Great Grandma's Chex Mix Recipe (2024)

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By:Ashley

Sharing my family’s old recipe (from my great grandma Mildred!) for homemade chex mix! It’s a family tradition to make this around the holidays and everyone gets a container to take home.

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I’m sure everyone and their grandma (literally) has a recipe for homemade chex mix, but what’s one more?!

I had a craving for my family’s chex mix recipe and I thought, why not share the recipe here for you to enjoy as well?

My great grandma passed when I was still fairly young, but I have fond memories of her. From playing with her wrinkly hands (yes, this is one of my memories) to camping in Canada, and her holiday tins filled with her famous family chex mix recipe.

Drew’s mom made me a scrapbook cookbook one year for my birthday, and in it she included my great grandma’s recipe for her chex mix.

The Best Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

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This never lasts long at holiday gatherings! My aunt has taken over making the family recipe but this was my first time having a go.

Not sure why I waited so long because this stuff is SO GOOD. I was literally salivating while I was stirring the mixture together.

Ingredients needed for homemade chex mix

  • mixed nuts – you can also opt for one nut variety, go for peanuts, or a blend. Whatever your heart desires.
  • mini pretzels – a classic addition.
  • cereal –Corn and rice Chex, Crispix, Cheerios. My family alway used Crispix but you can use the whole wheat Chex in place of!
  • butter –you can use a plant based butter to keep this recipe dairy free, or conventional butter if that works for you.
  • worcestershire sauce –you can’t really make homemade chex mix without it! If you know of a vegetarian sub, go for it.
  • seasoning salt – another classic ingredient that you can’t go without.
  • onion and garlic powder – this was my addition that great grandma’s recipe didn’t call for but you know me 🙂
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I actually got much more specific for you compared to what Grandma wrote down.

i.e. “a can of nuts” – Okay, what size can? What kind of nuts? Well, I opted for a 12 ounce can (about 1 1/2 cups) and chose a blend with cashews because who doesn’t love those? meaning: I will be picking all of the cashew out first.

Or how about “12 cups cereal- cheerios, corn chex, rice chex, crispix”. We’ll make that one easy and do 3 cups each. If you can’t find crispix (I actually had to go to two different stores to find! Target saved me) you can use wheat chex.

Recipes were most certainly made from memory and by “feel” back then. I’m sure to get someone in that time to actually write down a recipe with decent directions was a grand accomplishment.

How to Make a Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Step 1 –melt the butter

Grandma says “melt butter in roasting pan in 250º oven.” Which makes this an easy one pan recipe! Add the stick of butter to the pan and you can let it melt while the oven preheats. This should take about 5 minutes or so.

Step 2 – add Worcestershire sauce & seasoning

Next stir in the Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

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Step 3 – add cereal and nuts

Now it’s time to add in the cereal, pretzels and nuts. Make sure to really stir this well and get all the butter in the corners of the pan. Use a large wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.

Step 4 – bake

Time to bake! You’ll bake the chex mix for one hour total, stirring every 15 minutes.

Step 5 –cool

To speed up the cooling process, I spread out the chex mix on baking sheets, so the mixture is cooling in one layer.

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Also! If you’re adding chocolate candies to the mix, make sure the mixture is *completely* cooled so the chocolate doesn’t melt once you go to store it.

How to Store Homemade Chex mix

Store in a closed container, such as holiday tins, glass containers, or jars to give as gifts!

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If you make this recipe, don’t forget to comment and review below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

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Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Great Grandma's Chex Mix Recipe (7)

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5 from 3 reviews

Great Grandma’s homemade chex mix recipe! An easy recipe that can be made in one pan. Makes a large batch perfect for parties, gift giving, anything!

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: About 16 cups 1x
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • 1 stick + 2 TBSP unsalted butter (10 TBSP)
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 3 cups Corn Chex
  • 3 cups Rice Chex
  • 3 cups Crispix Cereal (or Wheat Chex)
  • 3 cups Cheerios (or O cereal)
  • 2 cups mini pretzels
  • 12 ounces mixed nuts (about 1 3/4 cups)

Instructions

  1. Place butter in bottom of roasting pan in preheating oven, set to 250ºF. Allow butter to melt completely, about 5 minutes or so.
  2. Once butter has melted, remove pan from oven and add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings, stir to combine. Add in cereal, pretzels and nuts stirring really well until sauce has coated mixture. Stir really well using spatula, getting in all of the corners of the pan.
  3. Bake chex mix for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow chex mix to cool completely before storing. TIP: Spread out chex mix in large baking sheets so it’s in one layer to speed up cooling process.

Notes

If adding chocolate candies, be sure to let the chex mix cool entirely before adding in and storing.

You can easily make this gluten-free by using certified gluten-free cereals and pretzels. Make sure you get gluten-free Worcestershire sauce as well.

Recipe can be made vegan friendly by using plant-based butter, and a vegan friendly Worcestershire sauce.

Prep time includes cooling time.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 280
  • Sugar: 4
  • Sodium: 297
  • Fat: 18
  • Saturated Fat: 6
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 27
  • Fiber: 3
  • Protein: 6
  • Cholesterol: 19

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Great Grandma's Chex Mix Recipe (8)

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

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Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe

  1. Molly Gurski says

    This is our family’s go-to recipe for a weekly snack; especially during quarantine and the holidays! We substitute a whole bag of cashews instead of mixed nuts and get rid of the pretzels and replace those with garlic rye chips! Yum.

