We really love chex mix/nuts & bolts (or whatever you want to call them) in this haus!! This delish little snacky food has been a party/holiday/snack staple for eek… decades! My first encounter with this snack was at my brother & sister-in-law’s house around Christmas time. We were playing board games and out came a few bowls of homemade nuts & bolts and I was hooked! I immediately asked my brother-in-law Tony (the nuts & bolts maker in their house) for the recipe; he said “it’s on the side of the cereal box, but I always up all the spices!” As a type-A, I immediately inquired; up by how much? Did he measure it? Which spices? His response: “just melt your butter, then add your spices, taste it and adjust as you see fit!” Let’s just say he set me on a path of great experimentation, and I have tried many, many different recipes and variation of this snack over the years!
A few Christmases ago I wanted to try something a little different, something a bit spicier and maybe with a sweet note as well… enter How Sweet Eats’ Chipotle Caramel Chex Mix. It sounded soo good! But like almost all of the recipes that I try, I often put my own spin on things, and this recipe was no different. Jessica’s version has a chipotle pepper seasoning, but one of the few flavours I don’t really like, is chipotle (I know!!), so enter my twist… adding maple syrup, honey roasted peanuts, Cheerios and creating my own spicy pepper seasoning (with no chipotle in sight lol)!!
This recipe has been repeated over and over since it was first added to my snack table, and everyone in my family loves it! Claudia is known for disliking most chex mixes (she’s the only outlier!), but she always takes a bag of this one home with her!!
Spicy Caramel Chex Mix
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 microwave safe bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 2 baking sheets
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ tsp paprika
- 4 cups rice or corn Chex cereal
- 4 cups Cheerios
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup honey roasted peanuts
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tbsp V's spicy pepper seasoning
V's Spicy Pepper Seasoning
- ¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tbsp chili powder
- ½ tbsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
V's Spicy Pepper Seasoning
- In a small bowl mix all ingredients together. This makes about 2 tbsp, you won't need it all, so store extra seasoning in a small airtight jar.
Spicy Caramel Chex Mix
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the cereal, pretzels and nuts in a large mixing bowl and mix gently so you don't break the Chex cereal.
- Place the butter, syrups, sugar, pepper seasoning, paprika, in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until the butter and sugar are melted together. The mixture should look caramel-y and everything should be combined and smooth.
- Pour the caramel butter mixture over the cereal mixture and toss well to combine. You want to make sure all the bits are coated!
- Pour and spread the Chex mix evenly on to the two baking sheets. Place each sheet on its own rack (both as close to the middle of the oven as possible) and bake for 60 minutes, tossing well every 15 minutes and switching the baking sheets between the two racks each time. Remove from the oven after the full baking time and continue to toss the mixture every 10 minutes until it cools so the mix doesn’t all clump together. Store in a sealed container.
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