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Easy Harvest Chex Mix: The Best Fall Candy Corn Snack

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This easy harvest Chex mix with candy corn is the perfect fall snack, combining salty pretzels, crunchy cereal, and sweet, slightly caramelized candy corn for an irresistible treat that disappears at every gathering.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 9 cups Rice Chex cereal (or Corn Chex, or a mix of both)
  • 1 cup pretzel twists (small twisty kind preferred, sticks work too)
  • 1 cup salted peanuts (roasted and salted)
  • 1 ½ cups candy corn (classic Brach’s brand recommended)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (salted butter works, reduce added salt)
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar (dark brown sugar for deeper flavor)
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure vanilla preferred)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted butter)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In your largest mixing bowl, combine 9 cups of Rice Chex cereal, 1 cup of pretzel twists, and 1 cup of salted peanuts. Gently toss with your hands to distribute evenly. Do not add the candy corn yet.
  3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt ½ cup of unsalted butter. Add ½ cup of packed light brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 2-3 minutes.
  4. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then quickly add ½ teaspoon of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of salt (if using). The mixture will foam up and get lighter in color.
  5. Slowly drizzle the hot glaze over the cereal mixture while stirring with a wooden spoon. Fold gently until every piece is coated.
  6. Pour the coated mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups of candy corn over the top. Gently press a few pieces into the mixture, leaving most on top.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes at 250°F (120°C).
  8. After 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Gently stir the mixture, turning edges toward the center. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden and slightly dry to the touch.
  9. Remove from the oven and let the mix cool on the baking sheet for at least 30 minutes. Do not skip this step. Once fully cooled, the mix should be crunchy and easy to break apart into clusters.

Notes

Don’t skip the corn syrup—it prevents sugar crystallization and keeps the glaze smooth. Watch your oven temperature; if it runs hot, check at 10 minutes. Let the mix cool completely before storing to maintain crunch. For extra-crunchy clusters, let cool without stirring. If mix loses crunch, reheat at 300°F for 5 minutes and cool completely.

Nutrition

Keywords: Chex mix, candy corn, fall snack, harvest mix, Halloween snack, easy snack mix, sweet and salty snack

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/easy-harvest-chex-mix-the-best-fall-candy-corn-snack/