Sweet and Savory Cereal Snack Mix

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Can we talk bowls for a second? I’m a firm believer that everything is better in a bowl – seriously, I never truly appreciated a good bowl until I became a mom. You thinking I’m making this up? Try eating anything on a plate while standing up and/or chasing toddlers. Go on, I’ll wait. That’s what I thought. Okay, now, try giving one of those toddlers a snack on a plate. It ain’t pretty. In my house, 2/3 of the meals we eat go into a bowl. The other 1/3 ends up dog food on the floor.

Obviously, the best ‘bowl’ food is cereal. Or more specifically, cereal for dessert. You know how it goes – it’s a couple hour after dinner, and you decide you’re still hungry and need a little somethin’-somethin’ to hold you over until morning. Problem is, you’re out of your normal ice cream/cookies/bread with butter (oh, come on, I know you do it too.) But have no fear! You look in your pantry and BOOM. There sits a beautiful box of your favorite cereal and you hear the Hallelujah chorus. You pour yourself a bowl, eat it up, and go to bed with a nice, full belly.

Well, get ready, because I’m about to take your non-breakfast cereal to the next level and you’re going to love/hate me for it. I give you: Sweet and Savory Cereal Snack Mix. (I’ll wait for your applause)

All of your favorite things, mixed together and coated in white chocolate, this cereal snack mix is sure to please everyone. It just takes a few minutes to assemble before you cool and break it apart, but don’t let that trick you into thinking there is anything average about this.

You can use your favorite cereal of choice, but I used 2 boxes – Kellogg’s Froot Loops, 17-ounce box and Rice Krispies, 18-ounce box. I found it to be the perfect combination – the Froot Loops added bulk, crunch, and fruity flavor while the Rice Krispies adhered to almost every bite and brought a fun crispy crunch to the table.

I grabbed mine at Target, where the larger sized Kellogg’s cereals are on sale for $2.99 in-store and at Target.com. We all know I spend half of my time and money at Target as is it, so when there is a good deal there, I love to take advantage of it! That means I was able to get an 18-ounce box of Rice Krispies and a 17-ounce box of Froot Loops for less than $6. Which means lots and lots of late night bowls of cereal.

Make sure you head to your local Target’s cereal aisle and grab a few boxes! (the aisle will be marked like you see above – make sure you get the bigger size so you can cash in on the deal!)

Let’s talk about the recipe, shall we? Like I said, this recipe is simple pimple, which is perfect if you’re like me and need a tasty snack 30 minutes ago. Add all of your dry ingredients into a big bowl. You can change up your cereal or mix in options, but make sure to keep the amounts pretty similar. I tried to get a good balance of sweet and savory items and this combo hit the nail on the head – the peanut and pretzels were the perfect amount of salty to offset the sweet add-ins and white chocolate.

Some notes about the amounts – if you change up the cereal, keep in mind that Rice Krispies tend to take up less room /you can for more ‘surface area’ in a cup, thus if you use more, you might need more chocolate. Similarly, if you choose to switch it out with something bulkier like Froot Loops or Apple Jacks, make it a generous cup. If breaking up your pretzels or using smaller pretzel options, I would recommend also cutting back on the amount as well.

This recipe is super versatile and basically just depends on how much white chocolate you’re using, so if you’re playing with the ingredients, I would suggest melting a bit more white chocolate before making to ensure that you have enough. Melt your white chocolate either in the microwave using the directions on the package or using a double boiler on the stovetop. (you could also use white melting chips for this if you prefer, but I’m a plain white chocolate fan.) Feel free to add more white chocolate even is using the exact recipe if you prefer a thicker layer on your mix. Pour white chocolate over your cereal mix and stir, stir, stir until everything is covered. I recommend using a bowl that looks way too big or you might end up making a huge mess and cursing my name.

Spread evenly onto a prepared cookie sheet and cool. If you’re impatient, toss it into the fridge or freezer to speed it up. Make sure you taste test lots and lots of little bites while it cools until 1/3 of the pan is gone, okay? Mostly this step is to make myself feel better about doing just that while I made this. Enjoy in a bowl (or the container you’re storing it in in small bites through out the day when you think the kids aren’t looking.)

Sweet and Savory Cereal Snack Mix

1 cup Rice Krispies
2 generous cups Froot Loops
1 cup salted peanuts
3/4 cup candy coated chocolate candy
1 1/2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup white chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients into a large bowl. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler and pour over cereal mix. Toss until everything is completely covered. Pour out onto a prepared cookie sheet – I used foil and non-stick spray but a silicone mat or parchment paper would work.’as well. Allow to cool completely (use the fridge if you’re in a rush) before breaking up gently and enjoying!

My leftovers were good after 3 days, but we were out after that, so I have no idea how long they last without going stale past 3 days. But if you’re like me, you’ll be picking at it every night at the kitchen counter and it won’t last too long.

Okay, so tell me – what cereal would you use in this? Do you worship the people who invented the bowl? Let me know in the comments!

For more inspiration for using your Kellogg cereal, check out the social hub here!

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