This Sweet and Salty CARAMEL CHEX MIX is guaranteed to make you new friends! It is the perfect party treat! A word of warning – it is also borderline addictive! (This recipe can easily be made Gluten Free.)
Caramel Chex Mix
When I think of Christmas Chex Mix I think of Caramel Chex Mix. I enjoy the original savory Chex Mix too but my heart is really with this sweet Chex Mix recipe. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a die hard caramel nut.
This is one of the treats that tops my list at Christmas time but it is also a fun party snack mix year round! Make it for a quiet family evening or a big rowdy gathering.
If you have kids I recommend this as an easy recipe to cook together quickly. It is fun and memorable for the holidays without being labor intensive. This isn’t the kind of project that trashes the kitchen and leaves you hunting up a bottle of wine!
Chex Mix Ingredients
This recipe needs 14 cups of “mix” ingredients. You can swap things in and out of the recipe if you like! It is super flexible and you can make this recipe just the way you like it very easily.
I suggest printing a copy of the recipe out and making some notes on your favorite twists. This makes it easy to remember every year how you like it and it means future generations will be able to make your special recipe.
- rice Chex (basic ingredient – don’t swap this one)
- corn Chex (basic ingredient – don’t swap this one)
- favorite nuts or mix of nuts (use roasted / salted nuts here)
- pretzels or gluten free pretzels
- pretzel fish crackers
- bagel chips
- crispy crackers
- other favorite cereals such as Crispix or Cherrios
- chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or M&Ms (sprinkle on after the mix is out of the oven and cooling)
- Bugles chips
Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas
This sweet and salty Chex Mix makes a great Christmas gift or hostess gift. Fill up a mason jar with the snack mix, tie a pretty bow on and give and give!
Common Questions About Sweet Chex Mix
Can I make caramel Chex Mix in the oven?
The oven is the best place to cook Chex Mix. Using a microwave usually makes a more soggy snack mix. It just isn’t worth it.
Can I make Gluten Free Chex Mix?
Absolutely! This recipe is really easy to make gluten free. Rice Chex and Corn Chex are already gluten free. Just buy gluten free pretzels and you are golden!
Can I make Caramel Chex Mix without nuts?
Yep! I love cashews but if you are dealing with allergies just omit the nuts or check my Chex Mix Ingredient list above for some great substitute ideas.
How Do I Save Money on Chex Mix?
Making your own snack mix at Christmas is a great way to save on your grocery bills. If you want to shave a little bit more try using peanuts instead of cashews. Peanuts are usually the cheapest nut available and will also taste amazing here.
Tools For This Recipe
A good quality cookie sheet is your best kitchen tool for Chex Mix, cookies, Texas sheet cake and tasty sheet pan dinners! I have used Calphalon Baking Sheets for over a decade and find them to be sturdy, thick enough to do a good job, and they hold up well over the years.
Some Other Favorite Snacks
Caramel Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 5 cups rice Chex
- 5 cups corn Chex
- 2 cups whole cashews I get the roasted and salted kind
- 2 cups pretzels I used mini twists – can use Gluten Free
- ½ cup lite corn syrup
- 2 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a large mixing bowl combine both kinds of Chex, the cashews and the pretzels. Use a rubber spatula to stir gently until mixed.
- Combine corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat while whisking. Boil for 1 minutes, whisking. Pour over mix and stir tossing gently with the rubber spatula.
- Divide the mixture between 2 cookie sheets. Bake 350F for 8 minutes.
- Spread on foil to cool and then break up.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. – Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
This recipe was originally posted in November of 2019. It was updated for content in February of 2024.
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