How To Make Slow-Cooker Chex Party Mix

Snack mix, or party mix, is a staple of celebration at our house: kids’ birthday parties, our Christmas Eve Risk marathon, and that particular big game that happens once a year. Big batches of this salty, savory snack are required to fill party bowls and kids’ cups, but that means I need my oven or microwave running for several hours to get all my snack mix dry, so I rely on a slow cooker to get a big batch of snack mix ready for celebrations.

When I started making snack mix in the slow cooker, I made a few changes to the recipe as well. In this version, expect extra-bold flavor. We’re upping the butter and the spices to make not only the smartest, most hands-off recipe for making a snack mix for a crowd, but also the tastiest.

One of the best reasons to make snack mix in the slow cooker is that it frees up oven space, which is particularly handy when you are preparing for a party with cake baking or wing roasting. Even with the shorter cook time, preparing snack mix in the slow cooker means you can leave it unattended without it going soggy on you or burning. And while the microwave might be faster, larger batches will take multiple turns in the microwave before they are done.

Bold Chex Mix from the vending machine was my go-to snack in high school, and it wasn’t until recently that I tried the classic recipe from the cereal box. This recipe takes the basic back-of-box recipe and gives it a flavorful boost. There’s more butter, which (aside from helping the flavor) helps the seasoning cling to all the bit and pieces.

Now that I’m a convert to the freshly made stuff, I see the ingredient list as a guideline that is infinitely versatile. As long as you keep the proportion of “nuts and bolts” — the add-is like crackers and nuts — to seasoning the same, you can substitute in any cereals, crackers, sauces, and spices you have on hand.

In this version we used square cheddar crackers, but I almost always have cheddar cheese fish crackers on hand too. Oyster crackers, mini saltines, or even mini breadsticks are all welcome here too.

For a sweet snack mix base, omit the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Replace them with 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, 1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Avoid a soggy snack mix: Use an oval slow cooker for more surface area in heating the party mix. Place a double layer of paper towels under the lid to catch any condensation that gathers and keep it from dripping down onto the party mix.

Don’t overcook it: The mix will look dry, not greasy or wet, when it is ready. Keep an eye on the pretzels and the Wheat Chex — these are the first to show signs of burning if you are close to overcooking the mix.

Add fragile mix-ins at the end: Cheeseballs are one of my favorite upgrades to classic party mix, but they get squished and overcooked in the slow cooker. Add these when the snack mix is done and cooling.