Sweet and Salty Chex Mix

No ratings yet

This Sweet and Salty Chex Mix is a slow-baked snack that blends buttery cereal with savory seasonings and homemade candied nuts. It works just as well for casual snacking as it does for entertaining.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Chex mix with nuts, holiday snack mix, homemade Chex mix, party snack mix, Sweet and Salty Chex Mix, sweet and salty snack mix, sweet savory Chex mix

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 336kcal

Author Shelby Law Ruttan

Equipment

Ingredients

Candied nuts

¼ cup water
4 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt , if using salted nuts, decrease to 1 teaspoon
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon chili powder
¾ cup pistachios , unsalted
¾ cup pecans , unsalted
¾ cup almonds , lightly salted

Chex Mix mixture

3 cups corn Chex cereal
3 cups rice Chex cereal
3 cups pretzels
2 cups Goldfish
½ cup salted butter , melted
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground mustard
½ cup fresh-grated Parmigiano cheese

Instructions

Candied nut mixture

Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat. Set aside.
In a saucepan, add the water, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and Chili powder. Mix well.
Cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes until the sugar is melted.
Add the pistachios, pecans, and almonds. Mix well to coat the nuts.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Mix and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.
Cool the nut mixture completely.
As the mixture cools, it breaks into pieces and is placed into a bowl.

Chex Mix

Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, add the Corn Chex cereal, Rice Chex cereal, pretzels, and Goldfish crackers.
Pour the melted butter and the Worcestershire sauce over the mixture. Gently toss until all ingredients are coated.
Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard evenly over the mixture. For best results, add half of the spices first and gently mix, then sprinkle in the remaining spices and mix again. This helps prevent clumping and ensures the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout.
Spread the cereal mixture onto the cookie sheet. Add the candied nuts. Mix well.
Bake in the preheated oven for 65-70 minutes. Mix and rotate the pan every 15 minutes.
Take the Chex Mix out of the oven. Cool for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the Parmigiano cheese over the Chex Mix. Mix gently and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Store the Chex Mix into an airtight container or plastic bag.

Notes

BAKER’S NOTES:

This recipe uses 2 different oven temperatures. 325 degrees F to candied the nuts and 250 degrees F for the Chex Mix. The 250 degrees F oven temperature is important as it will dry out the mix instead of browning it.

When mixing the cereal mixture, use 2 large spoons and mix like you were tossing a salad.

Allow enough time to cool the candied nuts before adding them to the Chex Mix mixture.

Use a silicone mat when baking the candied nuts and Chex mix. It will make cleaning easier. You can also use parchment paper.

When the nuts are in the oven, halfway through, make sure to mix them well to make sure you don’t have a hot spot in the oven.

Use different variations of nuts. Other great options are cashews or walnuts.

Have fun with the recipe, add cayenne pepper or chili powder for extra heat.

Storage: Once the mixture is completely cooled, store it in an airtight container or a ziplock-type bag. It will last at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Make sure to add the cheese once the Chex Mix is done cooking and has cooled off for a few minutes. If added before, the cheese can burn.

Nutrition