BBQ Chex Snack Mix

BBQ Chex snack mix coats Chex cereal, pretzels, cheese crackers and peanuts in a buttery BBQ sauce seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic and onion. A low oven bakes the sauce onto every piece, leaving a crisp, smoky snack mix made for tailgates, holiday parties and couch surfing through football season.

Homemade BBQ Chex Mix with Pretzels, Cheese Crackers and Peanuts

I’m a snacker, which almost sounds like a confession. But the evidence is real, a handful of this and that, including this BBQ Chex mix, can turn into a meal pretty quickly for me. There are people who think I eat elaborately most days, which is hilarious, because sometimes dinner is whatever I can put together without making another mess in the kitchen. But I do take snack mix more seriously than I probably should.

Years ago, one of my sons had his car broken into on his college campus. Whoever did it stole his Costco stuff, jumper cables, asthma meds and a bunch of random crap, but left a giant cloudy Ziploc bag of homemade Chex mix on the seat with a note that said, “Sorry.” I still have questions.

I’ve always assumed it was another student and that somebody’s mom had mailed them a care package with the Chex mix, which means they gave up their homemade snack as restitution for robbing a car. This still makes me laugh because getting a text message that says, “I was robbed. They left Chex mix,” is a rare form of comedy. I also live in the delusion that her Chex mix sucked. It helped. Mine has BBQ sauce on it, so I’m already winning the make-believe Chex mix war.

I toss Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-Its and salted peanuts with BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic and onion, then spread everything across two pans and bake it low and slow. The mixture looks wet when the sauce first goes on, but the moisture cooks off in the oven and leaves the barbecue flavor baked onto everything. Unfortunately, this means you keep digging around in the bowl like a troll.

This is great packed into a lunchbox, necessary during a football game or board-game rally, and completely different from everything sweet going into a holiday tin. It is the season.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• I use BBQ sauce instead of a powdered barbecue seasoning because I want the sauce itself baked onto the snack mix. Melted butter loosens it up enough for a very large bowl of cereal, pretzels, crackers and peanuts, while smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder let me add more seasoning without adding more moisture.
• I use equal amounts of Rice Chex and Corn Chex because I like having both once everything is coated and baked. Eight cups of cereal also leaves enough space in the mix for the pretzels, Cheez-Its and salted peanuts, so you’re not digging through an enormous bowl of Chex hoping to eventually find something else.
• The smoked paprika stays even though there’s already BBQ sauce in the coating. Bottled sauces can be all over the place when it comes to smoke, and I don’t want the recipe depending on the sauce to add that flavor.
• I keep the oven at 250°F because BBQ sauce has both sugar and moisture in it. The lower temperature gives the sauce time to dry onto everything without the sugars getting too dark before the coating has had time to dry.
• I also divide the batch between two baking sheets instead of crowding everything onto one. The coating is wet going into the oven, and spreading the snack mix out gives the moisture somewhere to go while it bakes.

Ingredients

• Rice Chex cereal – This is half of the cereal base. It stays crisp through all the tossing, and its shape catches the BBQ coating on more than one surface.
• Corn Chex cereal – I use this with the Rice Chex because I like the slight difference in flavor and texture once everything has been coated and baked.
• Pretzel twists – Salty and very good at hanging onto the BBQ sauce in all the curves and spaces.
• Cheez-It crackers – The cheese works really well with barbecue, and I like having something in the bowl besides cereal and pretzels.
• Roasted, salted peanuts – These add more salt and a completely different crunch. If you use unsalted peanuts instead, you may want to taste the finished mix and adjust from there.
• BBQ sauce – Use one you already like. I usually use Sweet Baby Ray’s because it coats the mix well and dries down nicely in the oven. A thinner, vinegar-heavy sauce can take longer to bake off and will give you a different finished flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Melted butter goes into the BBQ sauce so I can distribute the coating through twelve cups of cereal, crackers, pretzels and peanuts without making it heavier than it needs to be.
• Smoked paprika – I still add this even though there’s BBQ sauce in the mix. Bottled sauces vary a lot in how smoky they are, and this makes sure that flavor is there either way.
• Garlic powder – Adds garlic flavor without adding any more moisture to a coating we already need to dry out in the oven.
• Onion powder – Same idea here. It adds the familiar savory barbecue flavor without changing the consistency of the sauce.

