Fall is officially here!! Although I don’t drink coffee, and therefore miss out on all of the pumpkin spice latte buzz, I still love foods that evoke the autumn season. Enter Fall Snack Mix! During the Christmas season, I love to make versions of Chex Mix, from the classic to the Moose Munch variety. So why not make one for fall?

For this recipe, I used two cups of rice and corn Chex cereal, 1 cup Pumpkin Flax granola, pretzels, sesame sticks, cashews, and goldfish crackers. I think it would be good to use wheat Chex, too, but I didn’t have any. That’s when I added the pumpkin flax granola, which was a nice addition. Then for some fall sweetness, I added 1 cup each of candy corn and Reese’s pieces. M&M’s would also work well.

First, melt one stick of butter in the microwave, and then add 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 tsp. pumpkin spice seasoning, and 2 Tbsp. honey. The honey wasn’t in the original recipe, but it gave it a nice syrup consistency, so I would recommend using honey or corn syrup…or maybe even maple syrup! Stir well to combine and set aside. Next, pour all of the ingredients, except the Reese’s and candy corn, into a large container and mix.

Slowly pour the butter/spice mixture over the cereal mix and stir to coat. Spread the coated cereal on two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper and bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes, removing and stirring every 15 minutes.

Allow to cool, and then add in the Reese’s Pieces and the candy corn and toss again. That’s it! This recipe was so easy and fun to create with the help of my teenage granddaughter. Because I was taking this to a deacon meeting at church that evening, I bagged up portions into cellophane bags, sealed with a gold wire.

Once they were all bagged up, I put them on a tray and took them to my meeting, where I hope everyone enjoyed them. One nice feature of this recipe is that you can substitute almost any cereal, pretzel shape, nuts or other items you have on hand. It is a great way to clean out your odds and ends, and there really isn’t a way to ruin it, as long as you have enough butter/spice mixture to coat the dry items.

This recipe is the perfect blend of salty and sweet, as well as that little kick of pumpkin spice seasoning to drive home the autumnal feeling. Fall activities are ramping up, so whether it be for football games, school parties, or a pumpkin patch visit with friends, I think you’ll want to make a tasty batch of Fall Snack Mix very soon!

Good tidings,

Diane