I make mine with chex, peanuts,pretzels and Cheerios. No bread, too hard for us. I think the options are up to you.

I’m posting this link since our grandkids like the Ranch Pretzel Snack Mix.

https://inspiredbycharm.com/category/recipes/snacks/

I don't recall any hard-to-chew melba rounds in Chex Mix (from the 60s), although the "original" recipe online includes those, and another version includes Cheez-Its. Gardetto's (yummy) Snack Mix includes tiny, delicious pumpernickel rounds, but they're super-hard to bite, so I separate them from the rest of the mix and munch them alone.

@chloebud I looked at that recipe and saw they used oyster crackers! I would love those instead of the hard to chew (as Alice noted) melba type crackers. Thanks!

The melba rounds will certainly work. Pretzels have always been a part of the recipe so I wonder if you were dealing with an original w/o doctoring. Chex is crazy expensive and I do not understand why one would use any flavor other than corn so I use pretzels/nuts/bugles/bagel chips and Corn chex. I have not used gold fish because they have a cheese flavor that makes it totally different mix in my opinion. The mix of ingredients can very much be individualized. I wouldn't worry about it so much.

Goldfish also come in pretzel, hot sauce and other flavors. And they're cute. :)

This was the original recipe I found posted on Reddit.

This is an ad from 1966, so I think the Chex mix ad and recipe is from General Foods.

I was going to suggest oyster crackers as well.

I like to use cut up Brazil nuts as well as little cheddar crackers.

Don't forget the green beer.... ;-)

I think we're having Black and Tans!

Corn Chex compared to oyster crackers, Wheat Chex, or whatever, may be gluten-free, a good idea for a crowd.

Guinness is delicious, so too are good lager/pilsner beers. I don't get why anyone would want to combine them.

The Chex Mix my family likes is very simple…Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, some broken up bagel thins; double the ”sauce.” No nuts, no pretzels, no ”weird” stuff (weird being defined as anything that is not one of the 3 Chex cereals and bagel thins). We generally don’t share it because the rest of the world wants to fancy it up.

I had to hunt down the recipe; I know I had it somewhere,

Chex Mix - Original

2 cups of Wheat Chex

2 Cups of Rice Chex

2 Cups of Corn Chex

1-2 cups of broken, thin pretzels

3/4 cups salted nuts

6 Tbsp. butter

4 tap. Worcestershire sauce (Lee & Perrins)

1 tsp, seasoned salt (Lowry's)

Measure out and mix together cereals, pretzels, and nuts in a huge bowl.

Melt butter in a safe microwave cup. Add Worcestershire Sauce, and seasoned salt. Stir extremely well and pour over cereal mixture with butter mixture.

Heat for 45 minutes in the oven (250 degrees), stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 7-8 cups .

I have recipes for several kinds, but still like the original best.

“I would love those instead of the hard to chew (as Alice noted) melba type crackers.”

Agree! I always reject the hard ones.

I haven't made it in quite some time, but the recipe I like best has some Dijon mustard and hot sauce.

I make mine with the 3 Chex cereals, oyster crackers, Goldfish pretzel flavor and cashews. I have also included from time to time, Bugles, pita chips or bagel chips and Cheerios. I prefer the oyster crackers and the Goldfish chips as they soak up more of the flavoring and are not as crunchy as regular pretzels or the chips.

Thanks for posting the old recipe Kate. I haven’t had chex mix in ages. It seems like it always gets eaten if it gets made.

CA Kate’s recipe is the one we use. DD still makes it every year. I still have the original recipe my DM cut out of a magazine many, many years ago. Of course people have altered the ingredients to suit their own tastes. Nothing wrong with that, but I just love the original.

Well, after all this, I went to the store but when I put all the boxes of ingredients in my cart, I realized the huge volume of left over cereal, crackers and pretzels there would be, none of which would ever get eaten and would be stale before I would ever make this again. I’m happy to have the recipes and input, tho and will make it during the holidays when there will more than one party to take it to. Thanks, everyone!

My fish shop makes fabulous smoked salmon spread, so I’m taking that with crackers instead. But now I really want Chex mix!

Can the ingredients be frozen? Though I think the point originally was stuff you were supposed to have around the house, wasn't it? Other than having to buy more cereal? Because otherwise they'd sell a sampler box / mix kit.

I'd rather eat the salmon spread+crackers if I were younger and could tolerate some cold fish. Have fun at the party!

I skip the wheat chex and include mixed nuts and veggie straws. I also agree with whoever mentioned doubling the sauce.

Another tip - buy the cereal and nuts at Aldi and save $$$.

Oilychick that is another reason to use ONLY the corn chex--use one normal sized box. I make mine only at Christmas. One bag of pretzels goes in my candied pop corn and we will have some to coat in chocolate.

