Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix

in APPETIZER / SNACKS October 4, 2016March 6, 2017 1 comments

Are you bored with your snack? It’s ok, snack boredom happens. Luckily for you, I’ve got you covered when it comes to your craving for anything and everything “pumpkin spice” with this super easy to make Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix. It’s got a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of satisfying crunch!

Cure Snack Boredom with Pumpkin Spice

I don’t know about you, but there’s something about pumpkin pie spice that just makes me happy. It’s warm and delightful and tastes so great in and on so many different types of foods. And when I was thinking about this blog post, all I could think of was how great would it taste in a snack mix?

The answer? It’s delicious! You figured that though, right? This snack mix is pretty traditional in style, but not in flavor. Pumpkin pie spice gets mixed with some melted butter and brown sugar and then tossed with crunchy wheat cereal and pepitas, then baked in a low oven to get it even more crunchy. Then, before serving, it gets tossed with delicious popcorn. Talk about a satisfying snack! But watch out, this stuff goes fast and if you make it, there are a few tips.

Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix Tips:

Add that popcorn just before serving, otherwise, it loses it’s crunch and becomes chewy. My advice, make the cereal and pepita mixture ahead of time and store in an air-tight container, until you’re ready to enjoy, then reheat the remaining butter mixture, toss with the popcorn and mix before serving.
You can make this gluten free by replacing the wheat cereal with rice or corn cereal. I promise it will be just as tasty.
Pepitas are fun and taste lovely, but if you can’t find them, feel free to substitute with another nut, or even seed. Pecans, walnuts or sunflower seeds would also be delicious.

Time to get snacking!

Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix

Author: Sara Haas

Print Recipe

Description

Feel a snack attack coming on? This snack mix is full of satisfying flavor and crunch.

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon butter
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 rounded tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup pepitas
2 cups wheat square cereal
4 cups air-popped popcorn

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275’F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, melt the butter. Stir in the salt, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Place the pepitas and cereal in a mixing bowl and toss with about 3/4 of the melted butter mixture. Spread evenly out onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once, halfway through cooking time.
Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan on a wire rack.
Before serving, toss the popcorn with the remaining butter mixture, then add the cereal and pepitas and toss to combine.