Cheesy Caramel Snack Mix- Santa's Version
Cheesy Caramel Snack Mix- Santa’s Version: A salty sweet mix of cheesy favorites with hints of chocolate mixed in to make it extra nice.
December 1, 2024 by Nicole Collins
Today, we’re making Cheesy Caramel Snack Mix- Santa’s Version!
Welcome to this year’s 12 Days of Series! This year, the theme is CHEESE.
There will be savory recipes. There will be sweet recipes. There will be brunch recipes and dessert recipes. There will be handheld bites and full meals.
SO MUCH CHEESE.
Today, we’re kicking things off with a remixed version of one of my most popular recipes…my cheesy caramel snack mix! It’s a mix of all the best cheesy snacks that’s coated in caramel then baked until perfectly crispy crunchy. But for Santa’s version, we’re adding the most special element of all…chocolate! It’s so naughty, it’s nice!
We’ll start with our cheesy snacks. Grab the largest bowl you have, and to it we’ll add some Cheetos, some Cheezits, and some white cheddar popcorn. Then for our first little pop of chocolate, we’ll also toss in some mini Oreos. Give it all a good mix, and we’re ready to make our caramel mix.
Our caramel starts with butter, brown sugar, and a little corn syrup. We’ll melt the mixture together until it’s totally combined, let it boil for exactly 4 mins, then pull it off the heat to mix in a little vanilla extract and baking soda. When you stir in the baking soda, you’ll see the mixture really get light and fluffy, and that’s exactly what we want.
We need to move pretty quickly on this next part before the caramel starts to harden, but we’re going to pour that creamy caramel all over our snack mix. Give it a good toss until our cheesy chocolate mix is completely coated. Then, we’ll spread the mixture onto a spritzed foil lined baking sheet until it’s a nice even layer. To the oven it goes for 45 mins, tossing once every 15 mins. Then, we’ll transfer the fully baked mix to a new parchment paper lined baking sheet to cool.
After our mix is cooled, we’re going to add our second element of chocolate…holiday M&Ms! We’ll sprinkle them evenly throughout or mix, and it’s time to dig in.
This mixture is salty sweet at its finest. And it hits you in layers. Savory cheese, sweet caramel, rich chocolate…every bite is a little different! If this doesn’t get you on the nice list, I don’t know what will.
This is one of my most popular recipes for a reason. And just when I thought it wasn’t possible for the OG mix to get any better, here comes the chocolate.
Ok, everyone! Tomorrow, we’re remixing another one of my recipes into the absolute PERFECT holiday handheld bite.
And, make sure you’re following along on social media to see the how-to video for each recipe!
I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Cheesy Caramel Snack Mix- Santa’s Version
Serves: about 9 cups Print
Ingredients:
3 cups white cheddar popcorn
2 ½ cups crunchy cheese curls (like Cheetos)
2 ½ cups cheddar crackers (like Cheez-Its)
1 cup mini Oreos
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup holiday M&Ms
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray it lightly with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, add popcorn, cheese curls, cheese crackers, and oreos. Mix to combine.
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Stir occasionally with a silicone spatula until the mix starts to bubble. Once the mix comes to a boil, boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, add baking soda and vanilla, and stir to combine.
Pour the caramel mix over the popcorn mix. Working quickly, toss gently with the same silicone spatula to coat all of the snack mix. Spread the mix in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 mins, removing the pan from the oven every 15 minutes to toss the mix. When finished baking, spread mix on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, breaking up any big clumps, to dry. Let sit for 30 mins- 1 hour. Sprinkle M&Ms over the mix. Store in an airtight container for about a week.
Recipe notes:
*Lining your tray with foil is not required, but it makes for super easy clean up!
*You could chop regular sized Oreos into quarters in place of the mini Oreos, but the minis are so much easier.
*If you don't have a silicone spatula, get one! They can handle the heat, they're easy to clean, and they're great for baking. But, if you don't have one today, you can use a wooden spoon to stir your caramel too.
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