This parmesan ranch bold Chex mix is the perfect snack for after school, cocktail parties, or homemade gifts. The interesting mix of crunchy sweet potato chips, cheesy crackers and sugared nuts makes it a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The gorgeous orange colors of this homemade Chex mix would also be perfect for seasonal Fall gatherings like Halloween and Thanksgiving.
I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for crunchy chips and mixes that you can sit and nibble on. So this mix is quite dangerous to have around the house. Last time I made a batch I gave half of it to my parents so I wouldn’t eat the entire bag. You will love this blend of ingredients ranging from chips and crackers to a slew of yummy mixed nuts. The deliciously unpredictable combination of shapes and textures will make this your new favorite snack! And if you are looking for a sweet holiday treat, check out my white chocolate Chex mix.
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Why this recipe works
- A delicious homemade snack free of additional preservatives and things like monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate and corn syrup solids (common ingredients in store-bought snack mixes)
- Great balance of flavors. With a mix of salty cheese and just a hint of sweet, this chex mix bold party blend is anything but boring and definitely more fun than regular potato chips!
- Easy to prep and make all in one pan. The hardest part is gathering all the yummy ingredients, but once you’ve got everything you need, it’s just a matter of mixing and baking.
Ingredients
You’ll notice that this parmesan ranch Chex mix is a bit different than traditional Chex mix in that it is heavy on other ingredients and low on actual Chex cereal. That’s because I really wanted to bring in a variety of fun crunchy things. Feel free to adjust ratios to your liking though. If you want more Chex cereal, sub out another mix in for more. There’s no rules here.
- 3 cups Chex cereal – use any combination of Chex cereals you wish. Wheat chex and corn Chex is what I typically use.
- 5 cups total mix of sweet potato chips and/or carrot chips
- 1 cup plain bagel chips or rye chips
- 1 cup cheese crackers like Nut Thins, Cheez-Its or Goldfish
- 2 cups mini pretzels
- 1 cup peanuts or mixed nuts
- ½ cup toffee peanuts
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese or dried parmesan cheese (yes, the one from the can 🙂
- 1 ounce dry ranch salad dressing mix (it’s fairly easy to make your own or I like to use the Simply Organic brand)
Step-by-step directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees f. In either a large baking sheet or roasting pan, add the sweet potato chips, cheese crackers, and bagel chips, and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and stir in pretzel chips, mixture of chex cereal, and nuts. Pour melted butter all over the dry ingredients so that the butter soaks in well. Then sprinkle on the ranch dressing mix. Toss well and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the oven-baked chex mix from the oven and stir in the parmesan cheese, making sure to coat evenly. Bake one last time for about 10 minutes, and then remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Now enjoy this delectable extra-bold chex mix! You can store it in an airtight container for up to 7 days, but I doubt it will last that long.
Recipe FAQ’s
You are correct, this is more of a cheesy bold flavor, whereas the original bold mix is made with a substantial amount of Worcestershire sauce, which adds up to a lot of sugar (1 tsp of the sauce has 1 gram of sugar). Since the original recipe for bold chex mix has 1 cup Worcestershire sauce (or more), it adds up to a lot of extra sugar you don’t really need. This recipe still gives a “bold” flavor, but with a lot less sugar.
Making your own dry ranch mix is super easy! Here is a basic recipe you can use. All you do is mix up the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge:
½ c. Dry Buttermilk Powder
1 tbsp. Dried Parsley
2 tsp. Dried Dill Weed
1 tsp. Freeze Dried Chives
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Sea Salt
½ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
A pro tip or two
- If you have a hard time finding sweet potato or carrot chips, you can adjust ratios by adding in different items like Cheerios, plantain chips or mini breadsticks. In my opinion, there is no wrong way to make chex mix! I wouldn’t suggest using the Terra chips though, as they may be a little too delicate and brittle to hold up well.
- Chex mix also makes great holiday gifts. I buy sealable bags or tins when on sale and pop some of this in a gift container. It makes for the perfect neighbor, postman, or teacher gift.
- Don’t skimp on the baking part. This is what really sets the flavors in and crisps up the ingredients so they’re nice and crunchy. If you don’t bake the batch, the seasoned butter mixture will make the ingredients a bit soggy.
I hope you love this fun snack mix and are impressed with the bold cheesy flavors. If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and/or rating below! And check out my other snack ideas including air fryer potato chips, sweet potato wedges and roasted chickpeas, and this smoked spicy snack mix sure sounds delish!
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Parmesan Ranch Bold Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 3 cups Chex cereal any combination
- 5 cups Sweet potato chips or a combo of sweet potato and carrot chips
- 1 cup Bagel chips or rye chips
- 1 cup Cheese crackers like Nut Thins, Cheez-Its or Goldfish
- 2 cups Mini pretzels
- 1 cup Mixed nuts Unsalted
- ½ cup Toffee peanuts
- ½ cup Unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ounce Ranch salad dressing mix homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees f. In either a large baking sheet or roasting pan, add the sweet potato chips, cheese crackers, and bagel chips, and bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and stir in pretzel chips, mixture of chex cereal, and nuts. Pour melted butter all over the dry ingredients so that the butter soaks in well. Then sprinkle on the ranch dressing mix. Toss well and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the oven-baked chex mix from the oven and stir in the parmesan cheese, making sure to coat evenly. Bake one last time for about 10 minutes, and then remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Susie says
Whoa- this bold ranch Chex mix is so addictive! We loved the hint of sweetness from the candy peanuts. I will be making this the WHOLE Holiday season!