between the photos.
4.71 from 24 votes (10 ratings without comment)
Recipe Rating




Kathy C

Saturday 16th of December 2023

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!!

Julie Menghini

Sunday 17th of December 2023

Thank you so much, Kathy! What a thoughtful gift! I really appreciate you sharing my site with your friends too. That's so helpful.

LuAnn

Saturday 23rd of September 2023

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?

Julie Menghini

Saturday 23rd of September 2023

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.

Amanda

Friday 8th of September 2023

If you pour this over your m&ms won’t it melt them ?

Julie Menghini

Friday 8th of September 2023

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.

Daniel Michler

Sunday 6th of October 2019

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.

Julie Menghini

Sunday 6th of October 2019

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.

Michaela Kenkel

Thursday 29th of August 2019

This is one of my favorite snack mixes!! Making it for our tailgate this weekend!

Julie Menghini

Saturday 31st of August 2019

Thank you Michaela!

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