Homemade Chex Mix
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This Homemade Chex Mix recipe is easy to whip up, makes your home smell ah-maze-ing as it bakes in the oven, and is an addictive snack food that has proven to be a crowd favorite for decades. The recipe comes from my grandma and its secret sauce is the key to its deliciousness.
The History Behind the Family Recipe
I’m almost a little hesitant to share our “TV Mix” recipe.
- No, not because of its addictive nature and unmatchable flavor.
- Not because it makes a HUGE batch and is easy to store, give away, or bring to a large group get-together.
- Nor for the reason that it will make your house smell AMAZING and your mouth water when it’s cooking in the oven. Nope. None of those reasons.
The reason I’m hesitant is because, similar to our Apple Butter, it’s a somewhat secret family recipe that we make EVERY Fall. I guess we’ve never declared it a secret but I don’t know of anyone else who makes this “TV Mix” as we like to call it.
This yummy snack was originally a recipe of my grandma’s. I remember her always having it out and ready at family gatherings. I’m so glad my mom snagged the recipe and perfected it. I even have the original recipe card from her!
I love that we can carry on the family tradition of making the TV mix together.
In fact, we recently got together to make a batch. Look how easily it comes together!
Be warned, once you make your own Chex Mix, you’ll never go back to the store bought. Same goes for Homemade Pesto, Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce, and Homemade Granola.
Ingredients
Here is what you will need to make homemade Chex Mix.
Tip – use the extra Chex to make Puppy Chow!
Ingredient Notes:
- You can add just about any kind of munchie to the cereal mixture. Some examples we’ve used in the past are: Crispix, pretzel fish, crushed garlic bagel chips, sesame seed sticks, pine nuts, etc.
- Ground Savory can be hard to find. You can substitute thyme if you need to. You can easily get it on Amazon as well.
How to Make Homemade Chex Mix
Start by mixing all the dry ingredients together in a large roasting pan.
Next add all of the sauce ingredients to a jar and give it a good shake. Drizzle it over the mix and toss until thoroughly mixed in.
Time to bake it! This is the best part because it smells SO dang good once it gets going.
The mix does need to be stirred every 15 minutes, but it will be worth it, I promise. If you don’t stir it, parts of the mix will get burnt.
How to Store Homemade Chex Mix
Chex Mix is best at room temperature. I like to store mine in jumbo ziplock bags or in a large Tupperware container.
If stored properly, it will be good for 3-4 weeks.
FAQs
Any kind of neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil will work. We haven’t tested it with butter, but I’m afraid it could burn.
The roasting pan I recommend for this is a rectangular or oval-shaped, deep, and wide pan with sturdy handles. They are typically 16-18 inches. It’s the same one I use to roast a chicken or turkey.
Yes! You can easily swap out the crunchy ingredients in this recipe. Just don’t mess with the sauce that goes over it.
More Snack Ideas You Might Like
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Homemade Chex Mix
This Homemade Chex Mix recipe has been a family hit for years! Throw a batch together for your next large gathering. Your guests won’t be able to get enough!
Ingredients
- 3 cups of Cheerios
- 3 cups of Rice Chex
- 3 cups of Wheat Chex
- 3 cups of Corn Chex
- 3 cups of Kix
- 1 regular bag of stick pretzels
- 1 (8 oz.) can mixed nuts
- 1 (8 oz.) can peanuts
- 1 or 2 cups cashew halves
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups corn oil (sub: avocado oil)
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground savory (sub: ground thyme)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- In a large roasting pan, combine cereals, pretzels, and nuts.
- In a mason jar or small bowl, combine oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, and savory in a mason jar or small mixing bowl. Shake or stir well.
- Pour the sauce over mixture and stir well to combine.
- Bake for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes
- Let cool completely before storing.
Notes/Tips
- I use two wooden spoons to stir the mix. This helps it get thoroughly tossed.
- You can swap out any of the crunchy ingredients. Just don’t mess with the sauce.
- Chex Mix stores well in an airtight container. It will be good for 3-4 weeks.
- It’s fun to use holiday-themed pretzels around the holidays.
So I get online searching for a “TV Mix” recipe similar to what my Aunt Annie used to make…and I run across this one, and it seems to be EXACTLY what I’m looking for! Imagine my delight to realize that I’m on the Thriving Home, and it really is Aunt Annie’s recipe… because my Aunt Annie is Polly’s Grandma that the recipe came from! Don’t you love the way the world works sometimes? And the recipe is still as delicious as I remembered it!
★★★★★
Hi Deb!!! Love that I can share her recipe with so many others who will enjoy it for years to come. Fun that you stumbled across us! Hugs! -Polly
Love this recipe but can I substitute vegetable oil or butter? I don’t have any corn oil on hand! Thank you!
★★★★★
Any kind of neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil or avocado oil will work. We haven’t tested it with butter, but I’m afraid it could burn.
Sorry need some clarifying. Is that 3 cups of each individual cereal to total 15 cups? Or just 3 total cups? Have you ever halved the recipe? My daughter and I are making this tomorrow 😁
Thank you for this question. It’s 3 cups of each kind of cereal (so a total of 15 cups). Polly said she has never halved it, but she thinks it wouldn’t cook quite as long. I’ve updated the recipe to make this clearer.
Super fun recipe. It really does make so much! I had to use a couple different pans to fit it all in my oven. #pangoals
★★★★★
I love hearing this! This recipe is so near and dear to my heart. Thanks for taking the time to rate and review.
Which pan is it in the photo? I don’t have one that big
Which roasting pan did you use in the picture? I don’t have one haha and I’m wondering if a disposable one would work here.
You can find a similar one here! https://www.amazon.com/shop/thrivinghome?listId=3JNMR3BOVUB6A&ref=cm_sw_em_r_inf_list_own_thrivinghome_dp_TWo92PGD4DuLM
My husband’s grandma made this every year at Christmas and now my mother in law does. We have her recipe card in her old script handwriting. I love it! We use butter instead of oil so probably less healthy haha. Thanks for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
Butter is always better, right? Ha! Thanks for sharing your story. Food is always better when it’s connected to family.
I know this is an old post but I was trying to see if anyone else made the chex mix my family has been making since My mom was a kid. My grandma made this every Christmas\NewYear’s. I have never had any other chex mix like it. We use almost the same ingredients except our nuts are just fancy mix(sometimes I add extra pecans because I love them!) and peanut. We don’t use the celery, onion, or savory salt. Just 2.5 tsp garlic powder, Wsauce, and corn oil. I make sure to buy salted nuts so the mix gets its salt from that. It’s such a good and addicting mix. Everyone loves it! So glad I found another family that makes it!