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Oh, Chex Mix… how I love thee.
Every holiday season, I make batches and batches of this stuff. It’s so satisfying to snack on with drinks, if you’re having people over (in any other year than 2020), and makes an easy and delicious gift for neighbors and friends.
In all honesty, who doesn’t love that stuff? Crunchy, salty, savory… it’s hard to stop once I start.
I got the idea to do an upgraded DIY chex mix from my old Martha Stewart colleague and friend, Thomas Joseph. He has an incredible show called Kitchen Conundrums and is a total wizard in the kitchen.
I’ve taken his idea of using browned butter and thyme and made it my own, adding in rosemary and changing up some of the ingredients.
I added in bagel chips, because those bagel chips are always what I love most about Chex Mix. I tossed in some almonds and those cute grid pretzels and then tossed it all in a spiced, salted browned butter before baking until golden and crisp.
Not only does this recipe make a big batch, plenty to serve to a crowd or share with friends, but it’s cost effective and keeps for weeks at room temperature. It’s kind of a no-brainer when the holidays come around.
“What else can I use?”
- If you don’t want to use almonds, you can leave them out, or swap in cashews, walnuts, or pecans.
- Play around with different pretzel shapes and sizes, I just like these for uniformity.
- I use these Roasted Garlic flavored bagel chips, but you could use plain or any savory flavor you like.
- Note – Worcestershire is pretty hard to replace, so I would make sure to use that.
Yes! This Chex mix keeps well at room temperature for up to a week in an airtight container. You can also store it in the fridge for even longer storage.
Yes, you can swap out the rice and corn Chex for other cereals like Wheat Chex or Cheerios. Keep in mind that different cereals may absorb the butter mixture differently, so the texture might vary slightly.
Fresh herbs are recommended for their bright, aromatic flavor, but you can substitute dried thyme and rosemary if needed. Use about one-third of the amount for dried herbs (e.g., 1 2/3 tsp of dried rosemary and thyme for this recipe).
If you can’t find bagel chips, you can substitute with other crunchy snacks like crispbread, pita chips, or even croutons, though the flavor might change a bit depending on the type.
I’m making batches of this to drop off to friends this year, along with my Superfood Granola Bark.
The hardest part of making this is simply not eating it all.
Let me know what you think, who is making this for the holidays?!
Holiday Chex Mix with Brown Butter & Herbs
Ingredients
- 4 cups rice chex cereal
- 4 cups corn chex cereal
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2 cups pretzels, I like the small square ones
- 2 cups bagel chips, broken up, I like the roasted garlic or rye flavor
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
- 5 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it's browned and nutty, being careful not to burn.
- Off the heat, add the worcestershire, onion and garlic powders, herbs, and 1 teaspoon salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, mix the chex cereals, almonds, pretzels, and bagel chips together with a wooden spoon.
- Add the browned butter mixture and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Spread mixture out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, taste for salt and add another teaspoon if desired, and pat evenly.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to crisp evenly.
- Cool and store at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved being one of your testers, this recipe is so delicious. I think I will add sesame sticks as they are what I love in any snack mix. A munchie they works all year, and Ii’m thinking great hostess gifts.