Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

BEST Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Are you a sweet or salty person? They say that people usually favor one or the other; I’m clearly a sweet! Sometimes though I get a salty hankering and I just want something salty and crunchy, like chips or snack mix. These cravings usually make me reach for one of two things: BBQ chips or Chex Mix.  Last time I had the craving I thought…why not make BOTH?

I think I love BBQ seasoning so much because it’s salty and sweet at the same time. I’m borderline obsessed with making my own homemade BBQ seasoning because I can sprinkle it on everything: chips, popcorn, baked potatoes…the options are endless.

When I decided to make my own Chex mix, I knew I wanted to make it in the slow cooker. This makes it easy and you don’t have to babysit it like you would if it was in the oven. I’ve been slightly obsessed with crockpot recipes this year…so beware.

Homemade Chex Mix Recipe Ingredients

One thing I love about making Chex mix at home is I can add anything I want to it. What’s your favorite part of regular Chex mix? Mine are the cereal pieces. I also love the pretzels…and pretty much everything in it. The one thing I always miss is nuts. Adding nuts to any snack mix adds crunch and flavor and, in the case of almonds, some protein.

• 4 cups of any Chex Cereal (I used Rice Chex)
• 2 cups of any nuts (I used raw Almonds)
• 3 cups of filler, like pretzels or a combination of pretzels and other crunchy bits (I used all pretzels)

If you want to add something sweet, like candy, do that after the Chex Mix is done.

How to make BBQ seasoning mix

There are a few must-have ingredients in homemade BBQ seasoning:

• Brown sugar gives it the sweetness
• Smoked paprika gives it that smokey flavor, along with smoked chili powder. Using the regular versions won’t make them taste like BBQ chips, so be sure and get smoked.
• Round out the BBQ flavor with onion and garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Mixed together, this simple BBQ seasoning mix can be stored in a jar in the pantry and sprinkled on everything from vegetables to potatoes to popcorn.

How to make Chex mix in the slow cooker

I highly recommend that you use a slow cooker liner. It makes it easier for clean-up and it’s less likely to burn. If you’re not using al liner, be sure to spray the insert with nonstick cooking spray.

Simply mix them all in the crockpot and then prepare your topping.

To get the BBQ seasoning mix to stick to the snack mix, I mixed it with butter. Stir up the mixture and pour it into your slow cooker. Cook on low, stirring every 20 minutes, for about an hour to an hour and half. Once you just start to smell it, it’s done.