Homemade Original Chex Mix (2024)

Better than the pre-packaged! Flavorful and perfectly spiced homemade Chex Mix with a wonderful and buttery crunch.

When I was younger, my family and I would go on yearly road trips from New Jersey to places like the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and this homemade Chex Mix would make the car rides a little more bearable – except that one year when, two hours into the ten hour car ride, I spilled the whole container while my sibling and I were passing it back and forth. After that unfortunate experiance, my mom packed a few big containers of it in the car so my siblings and I could all munch on our own.

On top of being the perfect road trip snack, it is also the best study snack. I have about four more weeks of my semester until summer. I depend on this homemade Chex Mix to keep me awake and energized to study. Yes, the pre-made, pre-packaged Chex Mix is delicious, but the homemade Chex Mix is on a whole different level. Whenever I make this Chex Mix, it is gone within a few days! Although, I am the one who eats most of it anyway.

My favorite thing about this homemade Chex Mix is the light and buttery crunch that the Chex and add-ins have after baking. It is also amazing because it is so customizable, and you can add or remove anything that you like or don’t like. I prefer to eliminate the Wheat Chex because they’re too hard to chew and eat, so in my Chex Mix, I like to put Corn Chex, Rice Chex, pretzel sticks, Goldfish crackers, and peanuts, and I season it with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.

The options for add-ins are endless. You can add anything! You can add bagel chips, cheez-itz, different types of seeds or nuts, any cereals like cheerios, potato chips, or anything else that is bite-sized. You can even change up the proportions of the different kinds of Chex, just make sure it totals to 9 cups. I like to do half Corn Chex and half Rice Chex. For the add-ins, I like to add 1 cup of everything (but 1-1/2 cups for mini pretzels or pretzel sticks) to get the perfect proportion of add-ins to Chex.

Begin by placing the butter in a large roasting pan (16×12) and placing it in the oven as it is preheating. While the butter is melting, place all the Chex and add-ins in a large bowl and mix well. In order to prevent the Chex from breaking up, take two large wooden spoons and toss all the ingredients together gently.

Once the butter is melted, add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and Worcestershire sauce to the melted butter and mix well. Then, pour the Chex and add-ins into the large pan, be careful the pan will be really hot. Taking the two wooden spoons fold and gently toss the Chex so the butter and spice mixture is evenly distributed. Bake for a total of 60 minutes, but every 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and fold and gently toss the mixture. After 60 minutes, line your counter with paper towels and pour the mixture on top of the paper towels. This will prevent the Chex Mix from getting soggy. This is a critical step to achieve that perfect airy crunch that makes homemade Chex Mix so much better than the pre-made stuff. Once cooled, place in an airtight container, and enjoy!

I would love to see your homemade Chex Mix! What did you add into your Chex Mix? Tag me in your pictures on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane and use the #beyondbakingwithamandajane.

Taste tested with love by friends and family.