Preheat your oven to 250°F.

Lightly grease a large roasting pan or line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. If your baking sheet is too small, use two pans to avoid overcrowding.

Place the cereal and pecans in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Gently toss them together until the pecans are distributed evenly throughout the cereal.

If you’re using pretzels or cinnamon, you can add them at this stage as well.

Set the mixture aside while you prepare the caramel coating.

Step 2: Make the Brown Sugar Caramel

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, light corn syrup, and salt.

Heat over medium heat, stirring gently until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and allow it to cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should become smooth and bubbly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda.

The baking soda will cause the caramel to foam and expand slightly. This reaction helps create a lighter coating that spreads more easily over the cereal.

Be careful when handling the hot caramel because it can cause serious burns.

Step 3: Coat the Cereal and Pecans

Slowly pour the warm caramel over the cereal and pecans.

Using a sturdy silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture until the cereal and nuts are evenly coated.

Work carefully so you don’t crush the cereal. If some pieces remain lightly coated, that’s fine; the coating will spread further during baking as you stir the mixture.

Transfer the coated cereal and pecans to the prepared roasting pan or baking sheets.

Spread everything into an even layer so the pieces bake consistently.

Step 4: Bake Until Golden and Crunchy

Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Each time you stir, gently lift and turn the mixture to help distribute the caramel and prevent overly dark spots from forming.

As the mixture bakes, the caramel coating will become more evenly distributed and the cereal will gradually develop a crisp texture.

Keep the oven temperature low. High heat can cause the sugar coating to darken too quickly or give the pecans a bitter flavor.

Step 5: Cool and Break Into Clusters

Remove the pan from the oven and carefully spread the mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper or a clean baking surface.

Allow the Praline Crunch to cool completely, usually 20 to 30 minutes.

As it cools, the caramel hardens and the cereal becomes crisp.

Once completely cool, break apart any large clusters using your hands. If desired, sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt over the mixture for a sweet-and-salty finish.

If you’re adding chocolate chips, wait until the mixture is completely cool so they don’t melt.

Transfer the finished snack to an airtight container and enjoy.