Furikake Chex Mix or Furikake Party Mix

Furikake Chex Mix or Furikake Party Mix

Who doesn't love a snack? And this one - Furikake Chex Mix? It's slightly sweet, a bit salty and oh so yummy!

This is an Asian / Hawaiian version of Chex Mix. A buttery, sweet syrup covers any number of cereals, chips and popcorn and a bottle of Furikake tops the goodness. Furikake is a rice topping of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt and sugar.

For this version, I included Crispix, Corn Chex, Popcorn, Bugles and, of course, a bottle of Furikake. You can pick up a bottle of Furikake at a Japanese or Asian grocery store. It is a yummy topping on rice...kids really like it. However, be sure you look at the ingredients. This is the "Nomi Komi" Furikake that has seaweed (nori), sesame seeds, sugar and salt. There are a bunch of varieties and some include wasabi, bonito (fish) flakes and other stuff. Avoid the one with bonito or fish for this snack!

The mix is coated with a syrup of butter, oil, sugars, soy sauce, and some corn syrup. A bottle of Furikake is sprinkled on top and the mix is baked at low heat for an hour. You may need a couple bowls to mix everything!

Sweet, Salty, and Crunchy. My favorite flavors all in one. I can eat a whole batch of this while watching Law & Order: UK, The Closer, or the new AMC show The Killing. Yay, I got a bunch of stuff on my DVR.

I made the Furikake Chex Mix for the recent Bake Sale for Japan. This was a nation-wide fundraiser that raised $2,500 in Los Angeles alone! Check out Bake Sale for Japan to see the final total (they are still tallying)! Thanks to all those who baked, purchased and supported the event.

Recipe:

Printable recipe here

Furikake Chex Mix or Furikake Party Mix
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 bottle Nomi Komi Furikake
Cereal, Chips, Popcorn, or Pretzels

You can use any number of cereals that equal about 2 boxes of Chex Mix or Crispix.

For this batch, I used 1/2 box of Crispix (about 5 cups), 1/2 box of Rice Chex, 4 cups of plain popcorn, and 1 bag (4.1 ounces) of Bugles chip-things (are Bugles chips or cones?) I've seen pretzels added to this mix. Use your imagination!

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a couple 9x13 pans or sheet pans with foil (for easy clean up)
2. Heat oil, butter, corn syrup, soy sauce and sugars in a saucepan until butter melts and the sugars dissolve.
3. Place the cereal in a bowl or two, and drizzle some of the syrup over the cereal and carefully mix with a rubber spatula or spoon. Sprinkle some of the Furikake over the mix. Continue drizzling and mixing the syrup and Furikake until the cereals are coated.
4. Place mixture on the pan and bake for 1 hour. Stir the mix every 15 minutes.
5. Let mixture cool and enjoy!
6. Store in airtight container...if you have any left.