Old Bay Snack Mix
This Old Bay Snack Mix is one of our favorites, combining Corn Chex cereal, oyster crackers, pretzels, cheddar crackers, and garlic rye chips with a buttery Old Bay seasoning that’s full of bold, savory flavor. Watching football, taking a road trip, or putting together snacks for the holidays, there’s almost always a bowl of homemade snack mix nearby.
It’s simple to make, stays crunchy for days, and somehow always disappears faster than expected.
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Why You’ll Love This
Old Bay seasoning isn’t just for seafood. It adds plenty of bold flavor to this easy homemade snack mix made with Corn Chex cereal, oyster crackers, pretzels, cheddar crackers, and garlic rye chips. A little butter and Worcestershire sauce help coat every piece with seasoning, creating a crunchy snack that’s perfect for parties, road trips, or everyday munching.
- Made with easy pantry ingredients.
- Loaded with crunchy textures.
- Bold Old Bay flavor without being overpowering.
- Perfect for parties, holidays, movie nights, and game day.
- Great for making ahead.
Some of our other favorite snacks to make are Cheddar Cheese and Herb Straws, Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites, Oyster Cracker Churro Snack Mix, Cheesy Ranch Ritz Bits Crackers, and Firecracker Cheez-Itz.
Ingredients Needed
- Corn Chex cereal – The light, crispy base that soaks up the seasoned butter.
- Oyster crackers – Small, crunchy bites that hold plenty of seasoning.
- Itty Bitty pretzels – Add salty crunch throughout the mix.
- Cheddar cheese snack crackers – Bring cheesy flavor to every handful.
- Garlic rye chips – Extra crunch with delicious garlic flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Helps the seasoning coat every piece evenly.
- Old Bay seasoning – The star of the recipe with its signature blend of herbs and spices.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds savory depth and umami.
- Garlic powder – Boosts the garlic flavor.
- Onion powder – Rounds out the seasoning blend.
Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to Make Old Bay Snack Mix
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a large roasting pan, combine the Corn Chex, oyster crackers, pretzels, cheddar crackers, and garlic rye chips.
Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Step 3: Pour the seasoned butter over the snack mix while gently stirring until everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture into an even layer.
Step 4: Bake for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Tips
- Stir gently so the cereal doesn’t break apart.
- Be sure to stir every 15 minutes while baking.
- Let the mix cool completely before storing to keep it crisp.
- A large roasting pan works best so everything has room to toast evenly. I use my lasagna pan.
- If your roasting pan isn’t large enough, divide the mixture between two sheet pans.
- Storing – Store the cooled snack mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing – I don’t recommend freezing this Old Bay Chex Mix. Refrigerating or freezing can introduce moisture that causes the snack mix to lose its crunch.
Variations
- Add Some Heat – Mix in ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce with the butter mixture.
- Add Nuts – Pecans, peanuts, almonds, mixed nuts, or cashews are excellent additions.
- Seafood-Style – Increase the Old Bay slightly and add Goldfish crackers for another layer of flavor.
- Sweet & Savory – Add honey-roasted peanuts or a handful of sesame sticks after baking.
FAQs
Absolutely. In fact, it’s even better the next day after the flavors have settled into the mix.
Yes. Rice Chex and Wheat Chex both work well, or use a combination of all three. You can also mix and match different types of crunchy snacks you love. Just keep the add-ins to 10-12 cups total for the best distribution of the seasoning mix.
Old Bay has a little kick but isn’t particularly spicy. It can be particularly salty, so don’t be tempted to add seasoning salt. But if you enjoy more heat, add cayenne or your favorite hot sauce.
Yes. You’ll lose a savory depth, but the snack mix will still be delicious.
More Snack Mix Recipes
Old Bay Snack Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
- 2 cups Oyster crackers
- 2 cups Itty Bitty pretzels
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese snack crackers
- 2 cups Garlic Rye chips
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- In a large roasting pan, combine the Corn Chex, oyster crackers, pretzels, cheddar crackers, and garlic rye chips.2 cups Corn Chex cereal, 2 cups Oyster crackers, 2 cups Itty Bitty pretzels, 2 cups Cheddar cheese snack crackers, 2 cups Garlic Rye chips
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.1/2 cup Unsalted butter, 2 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Garlic powder, 1/2 tsp Onion powder
- Pour the seasoned butter over the snack mix while gently stirring until everything is evenly coated. Spread the mixture into an even layer.
- Bake for 1 hour, stirring gently every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Add nuts for even more crunch.
- Divide between two baking pans if your roasting pan is overcrowded.
- For the best flavor, use fresh Old Bay seasoning. Older seasoning loses some of its signature aroma and spice.