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Cashews are my favorite so I am totally down with that! So glad you guys are liking, Molly! Thank you for your comment!

      Reply

  2. Dianne G says

    My Mom makes this. Delish!

    Reply

  3. Haley says

    Great! Can adjust the spices or mix ingredients as you like! I think I added a little extra garlic powder. Like that this is on the milder side for Chex mix and the low and slow method makes it!

    Reply

  4. Janie Adkison says

    I forgot my nuts. Can I add them after it has cooked??

    Reply

    • Ashley says

      Yes that’s fine! They just won’t have as much of the savory flavor but that’s okay. Or you could sauté them in some butter and spices, let cool and add.

      Reply

Great Grandma's Chex Mix Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it cheaper to buy Chex mix or make your own? ›

Homemade Chex Mix Is Cheaper AND More Delicious Than The Store-Bought Stuff. Chex Mix offers variety: the crisp cereal, toasty pretzels, the unique crunch of the bagel chips. This homemade recipe puts the store-bought to shame.

Why is my homemade Chex mix soggy? ›

Using too much liquid. Don't go over the recipe's suggested liquid amounts; that is a sure way to get soggy mix (which, again, nobody wants). Follow this tip: If you need to make a change in liquid ingredients, just keep the amount the same.

What is the least favorite Chex mix piece? ›

Other than the rye chip, nothing brought more people together than pretzels — combined, 38% marked the circle and square pretzels as the worst pieces.

How long will homemade Chex mix stay good? ›

Make Ahead Instructions: Chex mix tastes freshest when served within 2-3 days of making it, but it will last stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freezing Instructions: Chex mix freezes great! Store in freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

Is Chex Mix healthy or unhealthy? ›

Who doesn't love traditional Chex Mix? It's salty, crunchy, and everyone has a favorite item– the perfect party snack! But sadly, what makes it taste so good also makes Chex Mix not the healthiest option. It's full of refined grains, sugar, and tons of sodium.

What is the Chex Mix seasoning made of? ›

The official Chex Mix recipe calls for 1½ tablespoons seasoned salt, ¾ teaspoons garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder.

Is Chex Mix better with butter or margarine? ›

You can mix and match to suit your taste—just use a total of 9 cups of cereal. Healthy: To reduce the fat to 2 grams and the calories to 80 per serving, use 3 tablespoons margarine instead of the 6 tablespoons butter, omit mixed nuts and use fat-free bagel chips.

Why is my Chex Mix burning? ›

Why did my Chex Mix burn? Over-cooking and forgetting to stir the mixture throughout may cause your chex mix to burn. For best results, stir the mixture every 15 minutes while cooking. This ensures the mixture is evenly coated and that no parts of it get burned.

What is the circle thing in Chex Mix? ›

The question of the day is: what are these round, brown disks in my Chex Mix? Answer: Melba toasts. And they are clearly the best part of the whole thing.

What is the fancy name for Chex Mix? ›

Chex mix (aka nuts n' bolts), a classic American snack that's a staple in American homes, especially during football games and holiday gatherings, combines Chex cereal with nuts and other bite-sized treats, seasoned and baked until crispy.

What is the best thing in Chex Mix? ›

Corn Chex

Corn Chex are indisputably the best part of a bag of Chex Mix. If you've ever tasted Corn Chex on their own, you know they don't need to be doused in seasoning to be enjoyable—you could easily eat them plain.

What is each thing in Chex Mix called? ›

There are many recipes for homemade Chex Mix also known as Chex Party Mix. Though contents vary, the mixes generally include an assortment of Chex cereals, chips, hard breadsticks, pretzels, nuts or bagel bites. There are also commercially sold pre-made varieties of Chex Mix sold by the maker of Chex Cereals.

How do you keep homemade Chex Mix from getting soggy? ›

How Do You Keep Chex Mix From Getting Soggy? To avoid soggy Chex mix, make sure to toss the ingredients well with the butter mixture and spread out on a large pan. Keeping toasting in the oven and tossing until the Chex mix is well-coated and dry. It will further dry out as it cools.

Why isn't Chex Mix sold in Canada? ›

Chex has really not caught on as a brand in Canada. Although many other products of General Mills, like Cheerios, are very popular, Chex is seen as a “niche” product.

What can I do with stale Chex Mix? ›

You can bring them back to an edible state by heating them in the oven. This works wonderfully for snacks like crackers, Chex mix, tortilla chips, pretzels and even whole loaves of bread.

Is it more expensive to make your own trail mix? ›

So, the pre-made trail mix is actually cheaper than making your own. Who knew?? Of course, there are ways that you could make this mix more cheaply.

How much Chex is in a box? ›

One standard-size (12-ounce) box of Rice Chex cereal contains about 11 cups of cereal. Save yourself the hassle of measuring out 9 cups and dump the entire box into your largest bowl.

How many cups of Chex are in a family size box? ›

A family size (18 ounces) box of Chex has a little bit over 17 cups of Chex (enough for 2 batches of Muddy Buddies!), and a regular, 13.8-ounce box of Chex yields 8 cups (perfect for 1 batch of Muddy Buddies!).

Is Chex Mix healthier than Doritos? ›

13) Chex Mix: Fewer calories and the same amount of sodium as Doritos and Fritos, but more carbohydrates. Plus, nobody likes every single item in the mix (the rye chips, in particular, can be as divisive as broccoli).

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