We can always count on my Mom bringing delicious treats to family get togethers and this year, I’m going to add treat bowl with this Caramel Cinnamon Chex Mix.
It is SO good and perfect for kids and adults. I served mine in individual baggies and it made it so much easier while we were on the go.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make Caramel Cinnamon Chex Mix, you will need the following ingredients:
- Rice Chex cereal
- Corn Chex Cereal
- Brown sugar, packed
- Butter (salted), 1 stick
- Light corn syrup
- Sugar
- Ground cinnamon
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
- Mixing Bowl (Large)
- Non-stick Cooking Spray
- Sheet Pan (Quarter)
- Ziploc Bag (Gallon)
- Saucepan (Medium)
How to make Caramel Cinnamon Chex Mix:
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place cereal in a large, mixing bowl.
- Spray with a cookie sheet nonstick baking spray.
- In a small ziplock baggie combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup until the mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for one minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
- Pour over cereal and stir until cereal is coated.
- Then mix in ¾ cup of cinnamon sugar and mix well.
- Spread cereal on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top. Bake for about 5 minutes, then flip with a spatula and bake for 3 more minutes, until cereal turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then break up and store in an airtight container.
Could this recipe be made in a microwave?
This recipe would be extremely difficult to make in a microwave. We do not recommend it.
Make it over the stove, because you need to be constantly stirring the mixture.
We highly recommend using the stove top to make this recipe, for the best results.
Other Variations
You could most definitely make this recipe, using a different cereal. We recommend using Chex Mix, for the best results but here are a few of our other favorite cereal combinations, with this recipe:
- Golden Grahams
- Cheerios
- Frosted Flakes
- Rice Krispies
- Frosted Cheerios
You could really use any plain cereal with this recipe, but again, for the best results, we highly recommend using Chex Mix.
Storage Instructions
For daily snacking, keep your mix in a cool, dry place like a pantry.
- Airtight Container: Transfer cooled mix to a tightly sealed Tupperware, glass jar, or heavy-duty Ziploc bag. Squeeze as much air as possible out of bags to maintain crispness.
- Shelf Life: It stays fresh for 2 weeks on average, though it tastes best if eaten within the first 2–3 days.
- Avoid the Fridge: Never store Chex Mix in the refrigerator; the cold and humidity will cause it to lose its crunch and become soggy.
Enjoy More Delicious Chex Mix & Trail Mix Recipes
Homemade snacks are a lifesaver for us and our kids. Check out our comprehensive collection of delicious homemade snack recipes.

Caramel Cinnamon Chex Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups Rice Chex cereal
- 4 ½ cups Corn Chex Cereal
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup butter (salted), 1 stick
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place cereal in a large, mixing bowl.
- Spray with a cookie sheet nonstick baking spray.
- In a small ziplock baggie combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup until the mixture comes to a boil. Let boil for one minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.
- Pour over cereal and stir until cereal is coated.
- Then mix in ¾ cup of cinnamon sugar and mix well.
- Spread cereal on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top. Bake for about 5 minutes, then flip with a spatula and bake for 3 more minutes, until cereal turns golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then break up and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Golden Grahams
- Cheerios
- Frosted Flakes
- Rice Krispies
- Frosted Cheerios




















This looks amazing. I think I will be taking a trip to the store really quick! And I may or may not be eating this for breakfast !
Is this recipe gluten free?
The corn chex and rice chex are both gluten free. Hope this helps.
Can you sub honey for corn syrup?
We haven’t tried subbing honey for the corn syrup. It would take on more of a honey taste. You can make your own corn syrup substitutions. There are a lot of recipes on the internet.
I CANNOT thank you enough for this recipe, it’s my absolute favorite snack and I’m hopelessly addicted to it and I didn’t have to beat it out of my friend who wouldn’t give me the recipe lol I figured out why hers was slightly different, she doubles the syrup and it makes them chewy!. I have made this probably 20 times since I first wrote in, thank you soooooo much!
can you use the cinnamon chex cereal and just omit the cinnamon
You can, but it won’t have a strong cinnamon flavor.
Can this be made in the microwave?
You would need to make this over the stove top because you need to be stirring constantly while you bring it to a boil.
There are several other recipes for this snack and all of them use the microwave.
I just googled chex mix with cinnamon and sugar coating – this was the only one that used the stove top to cook the coating.
I didn’t have good results with the butter sugar corn syrup boiling for 1 min. It finished very hard. Then stirring into the Chex mix it hardened and broke down the Chex mix. Wondering how this is gonna work, I still put in oven or the 5 then 3 mins. Which I think make the base even harder like a hard crack candy. Then all that sugar on top was way to much and left a texture like gravel after in the oven. My family won’t eat it we tried several times for fun but can’t. I’ll have to throw it out. If I made it again (probably won’t) I would adjust many many things. I do have a gas stove but timed 1 min. So be careful with the boil. Or skip half the the oven time. Lower oven temp!!! Cut the sugars in half or add more Chex. Also skip the corn syrup to keep it from a hard crack.
Made the ooey gooey chex.. so good. I used toasted pecans with the coconut and a few chocolate chips!
Hi! I tried your recipe today, getting ready for the office Christmas snack-giving. I cut back on the granulated sugar , added another teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt…delicious! Thank you!
Can you use oil instead of butter?
Hi Sarah, we have only made this Chex mix as directed. So I’m not sure if oil would work very good. But butter is great! 🙂
Omgosh !! Fresh out of the oven and we are on it like chicks on feed .. so delish ! Thank you for the recipe 🥰
I am excited to try this! Looks yummy!
Can this be made ahead of time & froze?
You can make it ahead of time but I would not freeze it. It should be fine for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
This is delicious and addictive! So good! So many compliments and asking for the recipe
We just did a test run of this recipe before giving some to friends for Christmas. OMG. They’re delicious!!!! And the house smells fantastic.
Just made this for a lake trip and it is seriously addicting! Yum
This is a family favorite! Perfect for a lake trip!! Have so much fun!
This is great!! Does this recipe have peanut and tree nut?
There are no nuts listed on the ingredients. Not sure about what is all added to the other ingredients when made by the manufacturer.
I really like this recipe. I will add a little red pepper and peanuts to give it a kick. I don’t change anything just add the rest. Yummy.