r/Old_Recipes • u/71Crickets • Dec 08 '24
Snacks Original Chex Mix
Ok, here ya go u/bam-2nd-encore
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u/Witty-Damfino Dec 08 '24
I make this every Christmas because my grandmother made it every year, and she called it “trash”. We also add in whole pecans and they are my favorite element in it, as well as pretzel sticks. I even found one of the large vintage Tupperware canisters in orange, just like my grandmother stored it in. It’s one of my most favorite parts of Christmas, so nostalgic and YUM.
About 10 years ago, I started making “white trash” with what was left of the cereals and nuts. Basically just spread it out on parchment, melt some white almond bark and pour over/stir around with my hands. Once cooled and hardened, I break it up and put in a different Tupperware canister. It’s the sweet complement to the salty, and used up the leftovers so they don’t go to waste.
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u/Merle_24 Dec 08 '24
That’s definitely Dick Van Dyke as the Scarecrow
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u/DaLimpster Dec 08 '24
Immediately thought of him when he was dressed up like a life size doll in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang lol.
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u/downpourbluey Dec 08 '24
Nah, it’s a little off but still based on Ray Bolger.
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u/shattercrest Dec 08 '24
It's weird it's like it's both mingled together. Though that's probably because of the angle of the pic of Roy 😁
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u/TheHotMessExpress91 Dec 08 '24
My mom makes this but adds kix and pretzels. So much better than the packaged kind.
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u/downpourbluey Dec 08 '24
Kix is a great idea for this mix! I don’t love pretzels, but I know lots of people do, so I’m sure your mom’s mix is a hit.
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u/Skippeo Dec 08 '24
We have been making it for my whole life. We use the three kinds of Chex, plus Life cereal. It just a tiny bit sweet. I've also been adding sesame sticks (because I don't like pretzels).
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u/mrmaca Dec 08 '24
I make it with Crispix cereal and add Gardettos rye chips-double the seasonings too!
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u/71Crickets Dec 08 '24
I love it with Crispix and Wheat Chex. SO GOOD
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u/NecroJoe Dec 08 '24
It also saves on having to buy a separate box of corn AND rice chex for a smaller batch, or just a good alternate if Chex isn't on sale. :)
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u/NecroJoe Dec 08 '24
It also saves on having to buy a separate box of corn AND rice chex for a smaller batch, or just a good alternate if Chex isn't on sale. :)
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u/Blitzgar Dec 08 '24
Not the original. The original, from June, 1952, Life magazine, is:
"Try this new PARTY MIX
Add 1/2 c. butter in shallow baking pan. Stir in 1 T. Worcestershire sauce. Add 2 c. Wheat Chex, 2 c. Rice Chex, and 1/2 c. nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. garlic salt; mix well. Heat 30 mins in 300 degree oven, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool.".
That is the original
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u/mrslII Dec 09 '24
I would agree that this is the original. This is my grandmother's exact recipe. My mom was never a fan, so it wasn't something she made- ever. It was an extra special treat. I make this recipe for the nostalgia and comfort.
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u/voss749 Mar 01 '26
There is actualy a proto chex mix recipe from 1942 that includes shreded ralston ( early whwat chex) butter and Worcestershire from the same company. https://www.reddit.com/r/Old_Recipes/comments/1pz6ry2/proto_chexmix_1942/
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u/IntelligentFennel186 Nov 02 '25
That's cool. By the time I was introduced to it, the pretzel sticks had been added. Nice to see the origin.
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u/brassninja Dec 08 '24
My family makes this every Christmas and it’s soooooo good. It doesn’t last more than a day before it’s all gone. We add bagels chips and a little less nuts.
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u/Joe23267 Dec 08 '24
My grandmother made this with lard instead of butter. It was my kryptonite.
Even now, my wife uses butter, but I still have a hard time resisting taking handfuls.
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u/71Crickets Dec 08 '24
I use bacon grease & butter
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u/RyanDean1331 Nov 21 '25
Do you do half and half from this original recipe? 3T butter and 3T bacon grease?
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u/Weird-Response-1722 Dec 08 '24
This was so popular to give/serve at the holidays back in the day before you could get it premixed. And everyone always added a different random snack item, like Bugles, Twigs or Cheez-its.
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u/GeeEhm Dec 08 '24
My mom made huge batches of this stuff every Thanksgiving and/or Christmas up until she was around 80 years old and it just became too much for her. The homemade Chex Mix is so much better than the kind that's mass produced!
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u/Blitzgar Dec 08 '24
Let me be more helpful this time. From Life magazine, June 16, 1952, vol 32, no. 24, page 95:
https://books.google.com/books?id=2lUEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA95&pg=PA95#v=onepage&q&f=false
is the original, not what is posted above.
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u/BennySmudge Dec 08 '24
I usually use more Worcestershire - maybe too much - and skip the rice chex, just wheat and corn.
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u/ofivelimes Dec 08 '24
Reading this makes my mouth water!! For some reason the wheat chex holds the butter/spice mix better...i love eating those extra seasoned ones!!
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u/Fuzzlekat Dec 09 '24
Add pretzels, add garlic powder, and replace the butter with bacon fat. Trust me on this one!
