Maple Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix
User Reviews
4.4
Maple Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix
Description
The Maple Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix is made by combining Rice and honey-nut Chex cereals with dried cranberries and cherries, honey-roasted cashews and peanuts, pretzels, and diced graham crackers. A melted butter mixture with maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and optional salt is drizzled over the dry ingredients and mixed carefully to coat them evenly.
Cooking the mixture in a crock-pot on high for about two hours with regular stirring ensures the coating forms a sticky, sweet spice glaze without burning. The resulting snack mix balances sweet, nutty, and spicy notes and offers a combination of crunchy cereal and nuts and chewy fruit and graham cracker pieces. This mix works well as a seasonal treat for snacking at home or gifting.
As an alternative, the mix can be baked in an oven at 250°F with close attention to prevent burning and stirring every 15 minutes. Adjust pumpkin pie spice quantity for more pronounced flavor. This recipe is flexible with ingredient variations.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Chex cereal I used 3 cups each Rice Chex and a storebrand honey-nut Chex; try Cheerios, Golden Grahams, etc.
- 2 cups dried fruit I used 1 cup each dried cranberries and dried cherries; try (golden raisins, etc.)
- 1 ½ to 2 cups nuts I used 3/4 cup each honey-roasted cashews and honey-roasted peanuts
- 1 ½ to 2 cups pretzels
- 1 ½ graham crackers diced in large 1-inch pieces (about 5 full-size graham crackers, chopped
- ½ cup butter melted, unsalted
- ½ cup maple syrup I used sugar-free pancake syrup
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 to 2 pumpkin pie spice quantity unspecified
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- salt optional and to taste
Instructions
- In a 5 to 6-quart Crock-Pot, add cereal, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, and graham crackers. Recipe is very flexible. If you don’t have something, don’t like something, etc. use something you do have on hand or omit.
- In a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tablespoon but recommend at least 2 tablespoons if you want a more pronounced pumpkin flavor), vanilla, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
- Slowly and evenly drizzle wet mixture over the dry ingredients in Crock-Pot and stir very well to combine. I use a silicon-tipped spatula so I don’t break the cereal.
- Cook covered on high power for about 2 hours, stirring well every 15 to 20 minutes. Start keeping a more careful eye on mix at about 1 1/2 hours to make sure pieces on bottom don’t start burning. All slow cookers and ingredients vary, and cooking times will vary. Cook until there’s no visible liquid pooling and pieces have dried out. They will not be ‘dry’ and will be more on the sticky and tacky side even when done, but do dry out more as they cool.
- Turn mixture out onto baking tray and allow to dry for at least 2 hours, overnight is better. Mix will keep airtight for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Stir the mix every 15 to 20 minutes during crock-pot cooking to prevent burning.
- Adjust pumpkin pie spice quantity to taste; more spice increases flavor intensity.
- If unavailable, the mix can be baked in the oven at 250°F with frequent stirring and careful observation.
- Ingredient substitutions are flexible; omit or replace items as preferred.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 329 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 329kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 13g | 76% |
| Cholesterol | 15mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 314mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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