9 Ways to Indulge in Chex Mix

We begin every December determined to stick to our weekly meal plan, but once again we’re struggling. ‘Tis the season to eat Chex mix and cookies all the livelong day. We’ve written all about cookies in years past, from basic shortbread cookies to the most unique cookie recipes we could find. We’ve even offered suggestions for hosting a cookie exchange to bring even more cookies into your life.

Now we’re turning our attention to that other holiday staple, Chex mix. The bagged variety is fine in a pinch, but if you’ve never made it yourself at home, you’ll soon have a new favorite snack. If you’re already a Chex mix connoisseur, check out the variations we found. We’ve got savory, sweet and spicy, and super-sugary options to satisfy everyone!

Chex Mix: Early Beginnings

While Wheat Chex was introduced in the 1930s, it was only two years after the debut of Rice Chex in 1950 that the original Chex mix recipe was first printed on a cereal box. Corn Chex came next in 1958 and was added to the recipe. The earliest version of Chex mix was remarkably similar to today’s recipe, with Chex and mixed nuts baked with butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt.

It didn’t take long for Chex mix to become a big hit at parties. Naturally, Ralston Purina -- the original makers of Chex cereal -- encouraged the mix by printing the recipe on boxes and partnering with Betty Crocker and others to spread the idea far and wide.

While Chex mix is now sold in bags, nothing beats the homemade version. With a wide range of cereal flavors on grocery store shelves, it’s easy to get creative with this classic. Ready to get started?

Chex Mix: Savory Varieties

We’ll start off simple with this recipe from The Pioneer Woman. The ingredient list is standard, but it includes minced garlic in place of garlic salt, plus several shakes of Tabasco for some kick. She suggests using a garlic press rather than chopping and mincing with a chef’s knife, so that you get the juice from each clove. We also think a Microplane would do a great job.

We also like the simple tweaks in this recipe from Gimme Some Oven. Extra butter, extra seasoned salt, and extra Worcestershire sauce are what make this variety of Chex mix extra bold. Also, if you’ve never added Cheerios to your Chex mix before, we encourage you to try it. They soak up a ton of flavor and bake up extra crunchy.

Finally, this recipe from Serious Eats is on the exotic side. It includes rice crackers, lime juice, and Chaat Masala spice mix. You can make your own Chaat Masala, but we’d rather just buy it from an Indian grocery. Try this recipe for a holiday party. No doubt it will make your guests sit up and take notice.

Chex Mix: Sweet and Salty

We’re big fans of combining sugar and spice. It’s why we never forget to add at least a dash of salt to most of our sweet concoctions. So we weren’t surprised to find a bunch of tempting sweet and salty Chex mix recipes. It was tough to narrow it down to three favorites to highlight here.

Start with this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction, one of our go-to resources. She uses Wheat, Rice, and Corn Chex, but we also think Honey Nut Chex could work well. The sauce is the special part: It includes a half-cup of honey and one-third cup of hot sauce, along with the standard ingredients like butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. Feel free to play with the proportions of sweet and spice to suit your personal tastes.

We’re also eyeing this recipe for Chipotle Caramel Chex Mix from How Sweet Eats. Combine butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar, and microwave until you have sticky, sweet caramel. Then stir in chipotle pepper and smoked paprika for some heat. We also like how this recipe includes cashews in the mix. We know they’re not cheap, so save this one for guests who will appreciate it.

Finally, we’ve got to try this combination from Food52, where furikake is the star of the show. Furikake is a Japanese seasoning that contains nori (dried seaweed), sesame seeds, dried tuna flakes, and salt. Look for it at an Asian grocery, but be aware that packaged furikake also contains MSG, in case you or your guests are sensitive to it. The rest of the sauce includes butter, oil, soy sauce, and both corn syrup and sugar for sweetness. We’re also excited to try some new dry ingredients, like Goldfish crackers and Bugles. This recipe is an undertaking, but the results sound like they’re worth the effort.

Chex Mix: Super Sweet

If you want to turn Chex mix into dessert, look no further than these three recipes. Sweet varieties of Chex mix are often called puppy chow, which doesn’t sound too appetizing to us. Chex’s official name for this concoction is Muddy Buddies, which sounds only marginally better. Either way, be assured that no matter what you call it, you can’t go wrong with Chex and chocolate.

While you can find the Muddy Buddies recipe on nearly any box of Chex, check out this one from Serious Eats. It’s simple, but the results are addictive. Microwave butter, peanut butter, and chocolate chips until liquid. Then stir in vanilla extract and a dash of salt. Mix it into a large bowl full of Chex, and then transfer the chocolate and peanut butter covered cereal to a large plastic bag. Shake the contents with powdered sugar until each piece is coated. You may need to do this last step in small batches to ensure even coverage. The powdered sugar helps keep your mix from getting sticky, but you may want to pop it in the refrigerator before serving.

Take the original recipe up a notch with these Cookies and Cream Muddy Buddies from The Recipe Critic. Just by looking at the list of ingredients, we can tell we’ll need to double the recipe. Mix half the Chex with melted dark chocolate chips, and mix the other half with melted white chocolate chips. Add a little butter or shortening to the melted chocolate to help it stay smooth and creamy. Then pulverize some Oreos in your food processor, or put them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Add the chocolate-covered Chex to the bag with the Oreos, and dump in a cup of powdered sugar. Shake, chill briefly, and devour!

Finally, this Butterfinger Chex Mix recipe from Tablespoon goes even further. Start with Chocolate Chex (you’ll find it at the grocery) and cover it in chocolate, peanut butter, and butter. Toss it with powdered sugar, and then add crushed Butterfinger candy bars to the mix. If Butterfinger isn’t your favorite, try it with Reese’s Cups, Snickers, or Nestle Crunch. We’re hooked!