Halloween Snack Mix

Indulge in a festive Halloween Snack Mix loaded with a delightful blend of sweet and salty treats. From crunchy Chex and pretzels to candy favorites, this mix is the perfect spooky-season snack. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, it's a Halloween party must-have!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Cooling time20

Total Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 364kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

large baking sheets
parchment paper (or silicone mats, or aluminum foil with baking spray)
small saucepan
Rubber Spatula
large mixing bowl

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)

Brown sugar butter sauce

1 cup light brown sugar (dark brown sugar can be used as well)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Snack mix

1 bag Plain Chex cereal (12 ounces)
1 bag original Bugles (8.75 ounces)
3 cups mini pretzels
1 cup salted peanuts

Candy and finishing touches

1 cup Halloween M&Ms (or any M&Ms)
½ cup candy corn
½ cup candy pumpkins
½ cup Reese's peanut butter cups, cut into pieces
½ cup Twix candy bars, cut into pieces
½ cup Snickers candy bars, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon candy eyeballs (optional)
½ tablespoon Halloween sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare large baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If you don't have these things, cover baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray them with cooking spray to make sure nothing sticks.
Add the pretzels, salted peanuts, Chex, and Bugles to a large bowl (or two large bowls) and mix together. Make sure this is ready to go because once the butter sauce is ready, you need to move fast!
Add 2 sticks of unsalted butter and 1 cup of brown sugar to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 3 minutes. Make sure to stir regularly so the mixture doesn't burn and become bitter.
The mixture will become quite thick and dark brown. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Immediately pour over the salty snacks and Chex mixture, and mix quickly to coat as quickly as possible. If you'd like, you can stop here, but we do highly recommend baking the mixture for the best flavor and more crunch!
Place the mixture on the lined baking sheets. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, take the mixture out and carefully mix everything around. Put back into the oven for another 10 minutes, take the mixture out again and toss, then return to the oven for another (final) 10 minutes.
After the full 30 minutes is up, allow to cool completely. After the snack mix is completely cooled, you can transfer it to a serving bowl or platter, and add the candy, chocolate pieces, sprinkles, and googly eyes. Toss to combine, and serve!
Serve immediately or put in an airtight container like a ziplock bag and store in a cool, dry place at room temperature for up to 7-10 days. Refrigeration is not necessary, but, you can store them in the fridge if it's warm in your kitchen. Do not freeze.

Notes

- Please note, that almost all ingredients are interchangeable, and you should use what you like! Our suggested recipe yields a highly delicious result, but it's meant to be a base to add your favorite mix-ins to. :)
- This recipe makes a very large batch fit for Halloween parties! You can scale back the recipe as needed.
- Check for allergens. If you're serving this to a crowd, make sure to label it properly, as it contains peanuts, wheat, and dairy, among other potential allergens.

- Use parchment paper or a silicone mat. Always line your baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone baking mat, or greased aluminum foil to make cleanup easier and to prevent the mix from sticking to your baking pan.

- Even coating. When you're mixing the butter mixture with the dry ingredients, make sure to stir quickly to coat as many pieces as possible.

- Double-check the oven temperature. Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the mix. Ovens can be temperamental and they can be different from oven to oven, so if possible, use an oven thermometer to confirm the temperature.

- Stirring is key. Make sure to stir the mix a few times while baking to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning, as well as coat more pieces in the brown sugar butter sauce.

- Cool completely. It's important to let the mix cool completely on the baking sheet before adding the chocolate and candies to prevent them from melting.

- Spread evenly on baking sheets. Try to spread the mix in a single, even layer on the baking sheet. You may need to use multiple baking sheets to achieve this.

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