DB's Caramel Popcorn Bacon Mix

Ingredients

• 1 package thick-cut bacon , 12 ounce
• 0.5 cups real maple syrup
• 3 quartss popped popcorn
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal squares , such as Rice Chex®
• 2 cups crispy wheat cereal squares , such as Wheat Chex®
• 2 cups peanuts
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 0.5 cups corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.5 teaspoons baking soda

Instructions

1. 1

   Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. 2

   Arrange bacon slices close together and slightly overlapping onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle bacon slices evenly with maple syrup.

3. 3

   Place the baking sheet in the cold oven; set temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake until bacon is crisp, about 20 minutes.

4. 4

   Transfer bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Crumble cooled bacon.

5. 5

   Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

6. 6

   Lightly mix popcorn, rice cereal, wheat cereal, peanuts, pretzels, and crumbled bacon together in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets.

7. 7

   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; mix brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt into the melted butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Boil mixture, without stirring, for 4 minutes.

8. 8

   Place popcorn mixture in the preheated oven to warm.

9. 9

   Remove the butter mixture from heat and mix in vanilla extract and baking soda until caramel begins to foam. Drizzle caramel in a thin stream over popcorn mixture, tossing to evenly coat.

10. 10

    Bake caramel corn in the oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until caramel coating is set, 1 hour. Let caramel corn cool completely before breaking into pieces.