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A step-by-step guide for making the best homemade Chex mix.
Serves8 to 10Makes15 cupsPrep10 minutesCook45 minutes to 50 minutesJump to Recipe
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Chex mix is the ultimate DIY snack. It’s crunchy, just the right amount of salty, and stays good for several weeks, making it the perfect thing to keep on the counter for midday or pre-dinner nibbling. Plus, our version can be made with whatever cereal, toasted nuts, and crunchy snacks you’ve stocked up on.
Many Chex mix recipes (including the original) have you simply melt some butter and pour it over the ingredients. But we firmly believe that the very best, most irresistible Chex mix is oven-baked Chex mix. Oven-baked Chex mix takes whatever mix of ingredients you’re using, tosses them in a generous amount of heavily seasoned melted butter, and bakes it in the oven until crisp and perfectly toasted. Here’s how to do it.
The Best Ingredients for Oven-Baked Chex Mix
Traditional Chex mix is made with a combination of:
- Chex cereals: This recipe uses both rice and wheat varieties, but you can honestly pick whatever your favorites are. We recommend two kinds so there’s a variety of flavors, colors, and textures.
- Pretzels: Mini pretzel twists are fun and cute, but you can use sticks or snaps (square shaped) instead.
- Bagel chips: These tend to be in larger pieces, so break them up with your hands first.
- Nuts: Peanuts are used here, but you can use any kind of nut. If you want to keep it nut free, use more cereal, pretzels, or bagel chips instead.
Don’t have Chex? Use Cheerios or Crispix instead. Peanuts not your thing? Swap them out for almonds. However you riff, just be sure to keep the total volume of snacks the same to ensure that the butter mixture coats each and every piece. Here’s a helpful formula:
9 cups cereal (Chex cereal preferred, but any savory variety will work) + 1 cup nuts + 5 cups add-ins (such as pretzels, chips, or crackers)
The buttery seasoning mixture contains:
- Butter: Use unsalted here, as there’s plenty of salt in the seasoned salt.
- Seasoned salt: This old-school seasoning has a blend of onion, garlic, spices, and salt. We like Lawry’s for Chex mix.
- Onion and garlic powders: These give the Chex mix a deeper, more savory taste.
- Worcestershire sauce: A generous amount of lends a subtle savoriness that rounds all the flavors out.
Why Oven-Baked Chex Mix Is the Best Chex Mix
Baking Chex mix in the oven transforms it into a toastier, crunchier version of the classic, and makes the flavors of the spices pop and become bolder. Think of it like the difference between raw nuts and toasted nuts. Toasted is always better.
The trick to getting the Chex mix perfectly crisp and golden is to gently toast it at a low temperature. Our recipe calls for baking it at 250°F, which for some ovens is the lowest temperature it will go. If your oven can only go down to 275°F, that also works — just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn, and pull it out as soon as it gets golden. The low-and-slow bake helps the moisture in the butter evaporate so that the mix gets crispy, and it makes sure the nuts and cereal don’t burn and get bitter.
3 Tips for the Best-Ever Oven-Baked Chex Mix
Before you head into the kitchen to make this Chex mix, keep these tips in mind:
- Don’t skimp on the seasoning. The recipe makes a lot of Chex mix, and it can handle a lot of seasoning, so be sure to use the full amount even if it seems like a lot.
- Toss the Chex mix with the butter in two steps. To make sure that every piece of your Chex mix is evenly coated in the butter mixture, pour half of it over the Chex mix, give it a toss, then proceed with the rest.
- Stir the Chex mix every 15 minutes as it bakes. To make sure the Chex mix is toasting evenly, bake it on 2 baking sheets and give it a stir every 15 minutes.
Other Chex Mix Recipes
While this is the traditional Chex mix recipe, there are many other ways you can riff on it to make a different sweet or savory treat:
- Oven-Baked Ranch Chex Mix
- Thanksgiving Chex Mix
- Slow-Cooker Chex Party Mix
- Honey-Mustard Snack Mix
- Christmas Chex Mix
Homemade Chex Mix Recipe
A step-by-step guide for making the best homemade Chex mix.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes to 50 minutes
Makes 15 cups
Serves 8 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons
Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons
seasoned salt, such as Lawry’s
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon
onion powder
- 2 cups
bagel chips
- 4 1/2 cups
Rice Chex cereal
- 4 1/2 cups
Wheat Chex cereal
- 3 cups
mini pretzel twists
- 1 cup
roasted, salted peanuts
Equipment
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowls
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Parchment paper
- 2
rimmed baking sheets
Instructions
Show Images
Heat the oven to 250°F. Arrange 2 racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 250°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the seasoning mixture. Place 1 stick unsalted butter in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted, 50 to 60 seconds total. (Alternatively, melt in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat.) Add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Whisk well to combine.
Combine the Chex mix. Place 2 cups bagel chips in a large bowl and lightly crush them with your hands into bite-sized pieces. Add 4 1/2 cups Rice Chex, 4 1/2 cups Wheat Chex, 3 cups mini pretzel twists, and 1 cup peanuts. Lightly toss to combine.
Toss with butter. Pour half of the butter mixture over the Chex mixture and gently toss to coat. Pour in the remaining butter mixture and gently toss again so all the pieces are evenly coated.
Bake until lightly brown and crispy. Divide the mixture between the baking sheets and spread into an even layer. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp, 45 to 50 minutes total. Let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.
