This is a recipe for caramel Crispix with homemade caramel sauce mixed in. It’s the perfect no-bake dessert!
Caramel Crispix is so delicious and addicting!
It’s the perfect snack to serve for holiday family get-togethers, and work parties, packaged as a Valentine’s Day treat for your sweetheart, kids to take to school, a snack for the Superbowl, or enjoying on movie night with family. They will all love it!
It makes a decent big batch to share. My in-laws love it when I make it for holiday gifts.
Want more fall desserts? Check out these fun fall cupcakes!
Ingredients for Caramel Crispix
- Crispix Cereal
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Light Corn Syrup
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Soda
How to Make Caramel Crispix
- Start off by lining a baking sheet with either wax paper or parchment paper. If you go with parchment paper I recommend spraying it with non-stick cooking spray to keep it from sticking.
- Pour Crispix cereal into a large bowl.
- Next, you’ll melt the butter over the stove in a tall pot over medium-high heat (it will double in volume after adding the baking soda at the end). Add brown sugar to the pot. Bring it to a boil to fully dissolve the brown sugar.
- Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla extract. Let it come to a boil again. Add baking soda and continue whisking until it becomes more foamy and doubles in volume.
- Pour caramel mixture over Crispix in the bowl and stir to coat.
- To prevent clumping, stir again after a few minutes. Be careful not to stir too much or too vigorously because the cereal will start crumbling.
- Allow to fully cool before adding to an airtight container. I like to let mine sit out for at least an hour to fully dry and this helps prevent sticking once it’s in a container.
It cools rather quickly. You’ll be able to package it up in no time (or start eating it!)
What if my cereal turns out sticky?
This snack does have a slight stickiness to it but overall is not meant to turn out sticky like syrup.
If it’s extra sticky, it’s because the baking soda was not added to the caramel syrup on the stovetop and allowed to become foamy and double in volume.
If the baking soda is not added, it remains a caramel syrup and therefore makes very sticky caramel cereal.
In the end, the cereal should have a nice crunch with a caramel coating and can easily be separated into pieces as you stir it.
Add-ins
Want to add some goodies to this snack mix?
Try adding pretzels, peanuts, pecans, or other cereals like Chex.
If you plan to add M&Ms, candy corn, or marshmallows it’d be a good idea to let the caramel cool a little bit before adding so they do not melt. I recommend sprinkling them on top of the cereal after it’s been added to the pans to cool, then carefully mix them in.
Movie Night Snack Ideas
- Caramel Crispix
- Chex Mix
- Corn and Black Bean Salsa with Tortilla Chips
- Easy Dessert Party Cheese Balls
- Easy Party Cheese Balls
- M&M’s
- Peanuts
- Popcorn
Try these other sweet treats!
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Caramel Cupcakes
- Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Filling
- Honey Cinnamon Butter Monkey Bread
- Iced Pumpkin Bread
- Pecan Tassies
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
- Scotcheroos
Caramel Crispix Recipe
Ingredients
- 18 oz box of Crispix, The big family size, ~13.5 cups of cereal
- 1 cup Butter
- 2 cups Brown Sugar, packed
- ½ cup Lite Corn Syrup
- ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or if using parchment paper spray with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking. Pour Crispix cereal into a large bowl.
- Melt butter in a tall saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. The caramel will double in volume once the baking soda is added in the next step. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil, while continuing to stir.
- Once boiling, stir in corn syrup and vanilla extract. Let it come to a boil again. Add baking soda and continue whisking until it becomes more foamy and doubles in volume. Pour mixture over Crispix in the bowl and stir to coat.
- Immediately pour the cereal onto the prepared baking sheet to cool. To prevent clumping, stir again after a few minutes. Be careful not to stir too much or too vigorously because the cereal will start crumbling.
- Allow to fully cool before adding to an airtight container. I like to let mine sit out for at least an hour to fully dry and this helps prevent sticking once it's in a container.
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I want to make this for my co-workers for Christmas. Can you add peanuts or pretzels to it?
Hi Nickie,
Yes, peanuts and pretzels make great additions. Add them in at the same time you add the Crispix cereal. I would leave out the amount of Crispix for however much of the peanuts and pretzels you plan to add so there is enough caramel coating.
Merry Christmas!
-Tiffany
Why is it still super sticky after it is cool?
I’ve encountered exactly what you’re referring to before!
The trick to keeping the caramel from being too sticky later is, while in the saucepan, adding the baking soda and allowing it to foam up while the pot is still boiling hot. (See my above photos to see what it should look like.)
This prevents it from being a sticky caramel sauce and more of a foamy substance. It should still be foamy when added to the Crispix cereal and as it cools, it sets and becomes a firmer coating.
The taste is great and easy to make! How do you store it??
Hi Pat,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the caramel Crispix! For storing, I recommend using an airtight container like a large tupperware container or a large ziploc bag. I typically use tupperware whenever I make it. If you happen to have a large metal canister from popcorn, those work great too! I’d store it for up to 5-7 days.
Let me know if you have any questions!
-Tiffany