Description

This Sparkling Cider Snack Mix is a delightful blend of rice cereal, pretzels, peanuts, dried apple chips, and popcorn coated in a warm, sweet cider glaze. Baked until golden and crispy, it offers a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors with a touch of cinnamon, making it an ideal snack for parties, holidays, or anytime you crave a crunchy treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Mix

3 cups rice cereal squares (e.g., Rice Chex)
2 cups mini pretzels
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup dried apple chips, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 cup plain air-popped popcorn

Cider Glaze

0.5 cup unsalted butter
0.5 cup packed brown sugar
0.25 cup sparkling non-alcoholic apple cider
0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make for easy cleanup.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the rice cereal squares, mini pretzels, honey roasted peanuts, broken dried apple chips, and plain air-popped popcorn until well combined.
Make Cider Glaze: In a small saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir in the packed brown sugar, sparkling non-alcoholic apple cider, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring frequently, until it thickens slightly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Coat Dry Mix with Glaze: Immediately pour the warm cider glaze over the dry mix. Using a spatula, toss gently but thoroughly until all pieces are evenly coated with the glaze.
Spread on Baking Sheet: Transfer the coated snack mix evenly onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out in a single layer to bake evenly.
Bake Until Crisp: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Stir the mix once halfway through baking to ensure even crisping and browning. The mix should turn a golden brown and become crunchy.
Cool and Serve: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the snack mix to cool completely on the baking sheet. This cooling process helps it crisp up further. Once cool, break the mix into clusters if desired and serve or store in an airtight container.

Notes

Use parchment paper on your baking sheet to prevent sticking.
You can substitute honey roasted peanuts with regular peanuts for a less sweet flavor.
Ensure the cider glaze is poured while warm for better coating.
Store the snack mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
This snack mix makes a great gift when packaged in decorative jars or bags.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Snack
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sparkling cider snack mix, sweet and salty snack, holiday snack mix, baked snack mix, cider glaze snack