Enjoy a delicious snack mix that will take you back to your childhood. This crunchy combination includes corn cereals, peanuts, salty pretzels, two kinds of dried fruit, and a light toffee glaze that coats the entire mix. This Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix has the perfect blend of flavors reminiscent of the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but with the best crunch!
This Chex mix is excellent for parties, camping, family game nights, or give it as a gift for the holidays.
And let's face it, we all have those sweet and salty cravings that can be tough to resist. But no worries! I have an easy recipe that'll have you snacking in no time. So whether you're on the go or just hanging out, you'll have a delicious treat right at your fingertips!
Read on for all the loving details to make Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix.
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Featured Ingredients
Read below about a few of the ingredients used to make Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix.
Peanut butter cereal - I enjoyed the size and texture of the ball-shaped peanut butter cereal, but other cereals with a peanut butter flavor would work, too.
Pretzels - Use whatever shape you like! I used what I had on hand.
Fruit - I chose freeze-dried strawberries for their flavor and crunch. (Strawberry jam was always my favorite in a PB&J.) I also added dried cranberries to the mix for the soft, chewy texture.
Maple syrup - Use real maple syrup rather than imitation.
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools for the job
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Sheet pan
- Parchment
- Large stirring spoon or spatula
- Large bowl
- Small pot
- Knife and cutting board
How to make Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix
Make the crunchy mix
- Measure out the cereals, nuts and pretzels, and add to a large bowl.
- Measure out the berries and set aside. If the strawberries are larger pieces, roughly chop them up.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Make the syrup
- Measure out the oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt and combine in a small pot on the stove.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Let it boil for one minute, then pull the pot off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- When the sugar mixture is ready, pour it over the snack mix in the large bowl and stir until it is completely coated.
Bake the snack mix
- Now, pour the mixture onto the parchment-lined sheet pan and spread it out as evenly as possible.
- Put the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Stir the mixture, then bake for an additional 7 minutes.
- As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, add the freeze-dried strawberries and dried cranberries and stir to combine.
- Cool the mixture on the counter for 20-30 minutes on the sheet pan. Store in a sealed container for 3-5 days.
Storing Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix
- Leftover snack mix can be stored in a sealed container or a Ziploc bag. It will stay crunchy for 3-5 days or more.
- This crunchy mix makes a great gift or gift basket item wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with a bow.
A few more sweet recipes
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Sweet and Salty PB&J Snack Mix
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A crunchy combination including corn cereals, peanuts, salty pretzels, two kinds of dried fruit, and a light toffee glaze that coats the entire mix. It's the perfect blend of sweet and salty, reminiscent of the classic PB&J sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 cups peanut butter Panda Puffs cereal or any peanut butter flavored cereal
- 2 cups corn chex
- 1 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
- 1 cup pretzels
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 ounce freeze-dried strawberries
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- In a small pot on the stove over medium-high heat, add the oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Heat to boiling and continue to boil for one minute, stirring frequently. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, add both cereals, the pretzels, and peanuts. Toss to combine.
- When the liquid mixture has cooked long enough, pour it over the cereal mixture and stir until completely coated. Pour out evenly onto a parchment lined sheet pan. SEE NOTE.
- Bake the snack mix for 7 minutes, stir, then bake 7 more minutes.
- When the mix is out of the oven, immediately add the strawberries and cranberries and stir to combine. Spread the mix evenly out on the pan and let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
- Store the sweet and salty PB&J snack mix in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Notes
NOTE: Use parchment (or silpat liner) on the sheet pan. The snack mix will stick to foil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: appetizer
- Method: Stove-top, oven
- Cuisine: American
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