I don’t know about you, but I LOVE to cook! In addition to preparing dinner each night, I enjoy making snacks and treats for my family. I have a handful of tasty snacks for you today all using Chex cereal. These are all great things to have out when you have company over as well! If you put out a bowl of tasty Chex mix, your guests will instantly feel more at home. Food is an element that somehow brings people together and enhances conversation. Why do you think people congregate in kitchens? Simply put out a bowl of any one of these cereal snacks, and watch your guests/kids/family come running!

People Chow/Muddy Buddies:

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite munchies. The only problem with this snack is how quickly it disappears! I especially like to make this treat in the fall and around the holidays. This is also a fun one to make with your kids!

Ingredients:

9 cups chex cereal (I use rice) , 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup butter, 1 t vanilla, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Measure out 9 cups of Chex cereal into a large bowl (I use one with a lid!)

Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter (I don’t measure..I just throw in a few good sized spoonfuls), and butter in the microwave for about one minute. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, or until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Pour the chocolate mix over the cereal, and stir until the cereal is well-coated. Pour in the powdered sugar. Place the lid on your bowl and seal tightly! Shake the mixture until the cereal is well coated with the sugar. (If you don’t have a large bowl with a lid, you can do this in a large ziploc bag.) Check to see if you have enough powdered sugar to coat all of the cereal. On occasion, I will need to add more.  The recipe says to spread it out on a cookie sheet for it to cool, but that is a step I find unnecessary (and who has time?!) Plus, you won’t want to wait to try this one!  Kids love to help shake the bowl, and love to help eat it up too!

Snack Mix Squares:

I like this treat as a fun after-school snack that is different than a traditional cereal bar. My kids both love this one. This is also a great treat to pack in a child’s school lunch.

Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups halved pretzel sticks, 2 cups Chex cereal, 1 1/2 cups M&M’s, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup butter, 5 cups mini marshmallows

In a large bowl, combine the pretzels, cereal, and M&M’s. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter. Stir in the marshmallows, and cook until they are melted and the mixture is smooth. (When I’ve made this in the past, I’ve thought a few times that this could use a bit more marshmallow.)

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal mixture and stir to coat. Press into a greased 13×9 pan and allow to cool.

Your kids will like this fun new treat. I liked this one because it combined a handful of things my children really enjoy. (*I would like to cite that I got this recipe from Taste of Home.)

Cinnamon Apple Chex Mix:

This one sounds delicious, and I can already smell it! I found this recipe on the Chex website, and thought it sounded like the perfect fall treat.

Ingredients: 5 cups Chex cereal, 1 cup whole, lightly salted almonds (which I personally would leave out), 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 2 T corn syrup, 1 t cinnamon, 1 cup chopped dried apples, 1/2 cup yogurt covered raisins (I think craisins would be good as well.)

Mix together cereal and almonds.

Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and cinnamon together in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Mixture will boil. Stir well. Pour over the cereal mixture until well-coated.

Microwave mixture on high 3 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after each minute. Stir in apples, and microwave for another 2 minutes, or until apples are just beginning to brown around the edges.

Spread on cookie sheet covered in wax paper to cool. Return to serving bowl and stir in raisins. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix:

Okay folks, here is a savory mix for you non-sweet-tooths. This recipe also came from the Chex website.

Ingredients: 9 cups Chex cereal (You can mix and match with any of these recipes), 2 cups pretzels, 2 cups cheese crackers, 3 T butter, 1 package Ranch dressing mix (dry), 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Mix together cereal, crackers, and pretzels.

In another bowl microwave the butter until melted. Pour over the cereal mixture until well-coated. Stir in the Ranch dressing mix and parmesan cheese. Microwave the mixture for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

How easy does that one sound? What child wouldn’t love to get a baggie full of that tasty mix rather than another bag of plain pretzels?

If you would like to check out one of the other recipes Chex has up on their website (and there are a TON), head to Chex Recipes. Happy snacking!