Gluten-Free Chex® Mix Recipe

This DIY gluten-free Chex® mix recipe has an Asian inspired flavor coating to make it sweet and salty. Make a big batch and serve at a party or bag it up for a perfect grab and go gluten-free snack.

Be sure to check out my full collection of gluten-free snacks including my whole fruit ice pops, grain-free energy bites and 4 ingredient guacamole recipe.

Is Chex Mix Gluten-Free?

The store-bought Chex® mix, sadly, is not gluten-free. Although several of the Chex® cereal flavors are gluten-free, the prepared mix contains wheat Chex® and other ingredients I am not so happy with. Making a homemade gluten-free mix is super simple and so worth it!

Ingredients

Different textures of crunchy ingredients are what make Chex® mix such a satisfying snack. Add a sweet and savory flavor coating and you’ll be hooked.

Chex® Cereal– I am so thankful that corn and rice Chex® are both gluten-free and easily found at any grocery store. Either one will work in this recipe or use a combination of both. The chocolate, cinnamon, blueberry, vanilla, apple cinnamon and peanut butter flavors are also gluten-free. These will make it slightly more sweet, but will all work with the flavor of the coating.

Pretzels – Mini pretzel twists are my favorite shape for this snack. They hold up a little better than the sticks. Glutino and Snyder’s gluten-free pretzels are both excellent choices.

Bagel chips or Gluten-free Crackers – The only brand of bagel chips I can easily find are Glutino. If you can’t find them, any sturdy gluten-free cracker will work. Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers or pita crackers are a good option because they will hold up in the process.

Mixed nuts, toasted almonds or cashews are a yummy addition. Using toasted unsalted nuts works better. The liquid coating will absorb better and the nuts will end up more crunchy once baked. To toast raw nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium high flame and heat, tossing, for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan immediately.

Asian Flavored Coating

This coating has a nice salty/sweet flavor. The pretzels and crackers are already salty and the Chex are just mildly sweet, so it’s important to add a little sweet to create balance.

A sure way to create an Asian flavor is to use toasted sesame oil. The toasting is what gives the oil amazing flavor and aroma (non-toasted sesame oil has no flavor). It can usually be found in the Asian foods section of grocery stores. Trader Joe’s carries it.

Coconut Aminos is a more mild and less salty version of soy sauce/tamari. I find soy sauce to be much too overpowering and way to salty – even the lower sodium ones. Coconut aminos are sweeter and give a more gently fermented flavor to this recipe. Find it in the Asian section of grocery stores. If you can’t find it, use gluten-free soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos and omit the salt called for in the recipe.

Unsalted Butter – because butter makes everything taste better. If you’re dairy-free or vegan, use a vegan butter substitute like Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. These vegan subs can be salty so omit the extra salt called for in the recipe.

Coconut palm sugar is a yummy substitute for white sugar and has a caramel-like flavor. It is much less processed and it is my sugar of choice for this recipe. Coconut sugar is from the nectar of the coconut palm tree flower, so it does not have coconut flavor. Brown sugar (light or dark) can be used too.