How to Make BBQ Chex Snack Mix

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (get the oven and pans ready)
  Preheat the oven to 250°F and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Get both pans ready before you add the BBQ sauce because once the mix is coated, I want it spread out and into the oven instead of stopping to deal with the pans.
• Step Two (mix the crunchy stuff and BBQ coating)
  Add the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-Its and peanuts to an extra-large bowl and toss everything around a few times. Use a bigger bowl than you think you need because twelve cups of snack mix takes up a ridiculous amount of room once you start turning it over. In a separate bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder until the butter is mixed in and the seasonings are worked through the sauce.
• Step Three (coat the snack mix)
  Pour the BBQ mixture over everything in the bowl and start tossing from the bottom up. Take your time here. You don’t need every single piece to look identical, but you also don’t want a few pieces of Chex cereal holding all the sauce while half the bowl stays dry.
• Step Four (spread it out)
  Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread it into an even layer. Don’t crowd everything onto one pan. The sauce adds quite a bit of moisture with it, and spreading the mix out gives the moisture somewhere to go while it bakes.
• Step Five (bake and cool)
  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, and start paying attention around the 30-minute mark. The coating should feel dry instead of wet or tacky, but don’t expect the snack mix to feel completely crisp while it’s still hot. Leave the mix on the baking sheets until it has cooled all the way down because the coating firms as it cools, so this is not the time to get impatient and start packing it into containers.

Recipe Tips

• The consistency of your BBQ sauce can change the baking time. I recommend using a bottled BBQ sauce for this recipe and not a thin, vinegar-heavy sauce like my Carolina-style brown sugar vinegar BBQ sauce. That style of sauce contains more liquid and won’t coat or dry onto the snack mix the same way.
• Start checking more closely after the second stir at 30 minutes. BBQ sauces don’t all contain the same amount of water and sugar, so your batch may be dry at that point or need another 5 to 10 minutes.
• If you opened a new bottle of BBQ sauce for this recipe, you’ll probably have some left. Use it for my slow cooker BBQ beef or mini meatloaf recipe.
• If you have extra roasted salted peanuts, save them for my Snickers poke cake.

Storage

• Once the BBQ Chex mix is completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Keeping air and humidity away from it is the best way to keep the cereal and crackers crisp.
• This is also a good make-ahead snack because nothing needs to be served warm. Once it’s sealed, it’s ready when you need it for a tailgate, lunchbox, holiday tin or an unscripted snack session.
• If it loses some of its crispness, spread it back out on a baking sheet and warm it for a few minutes in a 250°F oven. Let it cool completely again before putting it back into a container.

FAQs

• Why doesn’t the BBQ sauce make the Chex soggy?
  It does at first. That’s why the low oven and two baking sheets are necessary. The sauce adds moisture, then the oven slowly drives the moisture off while the coating dries onto the cereal, crackers, pretzels and peanuts.
• Can I use all Rice Chex or all Corn Chex?
  Yes. Use eight cups of either one if that’s what you have. I like the mix of both, but the recipe still tastes good with one.
• Can I leave out the peanuts?
  Yes. The batch will just be a little smaller. If you’re leaving them out because of an allergy, check the labels on the rest of the packaged ingredients too.
• Can I change the pretzels or Cheez-Its?
  Yes, as long as you keep the overall amount of dry ingredients somewhat close. I’d stick with sturdy savory crackers and pretzels that can handle repeated tossing and stirring without turning into crumbs.
• How do I know when BBQ Chex mix is done?
  The coating should no longer feel wet or tacky when you stir it. Depending on your sauce and oven, that may happen closer to 30 minutes or take the full 40. The mix will crisp up more as it cools.
• Can I make BBQ Chex mix in the microwave?
  I don’t recommend it for this recipe. The BBQ sauce adds much more moisture than the butter-based coating used in traditional Chex mix, and the oven gives that moisture time to evaporate while the mixture is spread across two baking sheets. You’re much more likely to get the crisp texture I want from the oven-baked method.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• Not everything improves by being crowded together.
• A small amount of smoke can make something ordinary much more interesting.
• I don’t mind stirring things up if it makes things easier later.
• Something can look messy halfway through and end up being right anyway.
• I’ve gotten better at waiting until something is finished before I judge it.
• There’s a difference between being coated in something and being changed by it.
• There are things need heat before they tell you what they’re really made of.
• I’ve found staying busy isn’t the same as moving forward.
• I pay very close attention to what people decide is worth making permanent.
• I’m not interested in potential, only follow-through.
• History doesn’t make decisions for me.
• There are things I care about and still decide to walk away from.
• I’ve decided mystery is much less charming when it becomes a lifestyle.

