Mix up a batch of Sweet + Spicy Chex Mix for your holiday snacking. I use honey nut cereals, pretzels, and nuts and bake them in a brown sugar and sriracha sauce for an addicting snack combo.
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Simple holiday snack also called nuts + bolts
Homemade Chex mix is one of the recipes that really reminds me of Christmas. My mom would always make this snack mix, but we called it nuts and bolts. She would use boxes and boxes of cereal and her melted butter glaze included spices like garlic powder, and a spice mix called Beau Monde Seasoning. It’s actually kind of hard to find here. And I decided to create a different version this year, a Sweet + Spicy Chex Mix recipe – no regrets, I love this recipe so much.
I made my recipe a little smaller than the huge roasting pan my mom used to make because we just don’t need as much around this year.
And I love this sweet and spicy combo. I just can’t get enough of Sriracha sauce! What’s your favorite addition to Chex mix?
Ingredients you need
- Wheat Chex cereal in the honey nut flavor
- Honey nut O’s cereal
- Mini pretzels
- Peanuts
Ingredient substitutions
You could add in almost any small snack ingredient you want to here. My mom used to add in those little cheese crackers. I’ve seen a lot of recipes that use bagel chips, and mixed nuts. You could also use rice Chex cereal.
How to make baked Chex mix
Preheat your oven to 250°F.
In a large roasting pan, combine your cereals, pretzels, and nuts. Switch out any ingredients for what you have on hand or what you prefer.
In a small pot, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then boil for about 3-4 minutes or until the sauce really thickens up.
Pour the sauce on top of the cereal mix.
Bake the mix for about an hour stirring every 15 minutes so it bakes evenly, doesn’t stick together, and doesn’t burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Stir the mix about 3 times in the next 15 minutes as the mix cools, so it doesn’t stick together.
How to store Chex Mix
I store mine in large ziptop bags. You can also you an airtight container. I find my mix always stays crispy and crunchy in the bags.
You can also freeze this recipe, just allow it to come to room temperature before eating.
More Snack Recipes
Tips and Tricks
I like boiling my butter mixture because it doesn’t melt into the cereal, its just coats it nicely and doesn’t take as long to bake.
To make Chex mix in a slow-cooker I would add the mix and then cook on low for a few hours, stirring every 30-60 minutes or so. I haven’t made it this way, but it would be similar to baking in the oven at a low temperature I imagine. Let me know if you try it and have a tried and true method!
Recipes FAQs
It will last a few weeks in an airtight container or a few months in the freezer.
Sweet and Spicy Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 8 cups Honey Chex cereal
- 2 cups Honey Nut O's cereal
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 2 cups peanuts
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Combine sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to boil, boil for 3-4 minutes, until thickened.
- Combine cereal mix in a large roasting pan. Pour the sauce on the cereal mix.
- Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes. Stir 3 times in 15 minutes as mix cool so it doesn’t stick together.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
This might be my new favorite Chex mix recipe! I thought it might be a little too sweet with the brown sugar, but it isn’t at all and it has a really nice crunch. I also like that it has less butter than some other recipes.
I’m glad you like this recipe Tammy, thank you for commenting!