Cheerios Snack Mix

This caramel Cheerios Snack Mix recipe is a sweet indulgence, perfect for party food. Imagine cereal combined with nuts, pretzels, and other snack foods, topped with a sweet caramel sauce. Once it cools, it turns into an addictive, crunchy finger food.

A bowl of Cheerio caramel snack mix sits on a table top.

I was at a party once where someone served what I thought was the tastiest snack I’d ever had. I feel like that with about every new snack I try. This one was a Caramel Snack Mix and I knew within minutes of trying it that I had to make some!

And of course, any time I make something myself, that means I have to embellish the caramel snacks recipe too.

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Vegan butter — Use Earth Balance, Miyokos, or even your own homemade vegan butter.
  • Brown sugar — Use light, dark, or your own brown sugar.
  • Light corn syrup
  • Vanilla
  • Baking soda
  • Cheerios
  • Pretzel pieces
  • Peanuts
  • Snack food — add your favorite snacks like roasted nuts, raisins, or even some vegan popcorn
  • Sprinkles (optional)

How to Make Caramel Snack Mix Recipe

  1. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
  2. Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and cook on medium low until melted. Add syrup and brown sugar and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Add the cheerios, pretzel pieces and nuts and stir to coat evenly.
  4. Spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet and place in 200 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
  5. Allow the snack mix to cool and then break into pieces by hand.
Looking down on a large bowl full of ingredients like cereal, pretzels, nuts, and more.

I used cheerios, but you can use other crispy cereal, such as chex and/or crispix cereal as well.

One bowl of Cheerio snack mix sits in front of another bowl.

Marly’s Tips

  • Be sure and have a pan prepared ahead of time with parchment paper. I love these tips from the Kitchn on using Parchment Paper.
  • Make sure you use a large saucepan because when you add the baking soda, the mixture will “foam up” and expand
  • Do not touch the mixture once you’ve combined the caramel sauce over the cereal. Use a spatula to stir it and pour it into the prepared pan (because it’s very hot)
  • Allow the coated cereal mix to cool completely before breaking it into pieces.
  • Add chex cereal to transform this into a caramel chex mix recipe or use Crispix cereal for a caramel crispix mix!

More Snacks

If you love vegan sweets, be sure to check these out:

A closeup of caramel snack mix in a bowl.

That’s it for this Cheerios Snack Mix recipe. Enjoy!

Sweet Cheerio Snack Mix

Caramel Cheerios Snack Mix

Stop and smell the Cheerios Snack Mix cooking up in your kitchen. This super easy recipe is a family favorite and plays well with guests too!
5 from 1 vote
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 252kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cups Cheerios
  • 1 cup pretzel pieces
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 1 cup of a favorite snack food like roasted soynuts, raisins, or even popcorn
  • sprinkles optional

Instructions

  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet with vegetable oil spray and set aside.
  • Place stick of vegan butter in a saucepan and cook on medium low until melted. Add syrup and brown sugar and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Add the cheerios, pretzel pieces and nuts and stir to coat evenly.
  • Spread the mixture out on a cookie sheet and place in 200 degree oven for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
  • Allow the snack mix to cool and then break into pieces by hand.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 885IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 5.4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Enjoy!

This post was originally published in 2010 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.

A glass bowl of glazed cereal and goodies in front of a pink and red background.

11 Responses to Cheerios Snack Mix

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyGrace Reply

    The sprinkles are perfect, festive, perfect for the holiday season. I would like a bowl all for myself, please.

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyXiaolu Reply

    Mmm looks great, sounds delicious, and I love the colorful sprinkles. Happy New Year, Marly!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMonet Reply

    Smile. Ryan and I just started watching In Treatment last month. We are really enjoying it. This snack looks highly ADDICTIVE. I would have a hard time not devouring the entire batch. Thank you so much for sharing with me. I hope you are having a day of love and joy.

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyTiffany Reply

    Oooh that looks like one tasty snack. I’m glad you felt the need to tweak the recipe–I share that compulsion to never follow a recipe exactly as it’s written–because I’m digging your addition of crunch and color. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Avatar thumbnail image for Marlymindy@thesuburbanlife Reply

    Yum. That looks really, really good. And just the perfect treat to replace all of my gluttonous holiday eating with. Not. 🙂 I’m glad you were able to work through some of your issues with this recipe, Marly. Very cathartic of you. 🙂
    Mindy
    http://www.thesuburbanlife.com

  6. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJeanne Reply

    Now, why would anyone want to follow the recipe to a tee? Boring! 😉 I would never have thought to add sprinkles to snack mix but I love the idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

  7. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMaria Reply

    This looks great, but dangerous:)

  8. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyErika Reply

    This was SO FUNNY!

  9. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyStella Reply

    5 stars
    Marly, you made me laugh out loud with that part about caring for what others think in reference to your mother-too funny! Oh, and this mix does look delicious, and I have to say that I also approve of the sprinkles. Zaniness is good:-)

  10. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyTiffany @ Conor & Bella Reply

    I like it with the sprinkles! If I made it, I would definitely add them.

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