• Ree's Life
  • Food and Recipes
  • Home and Life
  • Holiday
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • News and Entertainment
  • Giveaways
  • Subscribe
  • New: Ree's Best Family Meals
  • The Pioneer Woman Products
  • About The Pioneer Woman
  • Newsletter
  • Follow
Privacy NoticeTerms Of Use
Skip to Content
Logo
  • Ree's Life
  • Food & Recipes
  • Weddings
  • Summer Recipes
  • The Pioneer Woman Products
Subscribe
sign in
  1. Food and Cooking
  2. Recipes
  3. Spicy Chex Mix

Spicy Chex Mix

This snack has a kick.

By Leah PerezPublished: Dec 4, 2024
Star
Be the first to review!
the pioneer woman's spicy chex mix
C.W. Newell
Yields:
12 c.
Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Arrow Circle Down IconJump to recipe

When you have a house full of guests, the last place to be is in the kitchen fussing over party dips. The solution? A crunchy make-ahead snack like this spicy Chex mix. This homemade satisfies every craving with butter, zesty hot sauce, Worcestershire, and lots of spice. The best part is you can customize it! Don’t like pretzels? Replace them with other crackers. Serving a gluten-free crowd? Start with Rice Chex and add other gluten-free mix-ins. Want more spice? Add extra cayenne pepper. Everyone will be reaching for a second handful. Serve this with some other fun snack mixes at your next get-together.

Why is the snack mix soggy?

You may not have baked it long enough. Because the cereal, pretzels, and crackers are coated in melted butter, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, the mix needs ample time to dry out and re-crisp in the oven. Make sure everything is spread into a single layer and that you bake it for the recommended amount of time. Don’t let the incredible smell tempt you to pull it out of the oven early!

How long does Spicy Chex Mix stay fresh?

Stored in an airtight container, this snack mix will stay fresh for up to one week at room temperature. It will last even longer in the freezer—up to three months! Let the mix come to room temperature or pop it in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes to wake up those spices.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

  • 6 cups

    corn, wheat, or rice cereal squares, or a combination, such as Chex cereal

  • 2 cups

    cheese crackers

  • 2 cups

    lightly salted mixed nuts

  • 2 cups

    small pretzels 

  • 1/2 cup

    (1 stick) salted butter

  • 2 Tbsp.

    hot sauce, such as Crystal or Tabasco

  • 2 Tbsp.

    Worcestershire Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp.

    packed light brown sugar

  • 2 tsp.

    garlic powder

  • 2 tsp.

    smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp.

    cayenne pepper

  • 1 tsp.

    ground thyme

Directions

    1. Step 1Preheat the oven to 250°F.
    2. Step 2In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cereal, cheese crackers, nuts, and pretzels.
    3. Step 3In a microwave-safe bowl or large measuring cup, microwave the butter in 15-second increments until melted. Whisk in the pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
    4. Step 4Gradually pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, mixing thoroughly until evenly coated.
    5. Step 5Spread the mixture on 2 rimmed baking sheets in an even layer. Bake until dry and fragrant, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.
    6. Step 6Let the mix cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheets before serving.
Love This Recipe? Try One Of These Next!
  • Mercantile Snack Mix
  • Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Mix
  • Ranch Oyster Crackers
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Snacks

the pioneer woman's sheet pan nachos recipe

Serve These Loaded Nachos Straight From The Pan

the pioneer woman's honey cake recipe

Serve Golden Honey Cake With Tea or Coffee

the pioneer woman's popcorn chicken recipe

Make Golden Popcorn Chicken For Every Party

tailgate appetizers

Easy Tailgate Appetizers to Kick Off Game Day

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
pioneer woman frozen yogurt bark

How To Make Easy Frozen Yogurt Bark

summer to fall recipes

What to Cook During the Summer-to-Fall Transition

labor day appetizers

Labor Day Appetizers for One Last Bite of Summer

the pioneer woman pesto feta dip

This 3-Ingredient Pesto Feta Dip Takes 5 Minutes

the pioneer woman muffuletta pinwheels

Muffaletta Pinwheels Bring The New Orleans Spirit

after school snacks

These After-School Snacks Are All Kid-Approved

game day snack board
From The Pioneer Woman for Heluva Good!

Game-Day Snack Board

the pioneer woman's s'mores dip

Bake This Gooey S’mores Dip: No Campfire Needed

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Logo
x
tiktok
facebook
instagram
pinterest
SubscribeAbout The Pioneer WomanOther Hearst SubscriptionsNewsletter
A Part of Hearst Digital Media

A Part of Hearst Digital Media

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back.

©2025 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy NoticeCA Notice at CollectionYour CA Privacy Rights/Shine the LightDAA Industry Opt OutTerms of UseSitemap
Cookies Choices