Easy Bold Homemade Chex Mix Recipe
Indulge in bold flavors with our homemade Bold Chex Mix—a zesty twist to the classic snack mix. Perfect for road trips or a cozy night in!
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One of the best things about cooler weather is not just the fun décor…. but the recipes I get to bring out that are exclusive to cool weather and brown boots.
Which one is a classic?
Yummy homemade chex mix! It’s so popular in our house and when I make it our whole house smells like a fancy candle… minus the open flame part (the hazards of living with young kids).
My mother in law introduced me to oven-baked chex mix and over the past 9 years, I’ve developed my own seasoning ingredient amounts to give it a nice bold flavor.
How to Make Easy Bold Homemade Chex Mix Recipe
Each batch takes an hour to bake. Usually, I start baking after lunch, while the kids are napping. To make it worth my time, I make at least three batches. Sure, it’s three hours near the kitchen home, but we’ll be home regardless if college football is on. 😉 #gobucks
Homemade Bold Chex Mix
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cups of each Chex, (rice, corn, and wheat)
- 1 cup of nuts, (Cashews or Virginia Peanuts)
- 1 cup pretzels
- Optional: 1cup of Pumpernickel Pretzel Sticks, Mini Breadsticks, or Rye Chips
Bold Seasoning:
- 8 Tablespoons Margarine, (1 stick)
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, (I only use Lea & Perrin’s)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).
- In a small sauce pot melt the stick of margarine.
- In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the chex, nuts, and pretzels.
- Once the margarine is melted, stir in the seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
- Pour the bold seasoning over the dry ingredients and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Spread the mixture onto a large baking sheet.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to ensure an even coat.
- Allow the Bold Chex Mix to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
- Enjoy the bold flavors with every crunchy bite!
Note: This recipe freezes well!
Bold Chex Mix Recipe FAQs
Over the years, these questions have popped up…
Does using brand name ingredients make a difference?
For this recipe, be sure to use name brand Worcestershire Sauce. Anytime a generic is sneaked in, my husband can immediately tell. Seriously… it’s that fantastic. 🙂 When I’m doing 3 batches, I can count on using one box each of the corn, wheat, and rice chex. I usually pick them up on sale and make my first batches as soon as the calendar turns mid-September! 🙂
For the Seasoned Salt & Worcestershire sauce, I usually buy them up in bulk at Sam’s Club. It makes baking these relatively inexpensive and you won’t mind making up several more batches as sweet gifts for the holidays (chex mix freezes really well).
Can I make multiple batches at a time?
Yes! Keep your chex mix in an assembly-line style rotation. Once your batch goes in for its 4th and final bake, start melting your margarine on the stovetop for the next batch.
When I make multiple batches I will set out a large swath of paper towels to cool the chex after baking. I’ll lay each batch out in a long straight line, a’la flipping the pan over and scraping off all the crumbs and liquids. As I do this I’ll sneak a taste of the batch to see if I need to add more seasoning to the butter mixture for the next batch.
Sometimes the wheat Chex soak up more flavor and are a little burst of seasoning. If you don’t use the wheat kind, I’ve found that the taste is pretty mellow throughout each batch.
How Should I Store My Chex Mix?
Once dried, store your chex mix in an airtight container.
Can I freeze my bold chex mix?
Yes! I routinely make multiple batches at one time and store the batches in gallon zip-loc bags. I pack them in thirds the opposite way of how I dumped them. Odd, right? This allows me to mix together all three batches so that if one is stronger than the others, it all balances well. <– Just a small tidbit from this chex making veteran. Bonus if you lay the paper towels in a way that funnels them into the bags. 🙂
Can I microwave the Margarine?
Yes, you can melt your margarine in a microwave-safe container in 30-second increments until melted. Stir in your seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
Can I substitute butter in place of Margarine?
Yes! You can sub out one stick of margarine for one stick of butter.
Feel free to swap out the ordinary for the extraordinary this holiday season and embark on a flavorful journey with our Homemade Bold Chex Mix. Your taste buds will thank you, and your gatherings will never be the same again.
Yummy Chex Mix Snack Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons Margarine, (1 stick)
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce, (I only use Lea & Perrin's)
- 2 1/3 cups of each Chex, (rice, corn, and wheat)
- 1 cup of nuts, (Cashews or Virginia Peanuts)
- 1 cup pretzels
- Optional: Pumpernickel Pretzel Sticks, , Rye Chips, More nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- In a small sauce pot melt the stick of margarine.
- In the meantime, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the chex, nuts, and pretzels.
- Once the margarine is melted, stir in the seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
- Pour the butter mix over the cereal mix. Lightly coat well.
- Pour the entire mixing bowl onto a large baking sheet.
- Scrape any remaining liquid over the chex mix.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Lightly stir the chex.
- Repeat 3 times.
- After 60 minutes of baking, pour chex mix over paper towels to cool.
- Store covered for 2 weeks or freeze immediately.
- Repeat for additional batches.
Notes
Sometimes I add additional nuts, etc.. The limiting factor is the amount the baking sheet can hold.
I posted a version of Chex Mix this week too Brittany, you just can’t have anything better to snack on! Good tip about using the real thing Worcestershire, I wouldn’t buy any other brand! Happy Snacking-
Thank you for stopping by, Jenna! I agree, it’s the best to snack on! -Brittany
Thanks so much for sharing one of my favorite Snack Mix, I just love this mix. Hope you will come back to see us at Full Plate Thursday real soon and have a great week!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen! I always enjoy Thursdays!
As a veteran of hundreds of batches of Chex Mix, I now make them in the microwave. Only takes 6 minutes, stirring after each 2 miinutes, and the family says they taste just as good as using the oven method. I make about 25 batches during the holidays alone. I use a total of 10 cups dry with the addition of Cheese-Bits or Cheerios when I have them. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Which seasoned salt do you use (link is not working and I am not a member at Sam’s club)
Thanks
Hi Linda! I stick to the old favorite— Lawson’s Seasoning. -Brittany
I made a batch, but the flavor isn’t as strong as I’d like. Can I mix up more butter/Worcestershire mixture and re-bake? Or should I just make a stronger batch and mix it all together?
Hi Ann! When this happens, I’ll make another batch and then mix the two batches together. You could always add a little more sauce & salt. Once you mix them together, portion as you normally would and you’ll have an even better batch! I do this when I make 3-4 batches in one afternoon. Each gallon bag receives a 1/4 of each batch to make sure any salty (or not so salty) batches are mixed together. Thanks for stopping by!