Crunchy snack mix with rice cereal, pretzels, peanuts, apple chips, and a sweet cider glaze.
# Components:
→ Dry Mix
01 - 3 cups rice cereal squares (such as Rice Chex)
02 - 2 cups mini pretzels
03 - 1 cup honey roasted peanuts
04 - 1 cup dried apple chips, broken into bite-sized pieces
05 - 1 cup plain air-popped popcorn
→ Cider Glaze
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
07 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
08 - 1/4 cup sparkling apple cider (non-alcoholic)
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine rice cereal squares, mini pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, dried apple chips, and popcorn. Gently toss to mix evenly.
03 - Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in packed brown sugar, sparkling apple cider, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Immediately pour the warm cider glaze over the dry mix. Toss gently using a spatula until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Evenly spread the coated mix onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through to ensure even baking, until the mix is golden and crisp.
07 - Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the mix to cool completely on the sheet. The mix will crisp further as it cools. Break into clusters if desired before serving or storing in an airtight container.
