Today we’re feasting on Gluten-Free Chex Mix – YEEHAW!!! You guys, I’m dying. I don’t break out the caps all that often (HAHAHA YES I DO) but this time it’s for a good reason. The holidays have been saved thanks to Gluten-Free Chex Mix!
Ben and I both have fond memories of non-stop Chex Mix batches baking in our respective Mom’s ovens over the holidays. Is this a Midwest thing? Ben’s Mom has always traded Chex cereal for Crispix and added Cheerios, while my Mom version called for enough Worcestershire sauce to send an elephant into cardiac arrest.
Literally, on the hand written copy of the recipe she’s had in a plastic page protector for 15+ years it says, “shake Worcestershire sauce on every 15 minutes while turning for Krissi.” Busted. What can I say, Chex Mix drenched in flavor completes me, and having to go gluten-free isn’t going to stop me from eating it!
Ok, truthfully this recipe kind of feels like cheating. Homemade Chex Mix is like, 75% gluten-free already and it’s so easy adapt the other 25% that I feel ba- wait no I don’t, you need this recipe in your life – Ben and I can’t get enough of it! And by “it” I mean the three batches I’ve made in the last two weeks. Forget the fragrance of cinnamon and cloves – seasoned salt, butter, and Worcestershire sauce signals holiday time to us.
By the way, in an effort to give gifts that people can use/eat/drink this year, I’m giving away big mason jars of Gluten-Free Chex Mix for Christmas. Because come on – fuzzy socks, or jars of homemade Gluten-Free Chex Mix? No contest!
Star with your cereal. Wheat Chex is NOT gluten-free so we’re ditching it and sticking with gluten free Rice and Corn Chex, plus gluten free O’s cereal. We loved this Nature’s Path brand – it gets way more crunchy in the oven compared to regular O’s!
Add the cereals to the largest bowl you own, along with gluten-free peanuts. Peanuts can be difficult to find gluten-free (all nuts are naturally gluten-free but they can get cross contaminated when processed on lines shared with gluten-containing products.) That said, I like buying from Nuts.com or Planters unsalted roasted peanuts.
Next, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine melted butter or Earth Balance Vegan Butter with gluten free Worcestershire sauce (I like Lea & Perrins,) plus garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and paprika. Drizzle the mixture over the cereals then stir with a spatula until the cereals are evenly coated.
Spread the mixture into a large baking dish like an 11×17, then bake for about an hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes, or until the cereals are light golden brown. Last step is to stir in gluten free pretzels.
Normally pretzels are baked right in with the cereal but GF pretzels don’t hold up well in the oven, which is why they’re stirred in at the end.
Scoop the Chex Mix into an airtight container then keep within arm’s reach on the kitchen counter for 3-4 days, or pour into a bowl and let your family go to town!
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Gluten-Free Chex Mix
Description
Gluten-Free Chex Mix is salty, crunchy, and totally addicting. Just like the original, only gluten-free (easily made dairy-free, too!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rice Chex
- 3 cups Corn Chex
- 3 cups gluten-free O’s cereal
- 1 cup gluten-free peanuts
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter or vegan butter
- 1/4 cup gluten-free Worcestershire sauce (I like Lea & Perrin's)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup bite-sized gluten-free pretzels
Directions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Add Rice Chex, Corn Chex, O's cereal, and peanuts in a very large mixing bowl then set aside.
- Add butter to a medium sized bowl then microwave until melted, 50-60 seconds. Add worcestershire sauce plus seasonings then stir to combine. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture then stir with a spatula to coat. Pour into an 11x17" or larger baking dish then bake for about an 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, or until cereal is golden brown. Stir in pretzels then cool and serve.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
This is my go-to chex mix recipe!
Woo! Thrilled to hear it, Dexter!
Hi, I love your story and your blog. Even tho’ I could be your granny, your blog is an inspiration to me for my IBS blog. This trail mix is so perfect and I can change it for low fodmap and IBS safe. Would you mind if I tweak this recipe on my IBS blog and credit Iowa Girl Eats for the original? Even tho you are not an IBS person, celiac people have much in common with us. Wheat allergy for one, even tho it isn’t gluten for us, it is a fodmap called fructan. Also, does your brother still give out blogging advice? If so, where can I find it? Merry Christmas to you and your adorable family.Btw every time I ask BLue Sky to help me with my blog, I show them yours and I say to them, “I want to flow like this one.” They never can do it (sob)
No problem at all, Joan!
Oh my goodness! I have been waiting for a gluten free recipe for Chex mix! Thank you so much! It will satisfy my salt and sweet cravings all at once!
Cant keep enough around. Only wish I could find corn chex.
Thought Worcestershire sauce wasn’t GF because of the malt vinegar in it? Is there a substitute for this sauce?
Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce contains no malt vinegar and is GF. That said, I believe the Lea & Perrins sold in Canada is *not* GF, so read labels carefully.
Have an allergy to soy…..cannot have worcheshire sauce by Lea&
Perrin…any suggestions?
I actually thought it was bland, so I doubled each spice. Yum!
This looks like a great recipe, but I need to tell you that I’m Canada, Lea & Perrin Worcestershire Sauce has gluten in it. Specifically, malt vinegar. Canadian brand French’s and American Heinz are both gluten free versions, though. I haven’t tried this yet, I just found it tonight!
Not sure if you’ll read this, but I live in Ontario and just found French’s Worchestershire Sauce at our local Fortino’s and it’s clearly labelled “Gluten-Free”. I was soooo happy!!!!
One note of caution. My problem isn’t Celiac disease but an allergic reaction to wheat. I started subbing GF “breads” (bread, crackers, cereals, etc.). Only to discover that the substitute for wheat gluten is various forms of tapioca – which I now have a far worse reaction to than wheat. I only mention this because according to my allergist she is seeing more and more severe allergic reactions to tapioca.
I made this over the Thanksgiving holiday. I just recently had to start eating gluten free and was so sad I couldn’t eat chex mix anymore, so this was a lifesaver! It was delicious and easy to make.