Homemade Payday Bar Chex Mix (with Peanuts) is a simple sweet snack recipe! All of the delicious components of a Payday Candy Bar are used in a tasty Chex mix recipe!
Homemade Chex Mix is my weakness and a family favorite recipe. It is a dessert that I make at the holidays because everyone loves a handheld snack and this recipe makes a ton. I hope that this Chex Mix recipe will soon become one of your favorite treats!
Want to another cereal treat? Try these Browned Butter S'mores Treats! Made with Golden Graham cereal, marshmallows and chocolate, these are a simple no bake recipe!
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What is a Payday Bar?
A Payday Bar is a candy bar originally made by Frank Martoccio. Today, Hershey's produces Payday Bars. The bar has a creamy caramel center coated with salty peanuts. Check out all of the Payday bar variations here.
Payday Bar Chex Mix Details
Flavor: Sweet and slightly salty- a delicious combination! The homemade caramel sauce gives this Chex Mix a sweet flavor and the peanuts add the perfect amount of saltiness.
Time: This Chex Mix takes about an hour and 15 minutes to make. 15 minutes to make the caramel sauce and combine it with the cereal and an hour of bake time.
Level of Difficulty: Simple but don't go too far from the kitchen! There is no prep time! The caramel sauce is made in the microwave. The Chex mix is baked in the oven for an hour and does require stirring the mix every 15 minutes.
Ingredients
These ingredients are all pantry staples, so head to your local grocery store!
- Corn Chex Mix: Could also use Rice Chex Mix.
- Honey Nut Chex Mix
- Chocolate Chex Mix
- Salted Peanuts: Could use cocktail peanuts or unsalted peanuts. If using unsalted peanuts, add 1 teaspoon salt to the caramel sauce to taste.
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Water
- Baking Soda
Let's Get Cookin'!
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Combine cereal. In a large bowl, combine the Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex and Honey Nut Chex.
- Make Caramel Sauce. This may sound intimidating but it can all be done in the microwave! Simply, add the white sugar, brown sugar, butter and water to a large microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute to melt butter. Remove from microwave and stir. If butter is not completely melted, continue to microwave for 30 second intervals stirring in between. Once butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, stir in baking soda. *This caramel recipe was taken from this Caramel Peanut'n'Popcorn Recipe.
- Add caramel to cereal. Pour caramel sauce over top of Chex cereal. Stir thoroughly to coat all cereal with sauce.
- Pour on baking sheet. Pour mixture into one even layer on a large baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake for one hour stirring cereal every 15 minutes.
- Add peanuts. Add peanuts to cereal and stir to combine.
- Let cool. Allow Chex mix to come to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
Equipment
This recipe requires very simple equipment:
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Small Microwavable Mixing Bowl or a Glass Measuring Cup
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Airtight Container (for Storage)
Storage
Store Payday Bar Chex Mix in an airtight container. The cereal will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Expert Tips
Expert Tips
Make it more chocolatey! The original Payday Bars do not have chocolate (I added the chocolate Chex because they are my favorite). However, Hershey's has made a few variations to their candy bars. Some of these variations include chocolate. To make your Payday Bar Chex Mix more chocolatey, simply melt chocolate chips with the caramel sauce and stir in with the dry ingredients. You could also try this with white chocolate chips!
Make this Chex Mix Halloween themed! Make candy corn party mix by adding candy corn and candy eyes!
Here are some other fun mix ins! For a salty snack mix, add in more peanuts or pretzels! To make this Chex mix similar to trail mix, add in extra nuts, raisins and/or chocolate candies! To make this recipe like a traditional puppy chow recipe, coat the cereal with powdered sugar. Adding popcorn is always fun! For an extra hit of caramel, add caramel corn!
FAQ
Yes, you can use generic brand chex cereal for this recipe! I have used generic corn and rice chex in my chex mix recipes for years and the recipes have turned out great. I have not been able to find store brand Honey Nut Chex or Chocolate Chex. If you find it, tell me where to buy!
Yes, you can make Payday Bar Chex Mix in the microwave. However, baking the cereal provided a much crunchier result. The microwave version was softer and quickly tasted stale. I do not recommend making this recipe in the microwave.
This recipe has not been tested in the slow cooker. If you try this recipe in the slow cooker, please let me know how you do it!
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
📖 Recipe
Homemade Payday Bar Candy Chex Mix
Equipment
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Microwavable Measuring Cup
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Airtight Container for Storage
Ingredients
- 4 cups Corn Chex Mix
- 2 cup Honey Nut Chex Mix
- 2 cups Chocolate Chex Mix
- 1 cup Salted Peanuts
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Butter
- 1 tablespoon Water
- ⅛ teaspoon Baking Soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex and Chocolate Chex to a large microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave White Sugar, Brown Sugar, Butter and Water for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir. Continue to microwave for 30 second increments until sugar is dissolved and smooth. Stir in Baking Soda.
- Pour caramel sauce over top of cereal and and stir to coat.
- Add peanuts to cereal and stir to combine.
- Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let cool on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.
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