Sweet Chex Mix Recipe

With a sweet, lightly salty, and buttery brown sugar coating, I just know y’all are going to love this crunchy and sweet Chex mix recipe!

I have to thank my friend Allison for this sweet Chex mix recipe. The first time she brought it to a potluck, I couldn’t get enough. Sweet, lightly salted, and crunchy, this Chex party mix hit all of my goal points for a nibbly (a.k.a. addictive) snack! It’s the perfect homemade snack to take to potlucks, holiday gatherings (because nothing says the holidays like a Christmas Chex mix), or summertime picnics.

So, what does this sweet Chex mix recipe include? Well, besides both rice and corn Chex cereal, its coating includes butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, extract, a pinch of salt, and baking soda. All you have to do is bring these ingredients to a boil and then pour it over your cereals. The final step is popping it in the microwave to get that perfectly crunchy and sweet coating. 

A final warning: make double of this sweet and salty chex mix recipe if you’d like to keep some for yourself because everyone is gonna love it!

Recipe Ingredients

• Unsalted butter
• Brown sugar
• Light corn syrup
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Baking soda
• 2 boxes of Chex cereal (I’m using a combination of rice Chex cereal and corn Chex cereal).
• Nuts (optional)

First, pour out your cereals into a big bowl or dishpan. Stir to combine if you got two different kinds, like Allison said to do.

If you decided to go your own way and just get one kind then just toss ’em in there. Allison is a bit of a rebel herself so it’s all good. 

Sidenote: Christy, that is a lot of butter! 

It sure is, ain’t it? Moving on…

Place the butter and brown sugar into a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Stir from time to time and bring just to a boil. 

Stir in the corn syrup, salt, vanilla extract, and baking soda. It will foam up a bit.

Remove the saucepot from the heat and set it aside.

Stir together the cereals and nuts (if using) in a large bowl or dishpan. Pour syrup over this cereal mixture and stir well to coat evenly.

Bake your sweet Chex mix

Pour the cereal mixture in batches into a large brown paper grocery bag, roll down the top to close it, and microwave for two minutes. Take the bag out and shake. Return to microwave for another two minutes and then shake again.

(Be careful to hold it by the closed top when you shake it to keep it closed and prevent anything from flying out. This will be very hot because that is how microwaves work 😉).

Keep an eye on this as this sweet Chex mix recipe can burn pretty quickly.

So this isn’t the time to go have a cup of coffee, although I don’t want to discourage having a cup of coffee, so just stand there and drink it while you wait on this to cook. You can sit down later and nibble on Chex mix to regain your strength. 

Carefully pour the hot and salty Chex mix out onto the waxed parchment paper and allow it to cool and dry completely. Repeat with any remaining Chex mix.

 Enjoy!

Storage

Store your salty Chex mix in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

• If you opt to add the chopped nuts to this snack mix, use whatever you like. I recommend pecan halves, walnuts, honey roasted peanuts (such a delicious addition), sliced almonds, or cashews. 
• For more variety, you could also substitute one of the cereals for small pretzel twists, honey nut Cheerios, or Golden Graham cereal. Alternatively, don’t substitute and just add one of these options when you double the recipe, because we all know you’re going to want to once you have a taste!
• Instead of microwaving your sweet Chex mix, you can bake it instead. You’ll want to bake it on a lined or greased baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
• To make this an even sweeter snack mix, once your Chex mix is cooling on the wax paper, turn it into a chocolate Chex mix by tossing in 1 1/2 cups of candy-coated chocolate pieces, like M&Ms, or just good ol’ chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or caramel bits.
• Another option is to include 2 cups of shredded coconut flakes into your mix.
• If you use salted butter (totally your choice), you won’t need the extra pinch of salt.

Check out these other sensational snacks:

Honey Ramen Snack Mix

Grandmama’s Microwave Chex Mix

Sugared Cranberries (3 Ingredients Only)

Candied Pecans Recipe

Parmesan Crisps (2 Ingredients Only!)

Holiday Popcorn Crunch