The Only Seasoning You Should Use To Make The Ultimate Batch Of Chex Mix

Those whose childhood fell sometime between the 1960s and 1990s likely recall the savory scent of a Chex cereal-based savory snack mix baking in the oven and looked forward to crunching on handfuls of toasted cereal, bagel chips, pretzel sticks, and nuts coated in a buttery glaze of garlic powder, onion powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Originally invented to market the different types of Chex, this toasted snack mix quickly became a household favorite, with General Mills eventually creating and marketing a tasty prepackaged mix you can still purchase today.

Of course, the bagged product isn't exactly the same as making it yourself — primarily because you don't get to enjoy the warm, fresh-from-the-oven crunch. Nearly as important, making your own snack mix means you can add unique ingredients, easily customize the recipe to meet dietary needs, or update the flavor to match your mood. If you're not sure where to start, ranch seasoning offers a balance of savory, tangy flavor that upgrades your snack mix without much risk. After all, who doesn't love ranch? 

Far from being limited to salad dressing in this day and age, ranch is one of those flavors that has become so popular it's practically a default. We're using store-bought ranch seasoning to level up burgers, dusting our chips with it, and even adding it to marinades. Stirring it into your snack mix is not only on trend, it's a great way to enhance this nostalgic treat.

While some believe there's no such thing as too much ranch, this snack mix may be an exception. You only need a small sprinkle of dry ranch seasoning to elevate this recipe with intense herby, tangy flavor — about 2 tablespoons, or a bit less than one packet, for about 4 to 5 cups of mix. Any more than that, and the ranch flavor may overwhelm the other seasonings in the recipe, with the mix forming unpleasant clumps on the crunchy ingredients. In fact, recipes calling for two packets of ranch seasoning often produce more than twice that amount. So, you'll want to use a fairly gentle hand and taste your mix as you go to make sure the nuances of ingredients like Cheez-Its, roasted peanuts, and different kinds of Chex cereal all still come through.

You can also get creative with the ingredients you use to improve your store-bought ranch packets. Since the seasoning blend already contains things like garlic and onion powder, dried dill, and salt, you'll want to incorporate additions that complement these flavors without overpowering them — like Parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, or hot sauce. Use cereal and snack items that pair well with the tangy, allium-forward flavor; white cheddar Cheez-Its are milder and feel fancier than original, honey roasted peanuts add a touch of sweetness, and oyster crackers bring crunch and a subtle earthiness to the mix.