Chex Mix (stylized as Chex mix) is a type of

snack mix Snack mix is a subset of snack foods consisting of multiple snack items. Popular snack mixes are as follows: * Bridge mix – Nuts, raisins (or other dried fruit), and candy, all covered in chocolate. *Chex Mix – Rice, corn and/or wheat Chex, ...

that includes

Chex Chex is an American brand of breakfast cereal currently manufactured by General Mills. It was originally produced and owned by Ralston Purina of St. Louis, Missouri, using the name Chex starting in 1950. The Chex brand went with corporate s ...

breakfast cereal (sold by

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...

) as a major component. There are many recipes (often printed on Chex cereal boxes) for homemade Chex Mix, also known as Chex Party Mix, which predates the commercial version by thirty-odd years. Though contents vary, the mixes generally include an assortment of Chex cereals, chips, hard breadsticks, pretzels, nuts or bagel bites. There are also commercially sold pre-made varieties of Chex Mix sold by the maker of Chex Cereals.

History of Chex Party Mix

Wheat Chex cereal was introduced in 1937 and Rice Chex in 1950 by

Ralston Purina Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,–based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestlé's Fr ...

. In 1952 an advertisement for Chex party mix appeared in Life Magazine with a recipe that included Wheat and Rice Chex. In 1958 Corn Chex was introduced and added to the recipe. However, it was not until 1985 that pre-packaged products were introduced commercially by Ralston Purina and the trademarks registered to it.

"Original Chex Party Mix"

This refers to the official recipe on the box of chex cereal. The recipe for the "Original chex party mix" has changed multiple times over the years. There are recipes from 1960s, 1970s and 1980's that differ from the current "Original Chex Party Mix"

Advertising

In the late 1980s and early 1990s,

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip '' Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American a ...

and the "

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...

" gang were used in animated TV commercials to promote Chex Party mix. In August 1996, General Mills acquired the Chex product line from Ralston Purina along with other brands.

Homemade Chex Mix

There are a number of recipes for homemade Chex mix including recipes on the Chex cereal boxes.

Commercial contents and varieties

All commercial Chex Mixes contain some form of Chex cereal. Other ingredients generally include rye chips, bagel chips, breadsticks, pretzels, nuts, and crackers. In total, General Mills produces 13 varieties of Chex Mixes, not including limited editions.Chex Mix® - Products - Celebrate Your Right to Snack!
These flavors can be broadly divided into three categories: salty, chocolate (usually marketed as "Muddy Buddies"), and sweet 'n salty. Sometimes, limited edition varieties of Chex Mix are released. Past examples of these include Winter Chex Mix Cocoa and Summer Chex Mix Ranch. In 2009, two new flavors, Spicy Szechuan, and Teriyaki were introduced and made available exclusively at convenience stores.

Savory

* Traditional * Cheddar * Buffalo Ranch * Spicy Dill * Bold Party Blend * Sour Cream & Onion * Peanut Lover's * Hot 'n Spicy * Jalapeño Cheddar * Chipotle Cheddar * Soul Food * Italian Herb & Parmesan * Cherry & Crunchy Nuts * Extreme Sweet and Spicy Sriracha * Extreme Habanero * Ghost Pepper * Honey BBQ * Strawberry and Cranberry Walnut * Sauerkraut * Nacho Fiesta (discontinued)

Sweet 'n salty

* Caramel Crunch * Honey Nut * Trail Mix * Malted Mix

Sweet

* Turtle Shell * Dark Chocolate * Peanut Butter Chocolate * Brownie Supreme * Snicker doodle * Cookies & Cream * Fruity Pebbles

References

External links

Chex Homepage

Original Chex party mix recipe from Life magazine, June 1952.
{{General Mills Brand name snack foods General Mills brands Chex Products introduced in 1985