Homemade Ranch Chex Mix Recipe
This EASY ranch chex mix recipe can be made with just 5 minutes to prep and is a flavorful mashup of (yummy) ranch dressing with (elevated) dill flavor. Just like my sweet and salty Chex mix, you’ll need just 8 ingredients and I share plenty of customization ideas plus instructions for both microwave and oven options. Make a big batch, one bite of this mix and it will go quick!
Chex Mix and cookies were what I requested my mom make after having my first daughter. I wanted, or needed, maybe something comforting, satisfying, delicious – and easy to shove in my mouth while nursing a new baby. And it totally hit the spot – it always does. It’s the salty, savory, crunchy, cereal-meets-snacks SNACK, doused with a flavorful buttery mixture, and baked until crisp. And now we’ve turned it into Chex mix with ranch seasoning and dill which both elevates… hello ranch party mix! It’s one of my favorite things to snack on during the holidays.
If you love snacky appetizers, be sure to try my street corn dip, chili cheese dip, chipotle corn salsa, or my mini charcuterie board next for easy and delicious snacking.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What You’ll Love About Ranch Chex Mix
- Delicious savory flavors
- RANCH! 🙂
- Crunchy snack
- Just 5-minutes prep time
- Made with simple ingredients
- Easy recipe and great to make-ahead
- Perfect for game-day snacking or movie night
- Easy to customize snack mix
- Great snack for gifting
Ingredients
- Chex cereal – Traditionally, it’s an even mixture of corn, rice, and wheat Chex, but I say use what you like best.
- Pretzels – Use your favorite pretzel variety. (I like pretzel thins because there is more surface area for the seasoning, but any small shape like pretzel twists will work.)
- Crackers – I’ve used melba crackers, but you can use anything. Mini saltine crackers or Ritz cracker pieces will also work.
- Nuts – You can use any nuts you like, see below for more ideas.
- Butter – Use high-quality unsalted butter.
- Worcestershire sauce – This is a must for homemade Chex Mix and gives it the traditional flavor.
- Ranch seasoning – We’re looking for dry ranch seasoning that comes in a packet or bottle, depending on how much you go through! You could absolutely use homemade ranch seasoning if you prefer.
- Dried dill – Dill is a classic seasoning found in ranch, but the extra bit also helps elevate the Chex Mix a bit so we’re adding some extra.
Customize Your Chex Mix
I also love how easy this ranch Chex mix is to customize. Not a fan of wheat Chex? Use a different combo. Prefer peanuts to mixed nuts? Use what you like and make it your own! Here are a few ideas:
- Chex – The most important amount of the cereal component is using 9 cups, it can really be any blend of cereal. I would recommend at least 2 cereals so that you have some different flavors and colors.
- Extras – I love using pretzel crisps so there’s more surface area to soak up the seasonings and melba toasts, bagel toasts, mini saltines, or Ritz cracker pieces are great “extra” cracker options.
- Nuts – Almonds are my favorite nut, so that’s what I’ve used in this recipe, but you can use mixed nuts, cashews, peanuts, etc.
Chex Mix Mix-In Ideas
As long as you use roughly the same amount of ingredients, you can use almost anything! Here are some more mix-in ideas:
- Bagel crackers
- Sourdough pretzels
- Goldfish pretzels
- Goldfish crackers
- Mini Triscuit crackers
- Mini saltine crackers
- Wheat thins
- Cheese crackers (cheez its)
- Bugles (regular bugles if you can find them)
- Oyster crackers
- Rye crisps
- Sesame sticks
- Broken Ritz crackers
- Broken tortilla chips
- Popcorn
How to Make Homemade Chex Mix
This is an overview on how to make homemade ranch Chex mix, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
How to Microwave Chex Mix
Even though I was skeptical of the microwave version, it works pretty well. I love the scent of Chex mix cooking in the oven so I typically bake, but if you’re short on time, it’s a great way to speed up the process. Microwave everything in a large microwavable bowl on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool.
FAQs
What ingredients are in Chex Mix?
Traditional chex mix has a savory and salty flavor. It’s seasoned with butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
The original homemade Chex mix is made up of: Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Wheat Chex, mixed nuts, bite-size pretzels, bite-size garlic bagel chips, butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder. (source)
How do I make my Chex mix crispy?
There are a few steps to ensure that your Chex Mix will be crispy and not end up soggy.
- Let it cool completely before packing it away so there isn’t any steam or condensation in your container.
- Bake it for the whole time – yes, this seems like a long time, but it’s important to dry out the butter and seasonings.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. It does taste best if eaten within a few days of when you made it.
How to reheat
If your Chex mix is a little stale or not tasting quite so fresh, simply revive it in a 300 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes.
Can you freeze Chex mix?
Yes, you can actually freeze Chex mix in a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months.
More Easy Snacks
If you like this recipe for ranch Chex mix, you might also like some of these other easy snack recipes:
Print
Ranch Chex Mix Recipe with Dill
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Yield: 12 cups 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: Bake
Description
This EASY ranch chex mix recipe comes together in just 5 minutes prep + 8 everyday ingredients. It’s got both classic + elevated flavors.
Ingredients
- 9 cups Chex cereal (I used 3 cups corn, 3 cups rice and 3 cups wheat)
- 1 cup pretzel thins
- 1 cup melba crackers or bagel crackers
- 1 cup nuts (I used almonds)
- 8 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp ranch seasoning
- 2 tsp dried dill
- extra ranch and dill for dusting
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.
- Stir together all cereal, pretzels, crackers and nuts.
- Stir seasonings into melted butter and pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Dust with additional 1 Tbsp ranch seasoning and 1 tsp dill.
- Spread on paper towels to cool and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Serving size: 1 cup
- If you’d like to microwave instead, microwave on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towel to cool.
- 1 oz. packet of ranch seasoning is about 3 tablespoons, so it’s the perfect amount for one batch.
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