This crunchy baked vegan chex mix will be the hit of the party! It’s ridiculously easy to throw together with easy-to-find ingredients, and bursting with cheesy/umami flavour. Keeps for weeks, so it’s a great, affordable homemade gift idea and no one will know it’s vegan.
Growing up, we had plenty of special occasion foods like the pao doce (sweet bread) my Portuguese grandmother would make every Easter and Christmas but it wasn’t until I met my mother-in-law that I saw just how DEEP people go with their holiday treat traditions.
Like the perfect buttery shortbread cookie or cranberry sauce. An epic peppermint bark…or the monster cookies that maybe you’ll find in my next cookbook (!!)…and the party mix that in the Nielsen family, we call nuts + bolts but you probably call chex mix.
Thanks to my sweet mother-in-law, it’s not the holidays unless I have these treats so I’ve been wanting to put my own spin on her chex mix snack for a while now. NOT because hers isn’t already incredible – but because it’s not vegan and veganizing it means buying a hard-to-find bottle of vegan worcestershire sauce that inevitably will not be used (and will go bad) before I need it again next December.
So I wanted to create a crunchy vegan chex mix that was bursting with umami flavours without the usual worcestershire sauce or having to track down a vegan cheesy cracker (because my local grocer doesn’t carry any!).
What’s makes this recipe unique is that the flavour comes from a generous amount of seasonings like nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder and soy sauce – all plant-based umami boosters – so it’s going to be delicious whether you choose to make it with vegan butter or olive oil or avocado oil. And it’s really easy to make a gluten free version so more people can eat it.
Nutritional yeast is one of my favourite vegan staples for a couple of reasons: the first is that it adds a rich, cheesy flavour to just about any plant-based recipe, and the second is that it is packed with B vitamins and even a bit of protein so it’s a sneaky source of nutrition.
Let’s be honest: I’m eating this snack mix for the love and not the nutrition. But my dietitian heart loves that you’re also going to get a bit of plant-based protein, fibre and vitamin B12 from a deeply satisfying treat… so why not eat it all year round?
How to make this baked vegan chex mix, step by step
I love a low effort, high reward recipe for hosting and this is it: all you need to do is mix the cereals and nuts with the seasonings and then just let it bake, so it’s easy to make with your kids and a great option for homemade gifts, in a cute tin or reusable glass jar.
Step One: Gather your ingredients: Chex-style cereal (I love Shreddies here in Canada!), O’s cereal, pretzels (Glutino is great if you need gluten free) and your favourite nut or seed. I’ve used peanuts, pecans, cashews and pumpkin seeds and all are great! Then raid your pantry for the nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, hot sauce (I use Franks), soy sauce and then choose oil or vegan butter.
Step Two: Add all of the cereals and nuts to a large, parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. You could also add them to a large bowl for easier mixing but I love having one less bowl to clean. I hate dishes!
Step Three: Stir the dry seasonings together in a small bowl and shake evenly over the cereal mix. Mix the hot sauce and soy sauce into the melted vegan butter or oil and drizzle over the cereal mix then toss thoroughly to combine.
Step Four: Bake at 300F (150C) for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so it bakes evenly. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack and let cool fully, then transfer to airtight containers and store for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
More yummy vegan party snacks
- Spicy Sriracha-roasted Pepitas
- Vegan Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Za’atar-spiced Roasted Almonds with Dates
- Sweet and Savoury Za’atar-spiced Chèvre-style Dip
- Gorgeous Vegan Beet Dip with Hemp Hearts
Baked Vegan Chex Mix Snack with Nutritional Yeast
Ingredients
Chex Mix
- 4 cups Chex-style cereal I use Shreddies (Canadian!)
- 3 cups pretzels Glutino’s makes a great gluten free option if needed
- 2 cups O’s-style cereal
- 1 cup your favourite nut or seed peanuts, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds
Seasonings
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup melted vegan butter or choose avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce I like Frank’s here
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300℉ (150℃) and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
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In a large bowl – or right on the baking sheet – combine the chex, o’s, pretzels and nuts.
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Stir the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the cereal mix. I don’t typically add salt but if you really want a flavour bomb, you could add in ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) salt too.
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Stir the soy sauce and hot sauce into the melted butter and drizzle evenly over the cereal mix. Stir the mix well with a spoon to ensure there is almost no dry seasoning left on the baking sheet. Takes a minute or two.
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Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so it bakes evenly. It’s done when it looks mostly dry. I find 45 min is typically enough but if you decide to add extra butter to make it richer, you might need up to 60 min.
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Remove the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying. If storing, you want it to cool completely then place in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
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