Lonejack we don't have Aldi. It's not so much the money, as the waste. I really like the original recipe with the wheat especially, but agree near the holidays makes more sense. I know some people even make it to give away, which I could do. Not sure I can hold out until then. Maybe this summer when there are more gatherings...salty snack to go with Mojitos!

" Though I think the point originally was stuff you were supposed to have around the house, wasn't it? Other than having to buy more cereal? "

LOL......their goal was to sell you more cereal!

Like Olychick, I never make it because of the waste, but after reading this thread, I really want some. Maybe I'll buy some close substitutes at the Bulk Barn and make some nearly-Chex mix.

I once bought some packaged, already made mix but it was just way too salty and didn't really have all the flavor I wanted.

TV, that was my point. They wanted to sell more cereal, but you were supposed to have the rest, or at least not have to go out of your way to get it.

I've tried the already prepared packaged mix sold under the Chex Mix label but it doesn't really taste much like the homemade version at all. And is far too salty.

I almost always make a double batch when I make the mix (an annual event at holiday time) as it will disappear nearly immediately, especially with kids and any teenagers around. They just vacuum the stuff up!! And a double batch means very little waste or excess ingredients hanging around.

I always loved the little Melba rounds in the mix, and I also always found the pretzels too salty, and so when I would make it, I would eliminate the pretzels (or anything with salt crystals on it) and increase the amount of tiny Melba rounds. I also eliminate the Wheat Chex - they aren't crunchy enough.

I like goldfish crackers in soups, but I've never used them in Chex mix, although I think they would be okay, especially the cheese ones.

From way back in the 50s, butter, Worcestershire, salt, garlic salt, cereal and nuts.

My mother was a rebel, she added KIX cereal.

edited to change Trix to Kix, because I got my cereals confused

That pre-dates corn chex!

Trix and worcestershire?!!, yes—- a rebel indeed! way before salty and sweet was such a trend.

I use Kate’s recipe too.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/274486/homemade-chex-party-mix/

I have used this recipe since the 70s. The suggestions are just others ideas. It is delicious IIRC.

@lisaam, whoops! I meant Kix cereal, thanks for making me think a moment.

“Trix and worcestershire?!!, yes—- a rebel indeed! way before salty and sweet was such a trend.”

Aren't Kix, at least back when, just beige Trix?

I don’t think Kix was sweetened. But they may have been the little white things (balls) the OP was remembering.

You could use just Kellog's Crispix instead of multiple boxes of Chex. Crispix is corn on one side & rice on the other side.

I included Gardetto's Garlic Rye Chips and omitted the nuts.

Our favorite recipe for Chex mix is the old cajun recipe.

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 2 1/2 cups Corn Chex
• 2 cups Rice Chex
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups Crispix
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

I’ve never heard of Crispex, but that would eliminate one box. Really do like the Wheat Chex, tho, too.

Re: Kix, they were not what I was asking about in the op. I think others have helped ID them as melba toast rounds. They might be a fun addition, tho, for an additional, different shape. Trix were fruit flavored and sweetened, Kix were just corn and unsweetened (at least not sugar coated. They probably have some sugar in them, but are not sugar coated, or sweet tasting.

Gardetto's sells a round rye chip that is really good to go in Chex Mix

EVERY cereal company has their version of "chex"---corn. There's a myriad of different salty finger foods one could mix up. Still as the OP pointed out the issue becomes the left overs. Speaking of Gardetto's they and others make a bagged version of the classic mix we are talking about. Just go buy a bag or two and you are all set!!! Heck even Chex bags their own now!!!!

Agreed that brand names aren't required. I use organic cereal and other ingredients as well...

The OP decided not to make chex mix at this time.

And no thank you to the horrid pre-made bags full of salt, sugar, chemical unnatural flavorings...

Not even close to the original my mother made back in the 60's, 70's.

I have not made it in a while, but when i do, i visit the health food store and the Korean market and choose a variety of ingredients.

(i will still make the original if family requests it)

But most prefer my new mix. Lots of things to choose from....

---they all freeze well

I don't have a need for gluten-free but possible now with so many GF options.

Even the tradtional with an added bag of Asian snack mix is great.

Thanks everyone! I am not a fan of premade mix at all. As others said, it is way too salty, while not being as flavorful as homemade. Carol, I buy mostly organic but didn’t even think to shop the food co-op for organic versions of cereals. Will do that for sure when I do finally make it.

Sleevendog, love the idea of Asian mixes. They are often so colorful, besides yummy. I love wasabi peas!

The little rounds were mini garlic bagel rounds. The Betty Crocker recipe called for the 3 kinds of Chex, the bagel rounds and a can of mixed nuts. Butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder were the other ingredients.

I use a whole box of Crispex, thus avoiding all those left over boxes of Chex cereals. Homemade chex mix is our daughter’s favorite snack from home. The thing i notice with the grandsons when they were little is that they would pick all the cashews out to eat and leave everything else if we didn‘t stop them and talk about manners.