DB’s Caramel Popcorn Bacon Mix

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package thick-cut bacon
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 3 quarts 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
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Place popcorn mixture in the preheated oven to warm.

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.

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.