A sauce of honey, butter, and brown sugar coats crunchy toasted ramen, almonds, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries to make my niece’s favorite snack mix. This also makes fun gifts for your friends!
This is my niece, Kyra. I asked her to send me a selfie and she took this at school, and just happened to be wearing a lanyard printed with some of her favorite Korean stars!
My niece Kyra has become one of my favorite texting buddies. She and I have a shared interest in Korean dramas so we have been watching the same ones and texting back and forth about the storylines. As a special treat, I’ve started sending her my Ramen Noodle Snack Mix. I developed this recipe a few years ago when I was doing a radio show here locally. I used to bring it in to the studio on Saturdays and we’d all get a kick out of eating it for the novelty – but also because it was so stinking good.
Once I made a few batches to send to Kyra, she texted me to see if the recipe was on Southern Plate so she could make more, and I realized I had never posted it. So here we are today, a fun twist on a snack mix that will evoke surprise from whoever you give it to!
A few things: Is this recipe Korean? Of course not. Do they eat this in Korea? I seriously doubt it. Is it healthy? As healthy as crunch and munch or other snack mixes. Is it good? Oh my, yes.
I add a wee bit of salt but you could easily double it if you wanted a sweet and salty treat rather than just sweet. Honey, butter, brown sugar snack mix. Merciful but this stuff is good – And an awfully fun gift.
You’ll need: three packages of ramen*, Dried Cranberries, Sliced Almonds, Brown Sugar, Butter, Vanilla, Honey, Cinnamon, Kosher Salt, and White Chocolate Chips (optional).
*For the Ramen, be sure and get the square packages because they don’t have the seasoning incorporated into them but in a packet inside the package instead. Based on this, you can get any flavor you want because we’re not going to use the flavor packet anyway.
The full recipe is at the bottom of this post in a printable recipe card
1. To start with place butter, honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a microwave safe bowl or sauce pot and heat until just warm enough to dissolve the brown sugar. Stir well.
2. Break up uncooked Ramen into bite sized pieces. Throw away the seasoning packets or save for another use.
3. Add Ramen, almonds, and dried cranberries to sauce and stir really well to coat.
4. Pour onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet and place in a 325 oven for thirty minutes, stirring ramen well every ten minutes.
When you remove it from the oven stir it a final time and allow it to rest until fully cool. Then, break it up and Stir in white chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze in zipper seal bags for up to six months for gift giving.
Enjoy your delicious snack mix!
I started out making this just to see the expression on people’s faces when they heard what it was – but now I have to keep making it because of demand!
- 3 square packages of Ramen*
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup sliced almonds (or nuts of your choice)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- In a medium bowl, place butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Microwave just until butter is melted. Stir together until well combined.
- Break apart each package of ramen, discarding the seasoning packet or saving it for another use. Pour broken ramen, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries into honey and butter mixture. Stir until entire mixture is coated.
- Pour onto lightly greased baking sheet and place in a 325° oven for thirty minutes, stirring after every ten minutes.
- Once the thirty minutes is up, remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes before stirring a final time. Allow to cool completely and then stir in the white chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week or in freezer sealed bags in the freezer for several months.
This looks so yummy!!! When do you add the chips? After it comes out of the oven and is cool?
Hey! Yes that is exactly right. I appreciate you asking because I didn’t realize I hadn’t added that into the steps but I’ve fixed it now. 🙂
This sounds great and just in time for holiday gift giving. Thanks!
Thank you so much, Janet! I really appreciate you taking time to leave a comment. I’m a bit worried how this one is going to be received because it is a bit on the “weird” side as far as ingredients go 🙂
Christy, can I substitute dark chocolate chips?
Any kind you prefer 🙂 I really like to use dried cherries in place of cranberries as well.
You’re right! It’s yummy…and addictive! My biggest problem was getting it out of the pan after it cooled. I did grease the pan, but it still didn’t want to part. Any hints on how to make it easier next time are welcome. Otherwise, as good as it is, the trouble of getting it from the pan will keep me from making it again.
Hey! That is why I stir it that final time after I get it out of the oven, that seems to solve the problem for me. A lot of it has to do with the baking sheets you use, though. I use some really thick ones that I buy at Sam’s Club. I believe they are 2 for $15 and they last ten forevers. I would try it with a different baking sheet and maybe an extra stir five minutes after you take it out. I’m glad you liked it!
Thank you; I’ll try that!
Try a silpat or line with parchmrnt!
Use parchment paper. Works every time
Mmmmm for sure I will be making this! I even have all the ingredients already! Thank you for sharing this recipe with a nice twist to it with ramen noodles!
I hope you enjoy it Linda!!
I think this will go over well, Christy! Yum!
Thank you Angela!!!
Whoever would have dreamed this up but you???? Amazing! It makes me giggle…and I can’t wait to try it. Thanks so much for FINALLY sharing! =)
☺️ Thank you!!!
I am glad you made the comment about using dried cherries because I cannot tolerate cranberries in any shape or form. Will probably make 2 batches, one with and one without since the rest of my family likes cranberries.
Plan to make this during the holidays. I have a bunch of ramen noodles packages from when they were on sale at my local grocery store.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Thank you Genie, can’t wait to hear what you think!!!
love this idea! I love the caramel puff corn too, so now I can make two yummies for Christmas!
You family and friends are going to love you even more!!!
Hi…Are there any ramen noodles that aren’t fried? Thanks!
Not that I know of, and if there are I’m not sure how they would work in this recipe as I’ve never used them. 🙂
You mentioned adding salt you make this a sweet and salty snack, how much salt do you suggest adding? So excited to make this exactly as you’ve printed and maybe a salty version too!!
When I want it to be salty I double the salt. You can taste a wee bit of salt as it is (although given time someone will inevitably come along and swear they nearly died from being instantly dehydrated by the whopping 1/2 teaspoon of salt because…the internet) but doubling it adds a nice little salty kick 🙂
I’ll be visiting the US soon and will surely make this as a plane snack for the return flight!
What a great idea!!! I hope you love it as much as I do!!!
Hey Christy this sounds yummy, my hubby puts the seasoning mix in hot water and drinks it or adds crackers too
This sounds so good and easy to make. I will be trying for gifts that I exchange with my family at Christmas. I use the flavour packet s on pasta and seasoning in soups and casseroles so there would be not waste. Just as an after thought couldn’t use any dried fruit instead of cranberries such a raisins, apricots or blueberries?
Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea for the packets!!!
This is hilarious! I can’t wait to make this and see my family’s faces! Thanks Christy!
You will have to come back and let me know!!!
I’m really excited to try this, Christy! What do you think about doing a white chocolate drizzle when everything cools just so all the white chocolate is incorporated into every bite?
I think that would be great!!
Christy, I made this over the weekend, and it sure didn’t last long. I’m having my side of the family over this Saturday for Thanksgiving dinner, and I plan on making another batch to snack on. Love it!
Such a great little snack. I tried it with diced, dried apricot, butterscotch chips and walnuts. cause that’s what I had. Yummy. I used a spice packet from the chicken ramen to make egg drop soup and it was good.
Yum, I am going to have to try that!!