The Best Homemade Chex Mix Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

Homemade Chex Mix is the perfect snack for any occasion, and it’s so easy to make! Learn how to make this salty, savory Chex Mix recipe with simple ingredients and lots of flavor.

I make Chex Mix a bit differently than the recipe you’ll find on the cereal box. That recipe is good, but I saw some room to jazz up the flavors a bit, and I ran with it!

This homemade Chex Mix is seasoned with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper, along with plenty of melted butter.

Aside from Chex Cereal, I like to add lots of different textures with pretzels, cheese crackers, and peanuts too. You can add your own favorite crunchy things, like bagel chips, cheerios, oyster crackers, or anything else you love.

Do you know what not-so-secret ingredient makes Chex Mix so delicious? It’s Worcestershire sauce! It’s the ultimate umami flavor booster and adds the perfect amount of saltiness too.

Looking for a slightly easier salty snack recipe? Try my Honey Mustard Pretzels! They are made in a similar way as this Chex Mix recipe, but with only pretzels, so the dish comes together quickly. Ranch Oyster Crackers are another salty snacky fave.

You can also turn chex mix into a sweet snack! Try my recipe for Chex Mix Marshmallow Bars next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Chex Mix

1. Perfectly Seasoned –Because I’m adding salted peanuts and salty crackers and pretzels to the mix, I avoided adding any additional salt to the seasoning blend. I think it’s perfect, but you can add salt if you think it needs some. The warm herby flavors from the Italian seasoning are really delicious too.
2. Traditionally Made – Modern Chex mix recipes are often made in the microwave. I’ll tell you how to do that, but I definitely prefer to make my Chex mix in the oven. Everything is wonderfully toasted this way.
3. A Holiday Favorite –You can make this homemade Chex mix recipe any time you like, but it’s especially popular around Christmas. Put this out in bowls for holiday guests to snack on.
4. Versatile Recipe – Just like I did, you can play around with the ingredients that go into your Chex mix. Make it enough times, and you’ll eventually figure out what you do and don’t like in the mix. You’ll end up with the perfect personalized Chex mix recipe for you and your family.

Ingredients For The Best Homemade Chex Mix

Here’s what you need to make this easy snack:

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

• Chex: Both Rice Chex and Wheat Chex are included in homemade chex mix.
• Crackers: My version of Chex Mix includes lots of cheesy crackers! Goldfish and Cheeze-its are both delicious, but you can use any small crackers you like.
• Pretzels: Use mini twists, small pretzel sticks, or break large pretzels into bite-sized pieces.
• Peanuts: I like to use lightly salted roasted peanuts. Mixed nuts, cashews, or almonds work too!

Homemade Chex Mix Seasoning Ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter, but for me, there is already plenty of salt in the crackers, pretzels, and peanuts, so unsalted makes more sense.
• Italian Seasoning: Full of garlic and herbs, this is what sets my recipe apart from the rest! You can make your own Italian seasoning, it’s easy and inexpensive to do.
• Garlic Powder: There is garlic powder in Italian seasoning already, but this savory snack needs extra!
• Black Pepper: Adds just a little bit of spice.
• Worchestershire Sauce: This is a key ingredient for making tasy Chex mix! It’s savory, umami and salty.

How To Make Chex Mix

Start by preheating the oven to 300°F/150°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup!

1. Mix the Seasonings: In a large bowl, add melted butter, Worchestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
2. Add the Snacks: Add the Chex, pretzels, cheese crackers, and peanuts to the bowl with the seasoned butter.
3. Stir: Stir with a spatula until everything is well coated.
4. Bake: Transfer the chex mix mixture to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 300°F/150°C for 10 minutes, then stir and flip the pieces and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes until everything is toasty. Cool before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Cool it Down: You can let the chex mix cool on the sheet pan, or you can carefully transfer it to a new pan lined with paper towels. This will help it cool down more quickly.
• Adjust the Seasonings: Instead of Italian seasoning, try any salt-free seasoning blend that you enjoy! You can also add salt, but keep in mind that the ingredients we’re adding in are already pretty salty.
• Make More or Less: Feel free to scale this recipe down to make a small batch, or up to feed a crowd. If you’re making more chex mix, you may want to bake it in a large roasting pan, and add additional baking time, still stirring every 10 minutes or so.

How to Store Chex Mix

This rarely lasts more than a couple of days in my house! Once it’s cooled, keep homemade Chex Mix in a ziplock bag or sealed container at room temperature. It should stay fresh for up to a week.

FAQs

Of all of the homemade Chex Mix recipes I’ve tried, this one is the best! Try it this year, and make sure you Pin the recipe so that you can make it over and over again.