My zesty twist on the retro snack mix my friends and I, and every New Englander, grew up eating: Spicy Chex Mix! It's a from-scratch, toasty, savory, oven baked Chex mix made with crunchy ingredients and spicy mustard-based barbecue sauce. It's a must-have for watching the game, holidays, and weekend noshing.
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This Spicy Chex Mix was created with our kids in mind while they were away at college. I included this mix in college care packages as a savory snack to help get them through long nights of studying, and hanging out with friends, too.
This snack mix is one that everyone will love, especially friends and family you have over to play games, or to watch the big game! My recipe is a zesty and spicy blend of Corn Chex cereal, pretzels, and peanuts, flavored with spices and mustard-based barbecue sauce.
The hallmarks of a good homemade Chex mix are that it's easy to make and a surefire crowd-pleaser, and that's exactly you get with my Spicy Chex Mix!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: A zesty, homemade snack that's a spicy twist on the original retro recipe that every New Englander grew up eating at holidays and parties. It features Corn Chex, pretzels, and peanuts baked in a mustard barbecue sauce-based spice blend.
- You'll love this part: It's a total crowd pleaser that comes together easily, and can even be made in advance. And, it fills the kitchen with a savory, toasty aroma as it bakes! Whether you're hosting a game night or making treats to send to your college kid, this mix fits the ticket.
- How it's made: Toss the pretzels with the cereal and peanuts. Coat them with a blend of butter, barbecue sauce, and spices, then bake the mixture until it's toasted and flavorful.
Jump to:
What is Chex mix made of?
What do decades of New England family holidays, parents' poker games after the children are asleep, cocktail parties in the living room, and kids' sleepovers have in common? There was likely a big bowl of Chex mix at all of them!
General Mills shares that the first recipe for Chex mix debuted in 1953, printed on boxes of Wheat and Rice Chex cereals. That original recipe included equal amounts of Rice and Wheat Chex, plus melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, nuts, and garlic salt. They're all mixed together, then baked in the oven to create a toasty flavor and to infuse the spices and sauce into the crunchy ingredients.
This recipe has been endlessly adapted and changed up over the decades. Today's General Mills recipe includes Corn Chex, pretzels, and garlic bagel chips.
My variation on the original Chex mix adds spicy ingredients like chili powder and Carolina barbecue sauce, giving the whole snack a tangy flavor and a little heat.
Why you'll love this Spicy Chex Mix
For one thing, you'll love that this Spicy Chex Mix oven recipe is a cinch to throw together on the day or the evening you need it. Just toss the crunchy stuff and spicy sauce together, then bake it until the mixture is toasted and fragrant.
This tangy Chex mix stores well... assuming, of course, that the whole tasty batch doesn't get eaten in one sitting! And the snack mix ships well, too! Send a batch to your college kids, to your nephews and nieces, or make several batches of the spicy party mix to give away as Christmas food gifts.
🔪 How to make Spicy Chex Mix
Ingredients:
- Chex cereal: I stick to just one kind for this mix: Corn Chex. I think the corn flavor is delicious with the barbecue sauce and spices.
- Pretzels: Regular pretzel twists are small enough to make this mix easy to nosh on, yet twisty enough to stay mixed with the other ingredients.
- Peanuts: Pick up shelled and roasted cocktail peanuts to mix into this Chex mix. They add flavor and saltiness, too!
- Butter: Melted and blended with spices and the barbecue sauce, butter is the base for a savory sauce that you'll bake into this snack mix.
- Mustard-based barbecue sauce: Also know as Carolina-style barbecue sauce or Carolina gold, this sauce has mustard in the base rather than tomato or pepper. The mustard makes it extra tangy, and it's a perfect flavor to pair with the spices in this snack mix. If you can't find Carolina barbecue sauce at your store, I include a recipe link below so you can make your own!
- Apple cider vinegar: A little of this vinegar in the sauce makes the Chex mix extra zingy, and with a little sweetness from the apple cider.
- Spices: To complement the crunchy elements and the mustard barbecue sauce, I use a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder for a little heat, salt, and black pepper.
Combine the crunchy things
Lightly crush the mini pretzel twists into small pieces in a large bowl. Stir in the Corn Chex cereal and salted peanuts.
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Make the sauce
Whisk together the mustard barbecue sauce, melted butter, and spices to make the sauce.
Mix together
Pour the sauce over the cereal-pretzel mixture and stir everything together.
Bake!
Spread the snack mix on a baking sheet and bake, stirring several times. Remove it from the oven and let the mixture cool. Stir in a little more seasoning, then dig into the spicy snack mix!
Pack some up!
College Care Package Ideas
Make this Chex mix and other recipes for your college student! Plus ideas for more things to send them.
Spicy Chex Mix FAQs
This homemade spicy Chex mix can last as long as two weeks! It's important to store it properly, though: tightly sealed to protect the flavor and keep it crunchy.
First, make sure the snack mix is completely cool. Then, transfer it to a tightly sealed food container or a resealable bag with the air pressed out. Store homemade Chex mix at room temperature, away from light and heat.
Tips:
- I like using Corn Chex in this mix, but if you prefer a blend of Chexes feel free to mix a couple together.
- This recipe calls for a mustard-style barbecue sauce, which may also be labeled as Carolina-style. Sweet Baby Ray's makes one and there are also varieties available from Heinz and Jimmy Jack's, too.
- Want to make your own mustard-based barbecue sauce? Here's a recipe for Georgia Mustard Barbecue Sauce from Spruce Eats that you can try.
The Spicy Chex Mix recipe is below. Still hungry? Here are more delish things to snack on!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Spicy Chex Mix
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Ingredients
Snack mix blend:
- 3 cups salted mini pretzel twists
- 4 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts
For the sauce:
- ½ cup mustard-based barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Finishing spices:
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Blend the snack mix ingredients:
- Preheat the oven to 300° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Pour the 3 cups salted mini pretzel twists into a large bowl. Use a potato masher or the bottom of a glass to slightly crush and break them.
- Add in the 4 cups Corn Chex cereal and 1 cup dry roasted, salted peanuts, and toss to combine the three.
Make the sauce:
- Whisk together the ½ cup mustard-based barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a separate, small bowl.
- Pour this over the pretzel-cereal mixture, and toss to coat everything thoroughly with the sauce.
Bake:
- Spread the cereal mixture evenly onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the mixture every 10 minutes.
- Remove the sheet from the oven and allow the mix to cool to room temperature.
Finish the mix:
- Pour the snack mix into a serving bowl or resealable container. Add in the ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Stir the spices thoroughly into the mix. It's ready to serve!
- The mix can be served or stored in the resealable container for up to 5 days.
- Makes about 8 cups of Chex mix.
Notes
- I like using Corn Chex in this mix, but if you prefer a blend of Chexes feel free to mix a couple together.
- This recipe calls for a mustard-style barbecue sauce, which may also be labeled as Carolina-style. Sweet Baby Ray's makes one and there are also varieties available from Heinz and Jimmy Jack's, too.
- Want to make your own mustard-based barbecue sauce? Here's a recipe for Georgia Mustard Barbecue Sauce from Spruce Eats that you can try.
Nutrition
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