Description
Tennessee Road Trip Snack is a delightful sweet and salty snack mix featuring roasted peanuts, mini pretzels, cheese crackers, dried fruit, and candied pecans, all seasoned with smoked paprika and baked to perfection. Finished with mini chocolate chips for a tasty Southern-inspired treat, it’s perfect for snacking on the go or sharing during gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Snack Mix:
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 cup mini pretzels
- 1 cup cheese crackers (like Cheez-Its)
- 1/2 cup dried apple slices, chopped
- 1/2 cup candied pecans
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or chocolate-covered candies
Seasoning:
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for baking the snack mix evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the roasted peanuts, mini pretzels, cheese crackers, chopped dried apple slices, and candied pecans. Mix them gently to combine all the components.
- Prepare Seasoned Butter: In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter with smoked paprika and sea salt. This mixture will add a delicious smoky, savory flavor to your snack mix.
- Toss and Coat: Drizzle the seasoned butter over the combined snack mix. Toss everything thoroughly to ensure all pieces are evenly coated with the buttery seasoning.
- Bake the Mix: Spread the coated snack mixture evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through to promote even toasting and flavor infusion.
- Cool Completely: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the snack mix to cool completely on the sheet. Cooling ensures the texture crisps up and prevents the chocolate chips from melting too soon.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Once cooled, gently fold in the mini chocolate chips or chocolate-covered candies to the mix.
- Store Properly: Transfer the snack mix to an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness.
Notes
- You can swap the candied pecans for plain pecans or almonds for a less sweet version.
- Dried peaches or bananas make delicious Southern-inspired additions to the mix.
- For a spicy twist, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the butter mixture.
