Whip up this popular snack mix in your slow cooker with this easy to make Crock-Pot Chex Mix recipe! Perfect for gift giving at the holidays or snacking anytime!
Slow Cooker Chex Mix
One of my families favorite snacks is a good old fashioned Chex Mix party mix. We make is an everyday snack, packaging it up in snack sized Ziplock baggies so that the kids can take it to lunch.
We make it at the holidays and give away containers to friends and family who stop by.
We just make it to munch on on the weekend while we watch movies together as a family.
I also like to set out bowls for guests to snack away on during parties. This Chex Mix is always a huge hit at our annual Super Bowl party!
Classically Chex Mix is baked in the oven. And there is nothing wrong with that! Sometimes I do that too.
3 Reasons To Make Chex Mix In Your Slow Cooker Instead Of Your Oven:
No need to heat up the oven – On a hot muggy summer day the last thing you want to do is turn the oven on!
Less likely to burn – Because the slow cooker runs at a little lower heat you are less likely to forget that you are cooking your snack mix and burn it. Better for busy or easily distracted folks.
Portable – Your slow cooker is portable and can be used anywhere you have a source of electricity to run it. I have made Chex Mix while camping in the RV and I had had the kids make it as a classroom project (every kid brought a little something to add to the mix…it was interesting!).
Chex Mix is also so versatile. You can totally mix it up by adding your own favorite ingredients. Use different cereals (Cheerios, Kix, Life, etc.), use different nuts (or omit them if you are allergic to nuts), add different snack items (Goldfish crackers, Cheez-It crackers, Oyster crackers, pretzel squares or sticks, Wheat Thins). And if you want to have a sweet-salty combination you can add some candy or dried fruit after it is cooked and cooled. M&M’s, raisins, chocolate chips, etc all work great!
Use your imagination and most of all…have fun making your Chex Mix!
In a 6 quart or larger add all of the dry cereal, pretzels and nuts.
In a small mixing bowl, combine together the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over cereal in slow cooker and mix well using a rubber spatula.
Cook on HIGH heat UNCOVERED for 90 minutes, stirring the mixture every 15 minutes to prevent the cereal from burning on the bottom.
After 90 minutes, turn slow cooker to LOW and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until the Chex Mix is crispy.
Spread Chex Mix on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature.
Store finished Chex Mix in airtight food storage containers for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
To make clean up easier you may wish to either line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner or spray with non-stick cooking spray.To personalize this recipe and make it your own, feel free to change up some of the ingredients to use your favorite unsweetened cereals or snack mix ins. Some ideas might be to use Cheerios, Goldfish Crackers, pretzel squares or sticks, wasabi peas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, honey roasted nuts. The possibilities are endless!
The three types of cereal are usually Corn Chex, Rice Chex, and Wheat Chex. Beyond that, pretzels, peanuts, and some kind of cracker or rye chip are standard. Is it cheaper to buy Chex Mix or make your own? Homemade Chex Mix is cheaper AND better tasting than anything you can buy at the store.
How Do You Keep Chex Mix From Getting Soggy? To avoid soggy Chex mix, make sure to toss the ingredients well with the butter mixture and spread out on a large pan. Keeping toasting in the oven and tossing until the Chex mix is well-coated and dry. It will further dry out as it cools.
Who doesn't love traditional Chex Mix? It's salty, crunchy, and everyone has a favorite item– the perfect party snack! But sadly, what makes it taste so good also makes Chex Mix not the healthiest option. It's full of refined grains, sugar, and tons of sodium.
What is different about Bold Chex Mix? The difference between bold and regular party mix is the amount of Worcestershire sauce added. For a Bold Chex mix, use ⅓ cup of Worcestershire and for a more traditional just 2 tablespoons.
One standard-size (12-ounce) box of Rice Chex cereal contains about 11 cups of cereal. Save yourself the hassle of measuring out 9 cups and dump the entire box into your largest bowl.
Properly stored in an airtight container, this homemade Chex Mix recipe should keep for 4-6 weeks. Just be sure to fully seal the container each and every time.
Snack mix needs a good deal of surface area to cook and dry out properly or it will get soggy — and nobody wants soggy snack mix. Follow this tip: Whether you're cooking the snack mix in the oven or in a slow cooker, you'll want to spread the mix out onto as many baking sheets as possible, be it for baking or cooling.
Onion and garlic powders: These give the Chex mix a deeper, more savory taste. Worcestershire sauce: A generous amount of lends a subtle savoriness that rounds all the flavors out.
13) Chex Mix: Fewer calories and the same amount of sodium as Doritos and Fritos, but more carbohydrates. Plus, nobody likes every single item in the mix (the rye chips, in particular, can be as divisive as broccoli).
Try to stick with simple cereals like Original Cheerios or Corn Chex; avoid sugary cereals (no more than 10 grams of total sugar and 5 grams of added sugar per serving) because sugar can also complicate the issue. Oatmeal is also a good option.
The question of the day is: what are these round, brown disks in my Chex Mix? Answer: Melba toasts. And they are clearly the best part of the whole thing.
After a heated discussion about hard pretzel architecture, I have come to understand that the circle pretzel is irrefutably the worst component of Chex Mix. The texture is one-dimensional, with a smooth and boring hard pretzel shine. There isn't even additional grain from coarse salt.
Also, homemade mix is quite a bit cheaper than the store-bought variety, which can be deceptively expensive, especially when you weigh it against buying ingredients like flour and baking powder, which you'll use for other dishes.
Make Ahead Instructions: Chex mix tastes freshest when served within 2-3 days of making it, but it will last stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freezing Instructions: Chex mix freezes great! Store in freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
The dry ingredients I used cost less than the dollar I would have spent for the box. I did need two egg yokes and more milk which makes the homemade version more expensive, but you end up with a little more pudding. I'd say it's pretty close, but the homemade version should be cheaper.
Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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