Irresistible Sweet 'N Savory Snack Mix
Popcorn? Yup.
Rice crackers? Yup.
Pepitas and sesame seeds? Yup and yup again.
Salty, spicy, sweet buttery caramel enhanced with soy sauce covering everything? Ummm... yup? Did she say soy sauce...mixed in with the caramel? I know, I know it seems totally weird and misplaced, but you just have to trust me on this one because the addition of the soy sauce is genius here and what makes every irresistible handful of this goodie hit the bliss point. If you're looking for something light to put out before Thanksgiving that only takes a few minutes to prep and will make you the star of any get together, you can't go wrong with this sweet n' savory mix!! One note of caution though: DO NOT MAKE THIS IF YOU HAVE NO WILLPOWER. YOU WILL BE HELPLESS TO RESIST ITS LURE!!
It's like Asian bar mix meets the best cracker jacks you've ever had in your life!
And it's super easy to make!
Look at that caramel sauce--when will we get the grab-through-the-screen technology that lets you literally reach out and taste because I so want to share this amazingness with you?!!
Here, I added pepitas and sesame seeds but you could totally sub in other seeds or nuts like sunflower, almonds, pecans--you pretty much can't go wrong!
And by the way, there's no need to save this for Thanksgiving. You'll be the hero of any party any time of year you arrive with this in hand. Could also be a great homemade holiday gift--who wouldn't love a mason jar filled to the brim?!! Hint, hint!!!
Irresistible Sweet 'N Savory Snack Mix
Makes enough for a big party
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: About 1 hour
Ingredients
- 12 cups homemade popcorn
- 2 ounces plain rice crackers, broken into bite-sized pieces
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-2 shakes cayennne pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup pepitas
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 225ºF and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the popcorn and broken crackers into a very large bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for about 4 minutes until the sugar is melted and the mixture is a dark amber caramel color. Add in the soy sauce, baking soda, cayenne and cream of tartar and stir well. Then quickly pour the mixture over the popcorn mixture in the bowl, tossing to coat a few times, adding in the pepitas and sesame seeds during the process.
3. Spread the mixture out evenly onto the prepared sheet and bake for about an hour, until it seems dry when you touch it. Let cool to room temperature and break into small clumps. Mixture can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from Modern Potluck by Kristen Donnelly. I tinkered around with this and you should feel free to sub in or out any seeds or nuts you like.
