A zesty blend of cereal, pretzels, and peanuts! Make this Spicy BBQ Chex Mix recipe for game day, movie night, Netflix bingeing, or any munchy time!
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This Spicy Barbecue Snack Mix was created with our kids in mind while they were away at college. We wanted to keep them supplied with savory snacks and sweet snacks to help get them through long nights of studying and work. And maybe some long nights of hanging out with friends, too.
Not only is this a great snack mix to include in a college care package, but it's also a delicious one to have for home-based snacking! It's a savory and spicy blend of Corn Chex cereal with pretzels and peanuts. The spice mixture includes a hefty dose of mustard-based barbecue sauce.
Here are my tips for putting together a college care package!
Why you'll love this recipe
This mix is a cinch to throw together right before you need it. It only needs 30 minutes to bake after the crunchy stuff and spicy sauce get thrown together.
This snack mix stores well... assuming, of course, that the whole tasty batch doesn't get eaten in one sitting! And it ships well, too: so send a batch to your college kids, your nephews and nieces, or as part of your holiday gifts.
🔪 How to make Spicy BBQ Chex Mix
Step 1: Crush some pretzels and add more crunchy things
Lightly crush the mini pretzel twists into small pieces in a large bowl. Stir in the Corn Chex cereal and salted peanuts.
Step 2: Add the sauce
Whisk together the mustard barbecue sauce, melted butter, and spices like garlic powder and chili powder to make the sauce. Pour the sauce over the cereal-pretzel mixture and stir everything together.
Step 3: Bake!
Spread the snack mix on a baking sheet and bake it for about 45 minutes, stirring it several times. Remove it from the oven and let the mixture cool.
Step 4: Enjoy
Stir a little more seasoning into the cooled snack mix. Pour it into a serving bowl, and dig in!
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.
The Spicy BBQ Chex Mix recipe is below. Still hungry? Here are more delish things to snack on!
💬 Leave a comment below and tell me: what do you think of this snack mix?
Spicy BBQ Chex Mix Recipe
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 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 Chex cereal and peanuts, and toss to combine the three.
Make the sauce:
- Whisk together the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the 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 of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Stir the spices thoroughly into the mix.
- The mix can be served or stored in the resealable container for up to 5 days.
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.
Tell me what you think—comment below!