Great Grandma's Chex Mix Recipe (2024)

DFDairy Free

Sharing my family’s old recipe (from my great grandma Mildred!) for homemade chex mix! It’s a family tradition to make this around the holidays and everyone gets a container to take home.

I’m sure everyone and their grandma (literally) has a recipe for homemade chex mix, but what’s one more?!

I had a craving for my family’s chex mix recipe and I thought, why not share the recipe here for you to enjoy as well?

My great grandma passed when I was still fairly young, but I have fond memories of her. From playing with her wrinkly hands (yes, this is one of my memories) to camping in Canada, and her holiday tins filled with her famous family chex mix recipe.

Drew’s mom made me a scrapbook cookbook one year for my birthday, and in it she included my great grandma’s recipe for her chex mix.

The Best Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

This never lasts long at holiday gatherings! My aunt has taken over making the family recipe but this was my first time having a go.

Not sure why I waited so long because this stuff is SO GOOD. I was literally salivating while I was stirring the mixture together.

Ingredients needed for homemade chex mix

• mixed nuts – you can also opt for one nut variety, go for peanuts, or a blend. Whatever your heart desires.
• mini pretzels – a classic addition.
• cereal –Corn and rice Chex, Crispix, Cheerios. My family alway used Crispix but you can use the whole wheat Chex in place of!
• butter –you can use a plant based butter to keep this recipe dairy free, or conventional butter if that works for you.
• worcestershire sauce –you can’t really make homemade chex mix without it! If you know of a vegetarian sub, go for it.
• seasoning salt – another classic ingredient that you can’t go without.
• onion and garlic powder – this was my addition that great grandma’s recipe didn’t call for but you know me 🙂

I actually got much more specific for you compared to what Grandma wrote down.

i.e. “a can of nuts” – Okay, what size can? What kind of nuts? Well, I opted for a 12 ounce can (about 1 1/2 cups) and chose a blend with cashews because who doesn’t love those? meaning: I will be picking all of the cashew out first.

Or how about “12 cups cereal- cheerios, corn chex, rice chex, crispix”. We’ll make that one easy and do 3 cups each. If you can’t find crispix (I actually had to go to two different stores to find! Target saved me) you can use wheat chex.

Recipes were most certainly made from memory and by “feel” back then. I’m sure to get someone in that time to actually write down a recipe with decent directions was a grand accomplishment.

How to Make a Homemade Chex Mix Recipe

Step 1 –melt the butter

Grandma says “melt butter in roasting pan in 250º oven.” Which makes this an easy one pan recipe! Add the stick of butter to the pan and you can let it melt while the oven preheats. This should take about 5 minutes or so.

Step 2 – add Worcestershire sauce & seasoning

Next stir in the Worcestershire sauce and seasonings.

Step 3 – add cereal and nuts

Now it’s time to add in the cereal, pretzels and nuts. Make sure to really stir this well and get all the butter in the corners of the pan. Use a large wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.

Step 4 – bake

Time to bake! You’ll bake the chex mix for one hour total, stirring every 15 minutes.

Step 5 –cool

To speed up the cooling process, I spread out the chex mix on baking sheets, so the mixture is cooling in one layer.

Also! If you’re adding chocolate candies to the mix, make sure the mixture is *completely* cooled so the chocolate doesn’t melt once you go to store it.

How to Store Homemade Chex mix

Store in a closed container, such as holiday tins, glass containers, or jars to give as gifts!

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to comment and review below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

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