Maple Peanut Puffed Corn is a deliciously easy 5-ingredient snack mix that you’ll be devouring. It’s perfect by the handful, or as my sister enjoys it, with a little milk as a homemade cereal. This gluten-free vegan snack is crunchy, flavorful, and easily customizable.

I’ve been working on this maple peanut puffed corn snack mix situation for a weeks now – I kept tweaking, making small adjustments…but mostly all those “test” batches were an excuse to keep this deliciousness around. I love a good savory snack mix and a spiced snack mix, and when I spotted this puffed corn cereal in the grocery store, I knew I needed to transform it into something snackably delicious.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Made in 10 minutes
  • Easy to customize with your favorite mix-ins
  • Change the flavor with different spices
  • Fully gluten-free & vegan
  • Only 5 ingredients (plus some optional additions)
  • So crunchy & delicious!

What kind of puffed corn is this?

It’s similar to popcorn in that it’s puffed corn…but it’s not popcorn! You’ll probably know it as the style of puffed corn you’d find in Corn Pops cereal. It’s light, fluffy, crunchy, and delicious. I was able to find it in the cereal aisle of my local natural foods store, and you can also find it on Amazon. If you can’t find it, popped popcorn will also work in this recipe.

What ingredients do I need?

  • Puffed Corn: you’ll want to use puffed corn cereal in this recipe.
  • Peanuts: you can use any other nut that you prefer in place of the peanuts, or simply leave them out if you’d rather have a nut-free mix.
  • Maple Syrup: I haven’t tested with any other sweeteners. Make sure to use pure maple syrup.
  • Cinnamon: for a little warmth – this is optional, but I love the flavor it adds.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Sea Salt: a little salt to cut through the sweetness is key.
  • Cayenne, Rosemary, Etc: I experimented with adding a pinch of cayenne, a hint of rosemary, and both add such a lovely savory element. Feel free to experiment with these additions, or leave them out for a more classic sweet maple caramel corn.

How to make maple peanut puffed corn snacks!

Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a big pot and reduce heat, let simmer for three minutes.

Add in the peanuts (adding them early helps them toast a bit – add with the puffed corn if they’re already roasted to your liking), cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and any additional spices. I used rosemary and a pinch of cayenne in this batch!

Stir in the puffed corn and mix until fully coated. Turn off the heat.

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and cool completely until firm and crunchy. I like to sprinkle it with flay sea salt while it’s still hot!

Troubleshooting: if the maple caramel corn doesn’t firm up completely when its fully cooled, preheat the oven to 300° and bake for 10 minutes. It should firm up and get nice and crunchy once cooled.

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Maple Peanut Puffed Corn

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 minutes
  • Yield: 5 cups 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Maple Peanut Puffed Corn is a deliciously easy 5-ingredient snack mix that you’ll be devouring. It’s perfect by the handful, or as my sister enjoys it, with a little milk as a homemade cereal. This gluten-free vegan snack is crunchy, flavorful, and easily customizable.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
  • 4 cups puffed corn cereal
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinch of cayenne, optional
  • Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle on top

Instructions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a medium to large sauce pot, heat the maple syrup over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, stir in the cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and cayenne, if using.
  3. Immediately mix in the puffed corn cereal and peanuts.
  4. Pour the puffed corn mixture out onto a baking sheet and spread evenly, leaving in clumps if you want clusters. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.
  5. Let cool to the touch. It should be firm and crunchy. Store in an airtight container or zip bag when it’s fully cooled.

Notes

If it doesn’t harden completely, preheat the oven to 300° and bake for 10 minutes. It should firm up once cooled.

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