Easy Homemade Cheddar Cheese Chex Mix
This homemade cheddar cheese Chex mix is ridiculously simple to make, and you can customize it with any of your favorite snacks! The real secret to the bold and cheesy flavor, though, is a combo of seasoning salt, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and cheddar cheese powder. You can find it online or in the popcorn aisle of the grocery store. (But if you can't find it, a packet from a box of mac and cheese works great!)
Ingredients
- 8 cups corn, rice, and/or wheat Chex I use a mix (250 grams)
- 2 cups mini pretzel twists (80 grams)
- 2 cups corn cones like Bugles (70 grams)
- 2 cups cheese crackers like Cheez-Its (125 grams)
- 1/2 cup good unsalted butter (115 grams)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (22 grams)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt more to taste
- Freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder yellow or white (40 grams)
- 2 cups cheese puff balls (80 grams)
Equipment
- Big mixing bowl
- 1 Large sheet pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Then, mix the Chex cereal, pretzel twists, corn cones, and cheese crackers in a large mixing bowl.
- Next, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium-low heat. Remove the pot from the heat and add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the melted butter mixture evenly over the snack mix. Gently toss until the snacks are coated in the butter mixture. Then, sprinkle the cheddar cheese powder on top and stir until the snacks are evenly coated. Try a piece of cereal or two and add more seasoned salt or cheese powder to taste.
- Spread the snack mix in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes, until the mix is crisp and dry to the touch.
- Cool the snack mix completely on the pan, then mix in the cheese balls. Store the cooled mix in an airtight container or zipper bag for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
Notes
My favorite cheddar cheese powder is King Arthur's Better Cheddar. But you can find other brands online, in the popcorn section of the grocery store, or just use a packet from a box of mac and cheese.
To make this recipe completely vegetarian, make sure you're using vegan Worcestershire sauce! Classic Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it, so just keep that in mind.
Some cheese powder is saltier than others, so I like to start with 1/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt and add more to taste.
Feel free to use any cheesy snacks you like here. Cheese sandwich crackers, cheese crisps, cheddar Sun Chips, classic Cheetos, or cheddar popcorn would be amazing!
If you live in a humid place, the snack mix might get soft, even if you store it the right way. To crisp it back up, bake it at 250°F (120°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until it's crunchy again.
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 152kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 416mg, Potassium: 109mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Iron: 5mg
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