Even though Chex mix is typically considered more of a holiday snack, it somehow ended up in our spread of Super Bowl goodies this year. I’ve tried many variations of Chex mix but I always go back to the classic combination of melted butter with Worcestershire sauce with garlic and onion powders. There’s just nothin’ like it.
This recipe is very similar to the mix I grew up eating throughout my childhood with a few minor updates. The first and perhaps most important one is that this version does not include any wheat Chex. I just can’t stand the little buggers! Don’t get me wrong, wheat Chex are fine on their own, but they just don’t hold up well once coated in the butter mixture. I find that they get too flat and chewy and it’s just a weird texture in combination with the rest of the crispy, crunchy goodness. So, I just always leave them out.
Secondly, I’ve tossed some goldfish crackers and plain Cheerios into the mix. Our local grocery store makes homemade Chex mix and they include Cheez Its in their recipe. It was my first time trying that variation and I loved it! Adding a little crispy cheesy crunch is such a great idea and works so well with the spices used in this recipe, I don’t know why I never thought to do it before. I used plain goldfish crackers in my version but you can use any flavor of Cheez Its or goldfish that you want – it’s fun to experiment! The Cheerios are there for a little extra variation in size and texture. The plain crunchy pieces are a great base for soaking up all of that spicy melted butter goodness!
Really, the only problem with this recipe is that it is SO addicting. As in can’t-stop-reaching-into-the-bowl addicting. It’s also foolproof and totally customizable – it whips up in no time! So if your only experience with Chex mix has been of the pre-packaged variety, please give this a try sometime. You’ll never go back to the commercial stuff again!!
Enjoy!
| My Favorite Homemade Chex Mix | Print |
- 3 cups corn Chex cereal
- 3 cups rice Chex cereal
- 2 cups goldfish crackers or Cheez-Its
- 1 cup Cheerios cereal
- 1 cup pretzels
- 1.5 cups lightly-salted dry roasted peanuts
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp seasoned salt
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
- In a large flat-bottomed pan, mix together the nuts, pretzels, goldfish crackers, and cereals.
- In a small bowl, stir together the spices with Worcestershire sauce and melted butter.
- Pour evenly over the mixture and then use your hands to gently toss it all together until all of the pieces are coated with the butter mixture.
- Bake for one hour, turning every 15 minutes. Let cool completely and then store in airtight container.
How many days ahead of an event can this be made?
Thanks!
Abby
I’m embarrassingly tardy in responding to this comment, but I just saw that I overlooked it and thought someone else might benefit from the answer. This recipe is hardy and as long as you keep it sealed in an airtight container, you can make it a week in advance and shouldn’t have any problems with it going stale.