This addicting Dried Cherry Snack Mix is loaded with cereal, nuts, dried tart cherries, yogurt-covered pretzels, and covered in a cinnamon-sugar coating.
The Best Snack Mix
As the weather warms up, there’s nothing my little family likes more than going for walks, picnicking, or a hike.
And no excursion is complete without some good snacks. Dried Cherry Snack Mix will definitely be on repeat for our summer adventures– everyone in my family is obsessed with it! From the cinnamon-sugar coated crunchy cereal and nuts to the tangy yogurt pretzels to the ruby red sweet-tart dried cherries — we love every bite.
Ingredients
- Rice Chex and Corn Chex: Provides a crispy and crunchy base. Spread cereals out evenly on the baking sheet for even coating.
- Mixed Nuts: Adds nutty flavor and extra crunch. Use your favorite nuts to change up the flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Cut into pieces for quicker melting.
- Brown Sugar and Light Corn Syrup: Creates caramel-like syrup that binds and sweetens the mix. Keep stirring to avoid burning and get a smooth syrup.
- Baking Soda and Salt: Be sure to add these after boiling to maintain syrup consistency.
- Sugar and Ground Cinnamon: Creates a sweet, cinnamon sugar coating. Mix well to spread the cinnamon evenly.
- Dried Tart Cherries: Gives the snack mix a tangy, chewy contrast. Add after baking to keep them chewy.
- Yogurt Covered Pretzels: Adds a creamy and salty element. Break into bite-sized pieces for easy mixing.
How To Make This Snack Mix
- Toss the cereal and nuts together. Use any type of nuts; a combination of nuts is my personal favorite!
- Make the syrup that will get boiled and tossed with the cereal and nuts. Once the syrup is poured on the cereal and nuts, work quickly to make sure everything gets well coated.
- Sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Once everything is covered, bake the mix!
- Remove the snack mix from the oven. Toss everything with a spatula, and bake again.
- Cool completely. Then add in the dried tart cherries and broken-up yogurt pretzels. If the mix is still hot, it will melt the yogurt off the pretzels.
Recipe tips
- I recommend using an extra-large sheet pan (15 x 21 inches) or two large sheet pans.
- Line the sheet pans with foil, parchment paper, or Silpat liners so the mix doesn’t stick and make a big mess!
- Let the mix cool completely before adding in the tart cherries and yogurt-covered pretzels.
- Make sure the sugar-syrup mixture boils for 1 minute; start the timer once it’s doing a full rolling boil, not just simmering.
Quick Tip
Tart cherries are not the same as sweet cherries. Sweet cherries are the ones you can buy fresh in the produce section of the grocery store. And while there’s nothing wrong with sweet cherries, tart cherries are completely different. Besides being mouth-puckering sour when fresh, they have a completely different nutritional profile. Tart cherries are rich in antioxidants and nutrients that support heart health and reduce inflammation–so much so that they’ve earned the title of Super Food! Once dried, the natural sweetness concentrates and the flavor is a lot like a dried cranberry.
More snack mix recipes:
- Trail mix—one of the classics!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix
- Puppy Chow
- Holiday Snack Mix
- Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies
Snack Mix
Ingredients
- 4 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 4 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 1 cup mixed nuts
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup dried tart cherries
- 1 cup yogurt covered pretzels, coarsely chopped or broken up
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 350. Line a 15x21-inch baking sheet (or 2 smaller baking sheets) with foil and grease with nonstick cooking spray.
- CEREAL: Add 4 cups Rice Chex, 4 cups Corn Chex, and 1 cup mixed nuts to the prepared sheet pan.
- SYRUP: In a heavy medium-sized pot, add the 1/2 cup butter (cut into individual tablespoons), 1 cup packed light brown sugar, and 1/4 cup corn syrup. Place over medium to medium-high heat and stir slowly but constantly, until butter is melted. Once melted, continue to stir until the mixture comes to a rapid boil. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly, and remove from heat. Add in the 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Pour over the cereal on the sheet pan and, working quickly, stir until cereal and nuts are coated in the mixture.
- CINNAMON SUGAR: In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 2/3 cup white sugar and stir. Sprinkle over cereal mixture.
- BAKE: Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven, and toss using a metal spatula. Return to the oven and bake for 3 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- CHERRIES AND PRETZELS: Once the mixture has cooled, sprinkle the tart cherries over the cereal. Break up the yogurt pretzels and add. Toss everything together, breaking up the cereal mixture as needed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
