My husbands take on a classic, enhanced with the magic of Chinese five-spice.
When my husband got what he calls a “wild-hair-up-the-ass” to start adding Chinese five-spice powder to Chex mix, I didn’t question it. I just enjoyed the bold, crunchy snack he was now making on the regular. And, of course, I also asked for the recipe.
The reason it works so well is because five-spice hits all the taste bud, and also captures the cornerstone flavors of Chinese cuisine, providing a uniquely pungent and complex flavor profile. While you could make you own with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, fennel, and Szechuan peppercorns, it requires a fair bit of toasting and grinding, so don’t shy away from a pre-made blend (I certainly don’t).
But, before that even comes in, my husband roasts his choice mix of cereal, pretzels, and nuts in a coating of sesame oil, aromatics, Worschetshire, and even optional MSG, to complement the flavors in five-spice. The five-spice isn’t actually added until the end, once the mix is done roasting, to preserve its bold yet nuanced flavors.
I’ve been snacking on this mix regularly for a while now and I can confidently tell you that it hits the spot any time of day. Whether as an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea, an evening TV snack with a beer, or even a party appetizer with a cocktail, I try to serve myself a reasonable portion otherwise I will finish the entire batch. Believe that.
More like this five-spice Chex mix:
If you like making Chex mix, you might also enjoy popping yourself a fresh and flavorful batch of homemade popcorn. Check out my Curry-Butter Popcorn, Chorizo Popcorn, and Honey-Everything Popcorn, which are all made on the stovetop. For everything from dips to popsicles to brownies, check out my entire collection of snack recipes.
Five-Spice Chex Mix
Equipment
- 1 small bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 rubber spatula
- 2 half sheet pans 13×18 inch
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Worschetshire sauce
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- ½ tbsp cumin
- ½ tbsp salt
- ½ tbsp pepper
- ½ tsp MSG optional
- 3 cups wheat Chex cereal
- 3 cups Crispix cereal or sub 1½ cups each of rice and corn Chex
- 2 cups bite sized pretzels
- 1½ cups raw almonds
- 2 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°
- In a small bowl whisk together sesame oil, Worschetshire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and MSG.
- In a large bowl combine Chex, Crispix, pretzels, and almonds. Drizzle oil/seasoning mix over the dry ingredients and gently fold to combine with a rubber spatula, until evenly distributed.
- Spread mixture onto 2 large sheet pans. Reserve the large mixing bowl for a final seasoning.
- Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the trays and stirring the mixture halfway through.
- When done baking return Chex mix to bowl, sprinkle over five-spice and fold it in with spatula. Allow to cool on the sheet pan, or spread out on paper towel for quicker cooling, before packaging or serving.
