Olive Oil Chex Mix with 7 Spice

5 from 3 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Here’s an even more delicious and actually healthier take on our beloved crunchers: Olive Oil Chex Mix with 7 Spice seasoning (try mine here!). The mix is made “ours” with pistachios instead of peanuts and olive oil instead of butter. MUST try!

Chex mix with olive oil, pretzels and nuts
Want to save this recipe?
Type your email below and I’ll send it to you! As a bonus, you’ll receive recipes, shop specials, and more.

We always joked about my dad’s snacking rituals. He would say, “let’s have some crunchers and fizz!” That meant any nutty crunchy bowl of small pieces he could scoop up and eat a big bite of. Fizz meant pop, as we call it here in the midwest, or soda or really even a glass of water. Like Coke in the south, his “fizz” was a generic term for anything thirst-quenching to wash down his crunchers.

We were forever trying to find healthier crunchers for Dad, then as time passed, for all of us. Nuts, great. But then more flavors, more crunching opportunities would make that bowl of treat even better.

Chex mix was not something we ate a lot of, or really ANY of in those days. But now it’s so everywhere and so satisfying that I’ve taken to making my own version. This blend of the flavors we love and the crunch that gets us through at least the beginning of a movie night is the perfect bowlful. Here’s how to do it.

Chex mix ingredients in a bowl

Pick your Crunch.

Most Chex Mix blends have a couple of Chex variations: rice Chex, wheat Chex, corn Chex. Any and all are so good and at least one of these should be in the Chex mix. Because Chex.

Pretzels are a happy key to salted crunchy joy here. Use little sticks or little twists. Any work as long as they’re bite-size.

Nuts, also key. Also optional if you’re in a nut-free zone. To make my Chex mix taste like our own, I use pistachios, shelled. They’re fabulously savory delicious and add an inch of nutrition to the bowl.

Chex mix with jar of 7 Spice
Bowl of olive oil with 7 spice seasoning for chex mix

Season with a motherlode of flavor.

Most Chex mix recipes call for a hefty amount of seasoning, mainly because most recipes are for many cups of mix. It’s remarkable just how much Chex mix can go down the hatchet of just one eater. So more is more.

I am LOVING (LOVING!) using 7 Spice to season my Chex mix. The flavor is off the charts without overwhelming any mouth. Use a prepared 7 Spice (here’s mine!) or baharat blend. Homemade is also of course great, you just need lots of spices and a blend that balances them all. Mainly: cumin, paprika, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, and cardamom. Plus salt.

Use Olive Oil instead of butter.

This is such a natural switch-out that I’m surprised EVOO hasn’t replaced butter in any and all Chex mixes. The flavor is actually not all that prevalent given the punch of flavor we get from the 7 Spice. But even with typical Chex mix seasoning (Worcestershire sauce, season salt), olive oil instead of butter is a no-brainer great move. I do the same with my Stovetop Popcorn.

Chex mix on a sheet pan before baking with olive oil

Be sure to BAKE!

Think of Chex mix as a toasted treat. Once the mix is blended very well with the olive oil seasoning, toss on a coated or foil-lined sheet pan and bake for a good hour at 250 degrees F. The scent will excite your world and the results, as with anything toasted, are heaven.

Chex mix with olive oil, pretzels and nuts
Tap the stars to rate this recipe!
5 from 3 votes

Olive Oil Chex Mix with 7 Spice

Here's an even more delicious and actually healthier take on our beloved Chex Mix: Olive Oil Chex Mix with 7 Spice seasoning. The mix is made "ours" with pistachios instead of peanuts and olive oil instead of butter. Feel free to explore and use any kind of Chex cereal combos and nuts you like. The recipe makes a lot because this goes down fast and easy!
Servings: 4 quarts mix

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups Rice Chex
  • 4 cups Wheat Chex
  • 1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios
  • 4 cups mini pretzels
  • 3 teaspoons 7 Spice or your own blend of cumin, paprika, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, and cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Save This Recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, and as a bonus, you’ll receive recipes, shop specials, and more.

Instructions 

  • Place two racks a few inches apart in the oven. Preheat the oven to 250ยฐF. Line two sheet pans with foil or coat with nonstick spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine the Chex cereals, pistachio nuts, and pretzels.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the 7 Spice, salt, and olive oil to combine. Pour over the mixed cereal/nuts/pretzels and stir with a large spoon to coat well.
  • Spread the mix evenly on two sheet pans. Bake for about one hour, turning the sheet pans halfway through baking for evenness.
  • Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for one week.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Maureen Abood
Servings: 4 quarts mix
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
(Visited 6,137 times, 1 visits today)

You May Also Like...


5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

10 Comments

  1. Meredith Bartek says:

    This is a great variation on a party food favorite! I especially like it because itโ€™s easily made gluten free by your choice of cereals and pretzels and is vegan since it uses olive oil. Nice offering at a party when you donโ€™t know what dietary restrictions your guests might have.

  2. Sandy Bessette says:

    What is the amount of each ingredients to make 7 spice

    1. Maureen Abood says:

      Good question Sandy, I have not published a recipe for 7 spice but will put that on my roster!

      1. Meredith Bartek says:

        I followed Maureenโ€™s recipe but skipped wheat Chex and used gluten free pretzels and tamari sauce. The pistachios were a great touch; it was delicious !

        1. Maureen Abood says:

          Great ideas Meredith! Thank you!

  3. Meredith says:

    Wow Maureen! This is genius and I canโ€™t wait to try it. I recently made a batch of Chex mix and forgot how totally addictive it is. I have celiac so I omitted the wheat Chex, used tamari instead of Worcestershire sauce, and gluten free pretzels. Your suggestion to use olive oil instead of butter will accommodate my vegan friends and does seem lighter and healthier. And of course I love seven spice so this sounds like a game changer. Thanks so much!

    1. Maureen Abood says:

      I love how easy this translates to gluten-free and nut-free. Thank you Meredith! Love to hear how you like it!

    2. Melinda Bell says:

      Meredith, were did you find your recipe?

  4. Edie Daoud says:

    What do you think of a chex mix with zatar?

    1. Maureen Abood says:

      I think DELICIOUS!!!!! YES!!