Homemade Chex Mix (Healthy, Dairy Free)
Updated January 4, 2024
I started making this homemade chex mix because I was missing traditional chex mix, but I didn’t want all the added ingredients like vegetable oils or hydrolyzed soy protein. Plus, I love making healthier football snacks! My husband loves football, I love the snacks. And that’s when I created this recipe: last year during football season. It hadn’t really occurred to me to make my own before, but I’m so glad I did!
Many of the homemade chex mix recipes out there, and even the one on the back of the box of rice chex cereal I bought, call for butter, which I didn’t really want to use. I don’t feel well when I eat dairy and using oil instead of butter is better for overall health and mortality. I figured I’d try a recipe out using avocado or olive oil and it totally worked!
I didn’t realize how easy it was to make chex mix! It’s just as delicious and probably more cost effective than buying it. This recipe was a big hit with my family, who all said it tasted like the real thing and now request it!
Better yet, it’s healthier. It doesn’t have as many additives and uses healthier fats than the traditional version.
Why use olive or avocado oil?
1. Healthier Fats
Olive oil and avocado oil contain mainly monounsaturated fats. This type of fat is known to reduce risk of heart disease and improve overall health and longevity, especially when used in place of butter or margarine. Monounsaturated fats increase HDL (“healthy” cholesterol), and decrease LDL (“lousy” cholesterol) and total cholesterol. This is important because HDL helps move cholesterol away from the arteries, whereas LDL brings cholesterol towards the arteries. Overall, we need cholesterol as it makes cell membranes, hormones, and vitamin D. But, like most things, we don’t want too much of it. Too much cholesterol can lead to hardened arteries, or atherosclerosis, increasing the risk of heart disease. So, choosing more oils like monounsaturated fats is a good idea.
2. Antioxidants
Extra-virgin olive oil specifically is typically just pressed olives, so while the fiber from the olives is lost, the antioxidant content remains. This may help lower inflammation. Inflammation is contributing factor to many modern diseases and ailments including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, skin issues, and autoimmune conditions. The antioxidant content is also what prevents olive oil from oxidizing during cooking. Typically, when heated, oil is at higher risk of oxidizing, meaning it promotes inflammation. The anti-oxidants from extra virgin olive oil help prevent this. Learn more in Can You Cook With Olive Oil?
Okay, enough science-y stuff and onto the snacking!
Homemade Chex Mix (Healthy, Dairy Free)
A salty, crunchy, satisfying snack made with healthier ingredients. It's became a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Chex cereal (Rice, corn, and/or wheat) I used all rice chex in this recipe because I wanted to keep it GF and also only buy one box of cereal!
- 2 Cups Mini Pretzels (GF if preferred)
- 1/2 Cup Cashews
- 1/2 Cup Peanuts
- 4 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1.5 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce The KEY ingredient
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 Dash Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Add chex cereal, pretzels, cashews and peanuts to a large mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Pour the remaining ingredients over the cereal, pretzels, and nuts. Mix until everything is well-coated.
- Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
- Pour mixture onto the baking sheet and distribute evenly in one layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Turn chex mix after 20 minutes, then return to the oven to bake for another 15 minutes.
- Let cool completely if you can wait long enough, then share and enjoy!
I hope you like this recipe as much as my family and I do! Comment below to let me know what you think!
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