Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix

I absolutely love fall! It is my absolute favorite time of year!! There is just something about the crisp cool air, the beautiful colors around, festivals, and of course pumpkin-spiced EVERYTHING! My husband runs the Libby's pumpkin plant so we have our fair share of pumpkin recipes around here, but I love just the flavor of pumpkin spice as well! Starbucks revolutionized pumpkin spice flavor with their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and since then the market has grown! Pumpkin spice cheerios, pumpkin spice oatmeal, pumpkin spice chocolate kisses, etc..... the desire for pumpkin-spice is HUGE!
I love Chex Mix as much as the next person, especially when I can make it in my slow cooker! I love the basic original recipe with the brown sugar, Worcestershire, butter, etc. But I came across a new recipe for slow cooker pumpkin spice chex mix. With September starting this past week I couldn't resist making it to taste the flavors of fall! So yesterday I decided to make this delectable snack mix with my daughter Lucy. She loves to help me pour all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and stir it. So it was a good activity for the two of us to do together. After the mix had cooled so we could try it we were in love! The snack mix won't last long around here but at least it's easy to make. If you make it you won't be able to stop!
So here is our new fall staple snack in our household..... will it be part of yours???
NOTE: There are several things you can add to this mix or leave out making it a custom snack for your family. I used Rice Chex, Whole Wheat Chex, Plain peanuts, Ancient Grains Cheerios, pretzel sticks, raisins, and cherry craisins for my mix ins.

CROCK-POT MAPLE PUMPKIN SPICE 

CHEX MIX

My Chex Mix in a gallon ziplock. 

Recipe courtesy of: 

http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/10/crock-pot-maple-pumpkin-spice-chex-mix.html

YIELD: about 8 cups

 

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

 

COOK TIME: about 2 hours

 

TOTAL TIME: about 2 hours, overnight is better for drying

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups Chex cereal (I used 3 cups each Rice Chex and a storebrand honey-nut Chex; try Cheerios, Golden Grahams, etc.)
2 cups dried fruit (I used 1 cup each dried cranberries and dried cherries; try (golden) raisins, etc.)
1 1/2 to 2 cups nuts (I used 3/4 cup each honey-roasted cashews and honey-roasted peanuts)
1 1/2 to 2 cups pretzels
1 1/2 chopped graham crackers, diced in large 1-inch pieces (about 5 full-size graham crackers)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup (I used sugar-free pancake syrup)
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 to 2+ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
salt, optional and to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 5 to 6-quart Crock-Pot, add cereal, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, and graham crackers. Recipe is very flexible. If you don't have something, don't like something, etc. use something you do have on hand or omit.
2. In a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
3. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tablespoon but recommend at least 2 tablespoons if you want a more pronounced pumpkin flavor), vanilla, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
4. Slowly and evenly drizzle wet mixture over the dry ingredients in Crock-Pot and stir very well to combine. I use a silicon-tipped spatula so I don't break the cereal.
5. Cook covered on high power for about 2 hours, stirring well every 15 to 20 minutes. Start keeping a more careful eye on mix at about 1 1/2 hours to make sure pieces on bottom don't start burning. All slow-cookers and ingredients vary, and cooking times will vary. Cook until there's no visible liquid pooling and pieces have dried out. They will not be 'dry' and will be more on the sticky and tacky side even when done, but do dry out more as they cool. Note - Although I haven't tested it, you could probably bake in a 250F oven, with the mixture divided between two baking trays. Keep a very watchful eye on it and toss every 15 minutes until it's done.
6. Turn mixture out onto baking tray and allow to dry for at least 2 hours, overnight is better. Mix will keep airtight for up to 5 days.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.