Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix For a Crowd

If you love easy recipes that come together quickly with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, then you will love this snack mix. It’s a fantastic mix of sweet + salty + a little bit of spice that will keep you coming back for “just one more bite”!

This Sweet and Spicy Chex Mix is a Winner!

For my sweet and salty snack-loving friends, this easy homemade Chex Mix is about to become your new obsession.

It’s the perfect balance of crunchy cereal, toasty nuts, crispy chips, and a bold glaze that starts off sweet and ends with a little kick (not too much though — don’t worry!)

Whether you’re prepping snacks for game day, gifting homemade treats, or trying to feed a group of hungry kids after school, this snack mix hits every craving in one handful!

Ingredients for Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix

• 5 c. tortilla chips (crushed up a bit)
• 5 c. Rice Chex cereal
• 1 bag (3.5 oz.) popped popcorn (neutral flavor is best)
• 1 can (16 oz.) mixed nuts
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. honey or corn syrup
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 Tbl. Chili powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Ingredient Substitutions

This snack mix recipe is extremely versatile — so feel free to use whatever you have in the house that sounds like it would taste good in this mix.

Some ideas are:

• Doritos or corn chips work well in place of tortilla chips.
• Small pretzels are a great addition too.
• Any type of Chex cereal works (corn, wheat, rice, etc. or even Crispix).
• Feel free to try a flavored popcorn (or kettle corn or caramel corn).
• And any type of nut mixture works (I’ve used plain peanuts or gotten fancier).
• Substitute coconut oil for the butter if you prefer.
• If you’re trying to cut back on sugar, feel free to substitute your sweetener of choice.
• The Chili powder doesn’t add too much spice (in my opinion), but if you’re worried about the spice, simply omit the cayenne pepper.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Snack Mix

1. Preheat oven to 250ºF.

2. Spray a large roasting pan or XL sheet pan with cooking spray.

3. Dump the crushed chips, cereal, popcorn, and nuts into the roaster. Set aside.

4. In a 4 qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

5. Add honey, brown sugar, Chili powder, cinnamon, and Cayenne, and stir until bubbly and completely liquified.

9. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature (you can also freeze it in zip-top bags for longer storage).

Eat and enjoy!

How to Freeze this Snack Mix

Yes, you can easily make a double or triple batch of this yummy snack mix and freeze a bunch for later (either for gifts or for yourself).

Simply dump some of the baked and cooled snack mix into zip-top bags or tightly-sealing food storage containers and pop it in the freezer.

The most important thing is to make sure the snack mix is 100% completely cool to room temperature before you freeze it, otherwise, it will steam up the bag/container and get soggy.

Doesn’t it look yummy?

Well, it tastes even better!

Ideas for Gift-Giving

This snack mix makes a fantastic food gift for teachers, coaches, instructors, bus drivers, group leaders, or anyone you’d like to treat.

I scoop it into these cone-shaped bags and often tie some candy or chocolate along with a little note. This food gift is always well-received!

The next time you need to bring a snacky food to a gathering, give this sweet and spicy snack mix a try.

My only suggestion is to bring several printed recipe cards, as you’ll be asked for the recipe all night long!

What are your favorite snack mixes?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family-friendly recipes!