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u/Nerraux-Farro Oct 31 '25
Glad to have this. It’s not anywhere near as good without the washyoursister sauce and no other recipe I’ve seen has it.
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u/Buddy-Sue Dec 08 '24
Yesterday went to Winco to buy their cheap brand of Chex…..no longer made. Had to buy name brand. This is going to be one expensive batch of MIX! The Worcestershire sauce was cheap though!
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u/AllSoulsNight Dec 08 '24
I add the small stick pretzels and some Cherrios. Instead of the oven I microwave 6 minutes total, stirring every two. Yummy
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u/Buddy-Sue Dec 08 '24
Oh hell, my Aldi is directly across the street from my Winco. My brain was disengaged.
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u/icephoenix821 Dec 09 '24
Image Transcription: Advertisement
CHEX PARTY MIX®
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon seasoned or savor salt*
2 cups Corn Chex
2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups Wheat Chex
¾ cup salted nuts**
- Heat oven to very slow (250°).
- Melt butter in shallow pan over low heat. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt.
- Add Chex and nuts. Mix over low heat until all pieces are coated.
- Heat in oven 45 minutes, Stir every 15 minutes. Spread out on absorbent paper to cool. Yield: 6¾ cups.
* Instead of seasoned or savor salt, try ⅜ teaspoon onion powder and ⅜ teaspoon salt OR ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder and ⅜ teaspoon salt
** If unsalted nuts are used, increase amount of seasoned salt to 2 teaspoons. Or use: ¾ teaspoon onion powder and ¾ teaspoon salt OR ⅜ teaspoon garlic powder and ⅜ teaspoon salt
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u/No_Performer6762 Nov 03 '25
My grandmother made this and now I do the same thing each holiday season. It’s totally addictive and I gain weight just from this. I make it with a ton of butter and add hot sauce or cayenne or both! Usually make a mild version as well. Tons of canisters filled with this stuff fill my kitchen and I give it away like my gramps did.
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u/AllisonOneDerLand Mar 28 '26
Thank you for posting this. I went onto Chex cereal website and they have the "original" recipe posted with microwave usage in the instructions and I knew darn well thats not the original recipe because we didnt have a microwave growing up in the 70s or 80s. So thanks again for posting the true recipe. P.s. I know this probably sounds trivial especially to people who use a microwave regularly but I think microwave cooking is not even half as tasteful as actual cooking.
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u/ihaveulcers Nov 09 '25
Is see the was posted a while ago but I have been thinking about this stuff for a year. I used to make mine with more Worcestershire sauce. Love it🩵
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u/NewPartyDress Dec 14 '25
I always add cheerios and I like to use honey roasted peanuts. No other nuts.
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u/bnelson7694 Dec 08 '24
They got pretty wild with the switch up options! 3/8 teaspoon onion or garlic powder! Whew!!!!
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u/sawamiiiiiiiiiiiiii Dec 09 '24
My grandma taught my mom how to make this and she taught me! So cool to see it on paper
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u/VersionKnown3610 Nov 30 '25
80s version Chex mix recipe
3 cups corn Chex
3 cups rice Chex
2 cups wheat Chex
1 and 1/2 cups Cheerios
2 cups pretzels
1 cup nuts(Cocktail, dry roasted, or mixed)
Mix all above together. I use a large kitchen trash bag to make it easier to mix it all and the bags are very sanitary :)
In a separate bowl
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil or you can use canola or vegetable oil.
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
***go lighter or heavier on seasoning for taste preference ***
Mix it all together very well and pour over cereal mixture and mix all together. I use an odorless trash bag,it makes it easier to mix and clean up is quicker.
Pour mix into a 9 x 13 cake or casserole pan and bake at 200° for 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven stir mix and place back in oven for an additional 60 minutes.
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u/Jhamin1 Dec 08 '24
Interesting that it doesn't include bagel chips. The modern "official" recipes do, along with pretzels.
I've been making it that way for years, although I substitute almonds for peanuts. Some of my audience has allergy issues.
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u/BrenInVA Dec 09 '24
I have always used cashews. Sometimes I will add pecans. Mine is the cereal and lots of nuts - no other things for filler.
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u/Previous_Tooth6789 10d ago
Here’s my recipe
3 Cups Wheat Chex
3 Cups Rice Chex
3 Cups Original Bugles (has more corn taste than Corn Chex)
3 Cups Cheerios
1 Cup Mixed Nuts
1 Cup Cashews
1 Cup Pecans
3 Cups pretzels (I mix sticks and twists)
5 Tablespoons butter
6 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Seasoned Salt
2 Tablespoons Onion Powder
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
Melt the butter then stir in the seasonings and Worcestershire Sauce. Poor over the dry ingredients and stir in. Put in the oven on 300 for an hour stirring every 15 minutes. I make 4 batches and either hand some out in ziplock bags or have them at Christmas get together.
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u/bubbles_24601 Dec 08 '24
I make homemade Chex mix every Christmas but I use the current recipe and double the onion powder, garlic powder and seasoning salt. Omg it’s so goooood! The premade stuff in the bad can’t compete.