Chica's Bold Chex Mix Recipe

by: Chica

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During the fall, my husband and I rarely spend a night in front of the TV without a bowl of Chex Mix to snack on. There are many variations on the traditional Chex Mix recipe, and I like to customize my mix to suit my tastes.

My Chex mix includes only the ingredients I like most, and none of the stuff I don't. For example, I love the Wheat Chex but hate the Rice Chex. I love the pecans and cashews, but hate the peanuts. But most importantly, I like bold flavors.

How to make bold and spicy Chex mix

The bold seasoning is the key with my Chex mix recipe. It's strong and salty and just a little bit spicy. I use the usual butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. And then I throw in a ton of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning for bold flavor.

To get started, melt the butter (please use real butter and not margarine!) and pour it into a large roasting pan. Add the seasonings and stir well.

The nuts go in first, because they are the least porous and won't soak up all the sauce like the cereal or crackers would. Use 5 cups of nuts in any combination you like.

My favorite combo is a mixture of cashews and half pecans. Sometimes I'll add some shelled pistachios, but I never, EVER add peanuts.

Add the nuts to the pan and stir well to coat them with the seasoning.

Next is the cereal. Like I said before, I only use Wheat Chex because I don't like the others. I also really enjoy the dark, rich flavor of the wheat. Add the entire box and stir well to combine.

For the cracker-type stuff, use 4 cups of whatever you like. My favorite combo is half Cheez-It crackers (in the cheddar/parmesan Duoz box) and half mini pretzels.

I always add the crackers last because they are the most fragile and will break if I stir them too much. Stir carefully until everything is evenly coated in seasoning.

Now you're ready for the oven! Bake at 250° F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Amp up the flavor with Chica's favorite Chex mix recipe that has triple the seasoning than usual, for a bold and spicy taste that's a crowd pleaser.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time1 hour

Additional Time30 minutes

Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (NOT margarine)
5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
6 cups (one 14oz box) Wheat Chex
3 cups of cashews
2 cups of pecans
2 cups of mini pretzels
2 cups of Cheez-It crackers

Instructions

Melt the butter and add to a large baking dish with all seasonings and stir well.
Add the nuts to the pan and stir well to coat.
Add the Wheat Chex and stir carefully to coat.
Add the pretzels and crackers and stir carefully to coat.
Bake at 250 F for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and dump onto paper towels on counter to cool and absorb any excess butter
Serve when cool (best after an hour or so)
Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

You can swap out the nut and cracker varieties for your own favorites if desired.

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10 comments so far:

1

Leslie 04/19/2010 at 3:39 pm

This chex mix is the best!
2

Chica 04/19/2010 at 3:41 pm

Thanks, Leslie :)
3

Joella 03/22/2012 at 3:03 am

This is excellent! Thanks!
4

Carol 04/27/2012 at 7:01 pm

This was good.... It had too much salt for me... I would use cayenne pepper,chili powder, paprika, black pepper, instead of the Cajun seasoning and all it's salt.. The Worcestershire sauce has plenty of salt, just kick up the peppers without the salt..Good recipe, make it your own :)
5

Chica 04/28/2012 at 9:28 am

Carol, we agree that any recipe can be adapted to suit your own tastes. I personally like my Chex Mix really salty, so this is just right for me! :)
6

Karen 10/29/2020 at 10:57 pm

Could you use liquid coconut aminos instead of Worcestershire
7

Chica 10/30/2020 at 8:54 am

Karen, that is an ingredient I've never used or tasted, so I am unable to provide advice on whether or not it would be a good substitution. If you try it out, let us know how it goes!
8

Missy 05/02/2021 at 4:41 pm

Great!! I used unsalted butter due to all the salt that is in the Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning and Worcestershire. That was the only change I made. Husband loves it!
9

Evelyn 10/09/2023 at 1:23 pm

I have been making Chex mix all weekend and yours is the best thank you for sharing.
10

Chica 10/11/2023 at 2:01 pm

Evelyn, thank you so much! Glad you like it.