Spicy Snack Mix with a Kick

The zesty snack that bites you back.

My Spicy Snack Mix with a Kick is the perfect blend of savory, crunchy, and spicy. The kick is a 1-2-3 punch that comes from the cayenne and hot sauce, as well as the buffalo-style pretzel pieces.

I was hoping to capture some of the wholesomeness of a cereal-based snack mix with the POW! of hot sauce and cayenne. Mission accomplished. It disappeared quickly with a group of friends, who all seemed to have a different ‘favorite piece’ in the bowl. Puffed wheat never tasted so awesome.

Recipe Notes for Spicy Snack Mix

You can make this the old-fashioned way, slow baking it for an hour in the oven, while the aroma fills your kitchen — and potentially makes your eyes water if you’re heavy handed with your hot sauce 🙂 Or, you can throw tradition on its rear end, and do it all in the microwave in just about 20 minutes. Either works well.

Any combination of cereal works here. I only recommend you use plain (not sweetened) cereals that will stand up to some stirring. No Honey Cheerios. No flakes. Ya got me? If you want to know exactly what cereals I used, here ya go:

• Corn chex
• Rice Chex
• Crispix
• puffed wheat
• Cheerios

Now get to it. There’s still time before the Big Game tonight!

Spicy Snack Mix with a Kick
Makes a lot

Prep time: 15 minutes     Cook time: 1 hour

8 cups cereal (like Chex cereals, Cheerios, puffed wheat)
2 cups buffalo-style pretzel pieces (like Snyder’s of Hanover)
1 cup Cheezits
1 cup mixed nuts
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (if using the traditional oven-baking method).

In a small microwavable bowl, add the butter, celery salt, garlic salt, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, until butter is melted. Stir well and set aside.

In a large bowl (microwave-safe, if necessary) combine the cereals, pretzels, Cheezits, and nuts.  Stir the butter mixture again, then drizzle over the cereal mixture evenly. Gently fold the ingredients with a spatula to make sure all pieces are coated with the butter mixture.

Oven method: Spread the cereal mixture out on a cookie sheet with sides, or in a large roasting pan. Bake for 1 hour, stirring once. Remove from oven and cool in pan before storing in an airtight container.

Microwave method: Put the mixing bowl in the microwave, and cook on High for 5 minutes. Stop every minute or so and stir gently. Remove from microwave, and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.