Toffee Cereal Snack Mix with Nuts and Pretzels
A large baked cereal, nut, and pretzel mix coated with a brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup mixture that firms as it cools.
Ingredients
Dry Mix
- 12.8 oz plain crisp rice or corn cereal squares
- 3 cups ready-to-eat mixed nuts unsalted or lightly salted
- 3 cups small pretzels
Toffee-Style Coating
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat to 250°F and line two rimmed half-sheet pans with parchment. Put the dry cereal and pretzels together with the ready-to-eat nuts in a generously sized heatproof bowl.
- Melt butter in a saucepan of at least 3 quarts. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt, stirring to a full boil. Continue boiling 2 minutes.
- Take off heat and cautiously mix in vanilla, then baking soda, allowing room for foaming. Coat the dry mix with the hot syrup, using a strong heatproof spoon to turn it gently from underneath. Spread evenly across both pans.
- Bake 45–55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes and rotating pans, until the coating dries without burning. Separate clusters carefully as they cool, then leave about 45 minutes until fully cool and firm before serving or sealing.
Notes
Use two large rimmed trays and a deep saucepan with foam headroom. The estimate includes stovetop preparation, up to 55 minutes baking, and complete cooling. Yield is approximate and served in small portions.