It’s no secret that I have a bit of a thing for homemade Chex Mix.
It’s been my favorite snack to munch on ever since I was a kid. I make huge batches each year (including four this past weekend!) to give out as gifts to friends and family around the holidays. And as of now, I’ve posted — not one, not two, not three, but now — four Chex Mix recipes here on the blog, including my Slow Cooker Chex Mix recipe that continues to (um, surprisingly!) be one of the top recipes on Gimme Some Oven.
So much Chex Mix!!!
That said, of all the flavors I’ve tried, I’ve gotta be honest and say that about 90% of the time I stick with my own original recipe. Which is based off of the original Chex Mix recipe on the box, but — ahem — kicked up a big notch. Because when it comes to good Chex Mix, I’m a big believer that the more of that magical, zesty, bold sauce — the better.
So for anyone looking for a killer Chex Mix recipe this season, allow me to introduce you to my go-to recipe.
I call it my EXTRA-Bold Chex Mix. ♡
Extra-Bold Chex Mix Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Like I said, I literally made four batches of this stuff over the weekend. So I figured I’d snap a few photos during a batch to show you how zee Chex Mix and I roll.
First off, you’ve gotta start with the rockstar ingredients — All The Chex.
Well, back in the good ol’ days, these were the only three kinds of Chex. Now there are apparently all kinds to choose from at the store. But for my extra-bold mix, I prefer to stick with the holy trinity of Chex — wheat, rice, and corn.
You’re welcome to add whatever other crunchy ingredients to the mix that you’d like. Or you can definitely add in chopped dried fruit, M&Ms, or crackers after the mix has baked. But I tend to stick with what I grew up with — Cheerios, pretzels, and party peanuts. (Pro tip — I especially recommend adding those O’s. They tend to soak up tons of the sauce and get extra flavorful.)
Then, they key to this “Extra-Bold”-ness is all in the sauce. I don’t know about you, but I always felt like the original recipe was good, but never quite included as much of that zesty, buttery worcestershire-garlicky-seasoned-salty sauce. So over the years, I’ve upped and upped my amounts of sauce until I feel like I’ve found my happy sauce place.
And the result?!
Seriously the most irresistible batch of Chex Mix you’ve ever tried.
So give it a try! :)
Extra-Bold Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 9 cups Chex cereal (I used equal parts corn, rice, and wheat Chex)
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup Cheerios
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and hot
- 1/3 cup worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add the Chex, pretzels, Cheerios, and peanuts together in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, and gently stir a bit to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt and garlic powder together until combined. Drizzle half of the sauce evenly over the Chex mix. Then give the mix a gentle stir to combine. (I like to stir with a rubber spatula, to help prevent breaking the Chex.) Repeat by drizzling the remaining sauce over the Chex mix, and stir again until combined.
- Microwave uncovered on high 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes.
- Spread the mix out on parchment paper or paper towels until it has cooled to room temperature. Store in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
This has become my go-to Chex mix recipe. I found it during quarantine and have made it so many times that I know the recipe by heart. One time I didn’t have regular Cheerios, but had Honey Nut Cheerios. GAME CHANGER! If you like sweet and salty combos I highly recommend. And I double the amount of them because they are the best part and everyone picks them out.
We don’t like pretzels, so the extra Cheerios and some extra peanuts make up for it. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Didn’t come out very good! Wish I baked it instead of microwave it. Pieces came out rubbery and chewy!
Seasoned salt? Specifically?
This recipe is delicious!
Cannot wait to try this for New Year’s Day!!
A good traditional recipe. But, there’s something about baking it the oven that adds extra crunchiness and that slightly carbonized flavor. I’ll skip the microwave next time.
Made recipe as directed,EXCEPT,who has a bowl that big that fits in a microwave??!! So I followed the oven directions to spread on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet, and bake at 275 deg for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes then cooling and storing in sealed containers/large ziploc bags.
The flavor is excellent, better than the “original” chex mix!
The onion powder is a definite add to for us. I also add cheese crackers. After it is cooled, you can add honey nut chex for an extra sweet taste to go with savory.
Love this recipe! The OG Chex mix recipe always seemed to be missing flavor. This one is perfect! I make it every year at Christmas. Thanks!!!
If I were to bake in the oven, would you recommend 325 for about 20 minutes? Or is that too long…? And also- I’m planning to double the sauce ingredients:-)
Bake at 250 for an hour, stir every 15 minutes with a rubber spatula. I use a big disposable aluminum roasting pan, like for baking a turkey. Baking it makes it the crispiest. Can’t get that from a microwave imho
250° is the correct temp, usually for 2 hours, but be sure to stir every 15 minutes.