Season's Sweetings! Caramel, Coconut and Chocolate Snack Mix

This will be a hit at the holidays.
This will be a hit at the holidays.

I LOVE those coconut-and-caramel Girl Scout cookies (so much so that my husband brought along a box when he proposed. I liked the ring better, but only by a small margin). This snack mix recipe has all the flavors of those Caramel deLite® cookies, and, thanks to the rice cereal, the same satisfying crunch. This is perfect for snacking on while watching a family movie, or packaging up to give as holiday gifts to friends and neighbors.

Ingredients

9 cups Chex® rice cereal
1 cup shredded coconut
8 Tablespoons butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Related: 30 winter treats better than the store-bought stuff

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted golden brown, about 5 minutes. Check on it every 2 minutes and shake the pan gently to keep it from burning. It'll go from toasted to burned very quickly, so keep an eye on it. Pour the Chex® into a large mixing bowl and stir in the toasted coconut. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The caramel will change color slightly and foam up a bit. Quickly pour it over the cereal and coconut mixture and stir until it's evenly coated.

3. Spread the mix onto the baking sheet you toasted the coconut on. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (microwave them for 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds, repeating until they're melted and smooth) and drizzle the chocolate evenly over the caramel, cereal, and coconut mix. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, then break it up into pieces and serve!

-By Janssen Bradshaw

For 19 more party mix recipes to enjoy during the holidays, visit Spoonful!

Spoonful | Make. Everyday.
Spoonful | Make. Everyday.

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