Description
This Sweet and Spicy Chex Mix is a crunchy, flavorful snack blend combining rice, corn, and wheat Chex cereals with pretzels, nuts, and bagel chips, all coated in a buttery, honey-sweetened, and spicy seasoning. Baked low and slow, it ensures a perfectly crisp and flavorful mix that’s ideal for parties, snacking, or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Snack Mix
- 9 cups Chex cereal (combination of rice, corn, and wheat)
- 1 cup mini pretzel twists
- 1 cup mini pretzel rods
- 1 cup mini bread sticks
- 2 cups nuts (mix of almonds, whole cashews, and pistachios)
- 1 cup bagel chips (rye or plain)
Sweet & Spicy Sauce For Seasoning
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 250°F to prepare for slow baking the snack mix.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the rice, corn, and wheat Chex cereals, mini pretzel twists, mini pretzel rods, mini bread sticks, bagel chips, and nuts until well combined.
- Prepare Seasoning Sauce: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add Worcestershire sauce, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and chili powder to the melted butter and whisk thoroughly until the sauce is smooth and blended.
- Coat the Snack Mix: Pour the sweet and spicy seasoning sauce over the dry snack mix. Use a spatula to gently fold and mix, ensuring every piece is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Spread on Baking Tray: Transfer the coated mix onto a baking tray and spread it out in one even layer to ensure uniform baking.
- Bake the Snack Mix: Bake in the preheated oven at 250°F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir the mix every 20–25 minutes to promote even crisping and prevent burning.
- Cool Completely: Once baked, remove the tray from the oven and allow the Chex Mix to cool fully. This helps it crisp up further and hold its texture.
- Store and Serve: Serve the sweet and spicy Chex Mix immediately or store it in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks to enjoy later.
Notes
- Stirring the mix during baking helps ensure even crispiness and prevents burning.
- Use a mix of different nuts and cereals to add variety and texture.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature to keep it fresh up to 3 weeks.
- Adjust cayenne and chili powder to make it more or less spicy according to your preference.
- If you want a gluten-free version, ensure to use gluten-free pretzels and bagel chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
