Best Homemade Spicy Chex Mix Recipe (Cheese Puffs!)

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The Best Homemade Spicy Chex Mix Recipe or “Texas Trash” is a tried and true, slow-roasted, savory, spicy, crunchy, buttery combination of ordinary but different everyday nibbles. What sets this favorite snack apart from all the other thousands of Chex Mix recipes is the perfect butter mixture that adds a spicy kick. Slow roasting an assortment of traditional crunchy snacks in an ungreased large baking sheet, and Cheese Puffs…yes Cheese Puffs…need I say more?

The original Chex mix recipe has been a longtime family tradition passed down from my mother-in-law. I started making it a few years ago and changed a few items in the cereal mixture but not the secret butter mixture. I’ll never touch that.

THE BEST HOMEMADE SPICY CHEX MIX RECIPE

Dry Ingredients

• 4 cups Cheese Puffs (PUFFS, not crunchy Cheetos), Orange Cheese Puffs & White Cheddar Cheese Puffs
• 2 cups thin pretzels
• 2 cups Cheerios
• 1 cup mini saltines (or oyster crackers)
• 2 cups Rice Chex
• 2 cups Corn Chex
• 1.5 cup dry roasted peanuts more or less to taste

Butter Sauce Ingredients

• 8 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp chili powder more or less to taste
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 tsp hot sauce more or less to taste (I use Tabasco)
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder more or less to taste
• 1 stick butter (8 tbsp)

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHEX MIX

Full Recipe Instructions

• STEP ONE: Place the first 7 ingredients in a very large bowl or ungreased large roasting pan. Gently mix cereals, cheese puffs, pretzels, mini saltines, and peanuts together with a big spatula or wooden spoon.
• STEP TWO: Over low heat, melt the butter…be careful not to burn. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and hot sauce to taste.
• STEP THREE: Pour half of the butter mixture in a circle over the dry snack mix and stir gently. preferably with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Pour second half of the butter mixture again in a circular motion and mix gently again. Mix until everything is evenly coated…this will take about 15 minutes of constant gentle mixing.
• STEP FOUR: Heat the oven to a very low temperature (215° to 230°). Place the coated mix on an ungreased large baking sheet (this will probably take 2) or use an ungreased large roasting pan with at least 2″ sides. Make sure the mix is spread out evenly and not deep.
• STEP FIVE: Stir every 15 minutes for an hour or until crispy and yummy.
• STEP SIX: Cool on cut-up brown paper sacks, newspaper, or parchment paper.
• STEP SEVEN: Repeat steps 4-6 until all the unroasted Chex party mix is gone.
• STEP EIGHT: Store in a large airtight container or gallon Ziplock plastic bags. Enjoy!!!

OPTIONAL CRUNCHY INGREDIENTS

Just browse through the snack and cracker isle and you can come up with your own version of this special treat. A few items I’ve included over the years are below👇

• garlic rye crisps
• goldfish
• Fritos
• wheat chex
• oyster crackers
• pecans
• cheese crackers
• cashews
• bagel chips

CHEESE PUFF CHEX MIX RECIPE ITEMS

ALTERNATIVE CHEX MIX BAKING METHODS

Chex Mix is one of those tasty treats that never comes out the exact same and is so easily personalized to fit your taste buds. 

The recipe is very straightforward and extremely simple to double. 

If you like a little more garlic flavor…like my husband… add more garlic powder. 

Use 1 tablespoon of Chipotle Chili Powder in place of regular Chili Powder for a different spice taste. If you really like it hot, then try substituting 1 or 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder with Jalapeno Powder…Yum!

The best part about this delicious homemade spicy Chex mix recipe is you can make it weeks ahead of the holidays. It stores very well in air tight containers. The mix is actually much better if you allow the flavors to “meld” over a week or two. The only downside to this is “some” people might be inclined to sneak a couple of handfuls of this addictive snack!

Lastly, this homemade spicy Chex mix makes a great gift for that special time of year or make it into individual sacks for the perfect game-day snack. Everyone needs their own can of this glorious stuff!

HELPFUL KITCHEN ITEMS

KITCHEN TIPS FOR CHEX MIX

Chex Mix is one of those tasty treats that never comes out the exact same and is so easily personalized to fit your taste buds.

The recipe is very straight forward and extremely simple to double.

If you like a little more garlic flavor…like my husband does… replace one of the chili powder tablespoons for garlic powder.

Use 1 tablespoon of Chiplote Chili Powder in place of regular Chili Powder for a different spice taste. If you really like it hot then try substituting 1 or 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder with Jalapeno Powder…Yum!

You can make this mix weeks ahead and store in sealed plastic bags or containers…it’s really much better if you allow the flavors to “meld” over a week or two.

Give this cherished family Chex Mix as friend and family gifts around the holidays. Everyone needs their own can of this glorious stuff!

Print Pin

Spicy Chex Mix

Crunchy, spicy, savory Chex Mix with Cheetos, mini saltines, pretzels, nuts, and chex cereal.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cereal, cheetos, chex, savory, spicy

Servings 12

Calories 120kcal

Author Elise

Ingredients

• 4 cups Cheese Puffs (cheese curls, cheetos) I mixed Cheese Puffs & White Cheddar Cheese Puffs
• 2 cups thin pretzels
• 2 cups Cheerios
• 1 cup mini saltines (or oyster crackers)
• 2 cups Rice Chex
• 2 cups Corn Chex
• 1.5 cup dry roasted peanuts more or less to taste

Sauce Ingredients

• 8 tbsp worchestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp chili powder more or less to taste
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp hot sauce more or less to taste
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder more or less to taste
• 1 stick butter (8 tbsp)

Instructions

• Place the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl or roasting pan. Mix up gently.
• Over low heat melt the butter…be careful not to burn. Add the seasonings…Worchestershire, chili, onion, garlic, cumin powder, and hot sauce to taste.
• Pour over the dry snack mix and stir preferable with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until everything is evenly coated….this will take about 15 minutes of constant gentle stirring.
• Heat oven to 215°. Place coated mix on large baking sheets (this will probably take 2) or use a large roasting pan with at least 2" sides. Make sure the mix is spread out evenly and not deep.
• Stir every 15 minutes for an hour or until crispy and yummy.
• Cool on cut up brown paper sacks, newspaper, or paper towels until cool.
• Store in large plastic bags or plastic tubs. Enjoy!!!

Notes

Extra Notes: Make weeks ahead of the holidays and give this as a delicious gift.

 

MORE GOOD SNACKING STUFF FROM THE CONTRACTOR’S CASTLE

Simple Spicy Everything Snack Crackers

Easy Italian Dill Snacks

Zesty Italian Mini Pretzels

Easy Fiesta Chedder Crackers

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