When a Handful of This and That Is the Meal

• Sweet and Spicy Furikake Popcorn – Furikake, sugar, chile heat.
• Christmas Popcorn Mix – White chocolate, candy, dipped pretzels.
• Puppy Chow Recipe (Muddy Buddies) – Chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar.
• S’mores Pretzel Bites – Pretzels, chocolate, toasted marshmallow.
• Air Fryer Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix – Chex cereal, pumpkin spice, brown sugar.

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Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

BBQ Chex Snack Mix

BBQ Chex Snack Mix coats two kinds of Chex cereal, pretzels, cheese crackers and roasted peanuts with real BBQ sauce, butter and smoky seasonings before baking everything slowly in the oven. The low baking temperature dries the BBQ coating onto the mix while keeping the cereal crisp.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time55 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BBQ Chex mix recipe, BBQ Chex Snack Mix, BBQ Snack Mix

Servings: 14 cups

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• measuring cups and spoons For measuring the cereal, mix-ins, sauce and seasonings.
• mixing bowls (extra large and small). One gives you enough room to thoroughly toss the cereal and mix-ins with the BBQ coating without crushing the Chex and the other is for whisking the BBQ sauce, melted butter and seasonings.
• wooden spoon or silicone spatula. For tossing the snack mix with the coating and stirring it during baking.
• whisk Incorporates the melted butter and dry seasonings evenly into the BBQ sauce.
• 2 rimmed baking sheets Dividing the mixture between two pans provides enough surface area for moisture from the BBQ sauce to evaporate.
• parchment paper Prevents the BBQ coating from baking directly onto the pans and makes cleanup easier.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (120 g) Rice Chex cereal
• 4 cups (125 g) Corn Chex cereal
• 1½ cups (60 g) pretzel twists
• 1½ cups (93 g) Cheez-It crackers
• 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted peanuts
• ½ cup (120 ml) BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsps (28 g) unsalted butter melted
• 2 tsps (4 g) smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
• 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Add the Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, Cheez-It crackers and peanuts to an extra-large mixing bowl, tossing briefly to distribute the smaller ingredients throughout the cereal.
  4 cups (120 g) Rice Chex cereal, 4 cups (125 g) Corn Chex cereal, 1½ cups (60 g) pretzel twists, 1½ cups (93 g) Cheez-It crackers, 1 cup (145 g) roasted, salted peanuts
• Whisk the BBQ sauce, melted butter, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl until the butter and seasonings are fully incorporated into the sauce.
  ½ cup (120 ml) BBQ sauce, 2 tbsps (28 g) unsalted butter, 2 tsps (4 g) smoked paprika, 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder, 1 tsp (2 g) onion powder
• Pour the BBQ sauce mixture over the cereal mixture and toss thoroughly until the sauce is evenly distributed and there are no heavily coated or completely dry sections of cereal.
• Divide the snack mix between the prepared baking sheets and spread it into an even layer, giving the moisture in the BBQ sauce enough exposed surface area to evaporate as the mixture bakes.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the coating feels dry rather than wet or tacky.
• Allow the BBQ Chex snack mix to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving or storing, as the coating will continue to firm as it cools.

Notes

• Use a BBQ sauce you already like the flavor of because its flavor becomes more concentrated as the coating bakes and dries. A thicker, sweeter bottled BBQ sauce works especially well for this recipe.
• Do not crowd the entire batch onto one baking sheet. The BBQ sauce adds considerably more moisture than a traditional dry-seasoned Chex mix, and dividing it between two pans gives that moisture more room to evaporate.
• The snack mix will continue to crisp as it cools, so allow it to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
• Because BBQ sauce and packaged cereals, crackers, pretzels and peanuts vary considerably by brand, the sodium and nutrition information will change depending on the products used.

 

 

If you’re making this BBQ Chex Snack Mix, check out the full post. That’s where I keep extra tips, FAQs, and details that don’t always make it into the recipe card

 

Nutrition info is an estimate and will vary depending on the brands you use.

 

©Noble Pig. All content and photos are copyright protected. Sharing the recipe link is always appreciated, but copying and pasting the full recipe anywhere else isn’t allowed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

BBQ Chex Snack Mix

Amount Per Serving (45 g)

Calories 309 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 4mg1%

Sodium 557mg24%

Potassium 104mg3%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 129IU3%

Vitamin C 0.3mg0%

Calcium 103mg10%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you made this BBQ Chex Snack Mix? I’d love to hear how it turned out – leave a comment below and let me know.

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