Holiday Caramel Chex Mix

5 from 4 votes

Holiday Caramel Chex Mix

This Holiday Caramel Chex Mix combines crunchy cereal and pecans coated in a rich, buttery caramel sauce, finished with festive M&Ms. It's a dangerously addictive, no-fuss treat perfect for gifting or holiday parties.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 15

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Chula King

Equipment

small saucepan
Silicone Spatula
Large disposable aluminum roasting pan (for each cleanup)

Ingredients

1 (12-ounce, 340 grams) package Corn Chex, about 10-½ to 11 cups (See Tip 1)
1 cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) whole pecans, lightly toasted (See Tip 2)
1 cup (5 ounces, 142 grams) whole almonds, lightly toasted (See Tip 2)
½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter (See Tip 3)
¾ cup (5.625 ounces, 160 grams) light brown sugar, packed (See Tip 4)
6 Tablespoons (4.125 ounces, 117 grams) light corn syrup
¾ teaspoon table salt
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6.8 ounces, 196 grams) red and green M&M’s (See Tip 5)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°F.
Add Corn Chex to large bowl; add toasted pecans and toasted almonds on top. Do not stir. Set aside.
Heat the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until the butter melts. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, undisturbed and uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract.
Pour the caramel over the Corn Chex and nuts; quickly stir to coat.
Spread the mixture onto an ungreased large disposable aluminum pan (15-3/16 x 11-5/16 x 2-⅞ inches). Bake for one hour, removing every 15 minutes to stir. (See Tip 6)
Spread the mixture onto parchment paper to cool. It may seem sticky at first, but it will dry as it cools.
Once cool, add the M&M's.
Store in airtight container. (See Tip 7)
Yield: About 15 cups.

Notes

May also use Rice, Wheat Chex, or Quaker Brown Sugar Oatmeal Squares.
To toast pecans, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully.
May also use salted butter. However, if you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to ¼ teaspoon.
The actual quantity of brown sugar can vary greatly depending on how one packs it. Therefore, I always weigh the brown sugar. My rule of thumb is that 1 cup of packed brown sugar weighs 7.5 ounces.
This recipe is easily adapted for different holidays by varying the color of the M&M's. For Mardi Gras, use purple, green, and yellow M&Ms. For Valentine's Day, use red, pink, and white M&Ms. For Easter, use pastel colored M&Ms. For the 4th of July, use red, white, and blue M&Ms. For Halloween, use autumn colored M&M's.
I use a disposable roasting pan because I don't want to bother cleaning hardened caramel from a regular pan. Feel free to use any large pan, however. Just make sure it's large enough to hold all the mixture easily.
It's important to store this in an airtight container. The reason is that the sugars are hygroscopic. This means they absorb moisture and can make the Holiday Caramel Chex Mix sticky.

Nutrition