Don't knock these Candied Caramel Cheetos until you try them! They are the ultimate sweet and salty treat and leave you wanting so. many. more. 
I'm on a bit of a snack-making kick lately and these Candied Caramel Cheetos have burrowed their way into my little heart in a big way. They kind of taste like a caramel + cheese popcorn hybrid with the crunch of a Cheeto.
I realize that these are basically the epitome of junk food but ya' only live once! I'm a firm believer of all things in moderation and making a batch of these every Monday is totally moderation, right? Right. Know your limits, folks. 🙂
If you can make caramel corn, and heck, even if you haven't you can make these!
How to Make Candied Caramel Cheetos
Can I use crunchy Cheetos to make caramel Cheetos?
People that know me (okay, maybe just my hubby and high school friends) know that I am a die hard Cheetos Puffs fan. If a bag of crunchy Cheetos is offered I'll probably take it, but puffs are definitely the way to go in my book.
That said you can definitely make this recipe using crunchy Cheetos if you'd like. In fact, caramel covered regular Cheetos are usually called "Coyote Droppings" for some incredibly strange reason.
Why Do I need to bake the Cheetos after putting the caramel sauce on them?
Doing this will allow the caramel sauce to further cook and become hard and crunchy. If you were to skip the baking step you'd likely be left with Cheetos that were soggy and chewy.
If you're still on the fence about these, I don't blame you but I do hope you'll at least explore the idea of trying them. I don't want you missing out on your new favorite junk food. That would be sad.
Want more fun sweet and salty snack recipes?
- Sweet and Salty Popcorn Sundaes with Butterscotch Sauce and Hot Fudge
- Court-side Crunch 7 Layer Bars
Candied Cheetos
Ingredients
- 1 bag Cheetos Puffs 8.5 ounce bag
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Pour Cheetos into a large mixing bowl.
- Heat corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter over medium heat. Bring to a boil stirring frequently and allow to boil for one minute.
- Pour caramel mixture over the Cheetos and stir until most pieces are well coated. Spread Cheetos evenly out on a lined baking sheet and place in oven for 15 minutes. Stir and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes and stir, repeating this process 2 more times for a total of 60 minutes in the oven. When done, the caramel will be hard and Cheetos will be crunchy and not at all chewy.
- Remove from oven, cool and break into pieces if needed.
dandysworldgame.com says
This looks very delicious
Mina says
I had such high hopes for these. But, nah. Not all that they were promised to be. I even gave them to my mother, who loves sweet things and loves cheese puffs. We agreed. Not good. So sorry.
Lindy says
We call them crack sticks. Cannot stop eating them!!
Teresa says
Can these also be made with cheese balls?
Val says
Wow! I love Chicago mix popcorn(1/2 cheese/half caramel) and these are perfection! I used half dark and half light brown sugar only because I had them on hand. Thanks for sharing!
Wanda says
Can you use paws to make this recipe
Susan Rush says
One of the ladies that worked early voting made these. A very big hit! Everybody wanted the recipe. They are delish!!!
Janet says
Do you need to let the liquid mixture cool at all before pouring over Cheetos? I was thinking it may make them dissolve.
mary Stephen says
How long do these last? Can I make them ahead of time? How do I store them? THANKS
Marcia Pruitt says
What size bag of Cheetos did you use?
Heather Cheney says
8.5 ounce
Beullah says
Heart attack on a plate
Becky says
I wonder if you could add something spicy to them?
Freddie says
Yes. Add some chimmy churra.
Mrs Niedoba says
I made 2 large bags of these for a 4th of July gathering. They were a hit! Although people were skeptical, once they tried them they couldn't stop themselves. Will make again for sure.