Homemade Better Than Chex Mix® Recipe
Last updated on March 12, 2026 by Jessica Healey
Originally published on October 31, 2024
Do you have something that you used to eat because you thought it was a healthy option…when really, it wasn’t? I have about a million of them. Any journey to healthy eating has to start somewhere, after all.
For me one of the things that I loved to eat was a Canadian retail version of Chex Mix®. I figured it was healthier than chips, so I happily gobbled it up, all the while not paying much attention to the ingredients or actual nutritional information.
Luckily, we evolve. We learn. And gosh darnit, we start to read about what we’re consuming!
I quickly realized that my ‘healthy’ snack was far from healthy. Even though the marketer was telling me that this option was better for me, the ingredient list told a very different story.
Ingredients like enriched wheat flour, glucose-fructose, and MSG were just a few of the far-too-many ingredients listed on the back. In fact, even if I overlooked the ingredients, the nutritional information clearly showed me that the pack of chips that I was trying to avoid wasn’t much better when it came to calories, fat, or sodium.
After learning about the ingredients I’d love to say that I stopped eating them immediately and never went back, but that just wouldn’t be true. Unfortunately, the big brand manufacturer kept pulling me back with how addictive it the snack was. I didn’t even truly enjoy it anymore, but I craved the crunch and the mild barbecue flavour that the snack had.
So…to the kitchen I went, to make my own homemade Chex Mix®!
-Does my homemade Better than Chex Mix® recipe version have crunch? Yessir!
-Does my version have MSG? NO, ma’am!
-Does my version have a deliciously addictive mild barbecue flavour? Absolutely!
For my mix, I chose to use a combination of organic pretzel sticks, and three amazing and delicious cereals: organic whole grain O’s, organic multi-grain O’s, and organic multigrain oatbran flakes. I also added in organic almonds and peanuts and tossed everything in a homemade BBQ seasoning. This could easily be modified with no problems – throw in some organic dried fruit, or add more nuts, or choose different cereals! This recipe is easy and lends itself well to lots of variations.
Since it’s so easy to make up, it’s a great snack to have on hand and also a perfect idea to wrap up as a little gift for the upcoming holiday season (this mix would be perfect in a gift basket with a delicious beer or kombucha)!
Whip some up today and start to feel good about your snacking!
Better than Chex Mix®
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 cups organic pretzel sticks
- 1 cup organic whole grain O’s
- 1 cup organic multigrain/Heritage O’s
- 2 cups multigrain oatbran flakes
- 1 cup organic almonds – whole
- ½ cup organic peanuts
- ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
BBQ Seasoning (all organic, when possible):
- 4 tsp coconut palm sugar
- 3-4 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried mustard powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 5 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 5 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275℉.
- Add pretzels, cereals, and nuts into a bowl. Add seasoning on top of that and then drizzle olive oil on top as you stir well. Continue to stir for a few minutes or until everything is very well combined.
- Dump mix on large baking sheet and spread so it is all in an even layer.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes at 275℉, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
- Once the mix is golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool before packing.
Looking for more gift ideas? We’ve got you covered! Here are a few of our favorite gifts…
- DIY Holiday Potpourri (for your home and give as gifts!)
- DIYs galore! We have LOADS of DIY recipes here on the blog. Click this link to take a look at everything tagged with DIY here in our site!
