Grandma's Caramel Pecan Snack Mix: A Holiday Treat Worth Sneaking

Grandma's Caramel Pecan Snack Mix: A Holiday Treat Worth Sneaking

There are some recipes that live rent-free in your memory for decades. The smell, the taste, the way they made you feel as a kid — they become a part of who you are. This caramel pecan snack mix is exactly that kind of recipe. Crunchy little crackers and pretzels coated in a rich, buttery caramel sauce and studded with toasted pecans, it is the kind of treat that disappears from the party table before most guests even know it was there.

This is the sort of old-fashioned holiday snack mix that grandmothers made without a second thought, passing the recipe down through word of mouth and handwritten index cards. Sweet, salty, crunchy, and deeply satisfying, it hits every note you could want from a holiday nibble. Once you make it, you will completely understand why it was impossible to stop at just one handful.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (about 11 oz) mini butter crackers such as Ritz Bits or similar round snack crackers
• 2 cups small pretzels or pretzel twists
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for finishing

Method