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Game-day snacking is made better with this Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix. Kind of like a Chex Mix…but with a whole new flavor. Made with pretzels, cheese crackers (Cheez-Its and Goldfish too) plus a mix of homemade everything bagel spice AND homemade ranch seasoning. This mix is oh so GOOD! Each bite of this mix is perfectly seasoned, buttery, crunchy, and cheesy. It’s seriously better than the original…and I’m warning you now, highly addicting.
First, things first, happy first official day of autumn!! I know I’ve been talking all things fall for at least the past week, but now that’s it official, I’m ready to share all the fall recipes I can think up. Let’s just say the pumpkin recipes are coming soon…
And if you’re looking to satisfy your pumpkin fix now…I’m suggesting this cream cheese swirled pumpkin bread, these pumpkin coffee cake muffins. If you’re looking for something more savory, try these pumpkin and pesto cheese stuffed shells. Yes, I love a good pumpkin recipe…and I LOVE fall. Sorry, I’m beyond cheesy and just way too excited.
Anyway, on to today’s recipe. It’s not pumpkin, but it sure is fun and delicious.
I’m switching it up today and sharing a snack/appetizer/highly addicting crunchy cracker mix that you will not be able to stop eating. That’s overly dramatic, but also 100% the truth. This salty, cheesy mix is good. Oh so good.
OK, taking it back down a notch. In all seriousness, this is such a different kind of recipe for me, but also one of my favorites. It’s not classy, and nowhere near sophisticated. Instead, it’s just fun finger food that everyone will enjoy. I believe I’ve had this snack mix idea on my running list of recipes since early summer. But I knew this recipe needed to be saved for the fall, once both football and school had started back-up.
To me, this mix just screams Sunday game day eats, or happy after school snacking. It’s fun, it’s so easy, and trust me, everyone will be asking for another batch.
The details.
As you might guess this is pretty easy.
Let’s talk about the crackers. I’m using a mix of pretzels, Cheez-Its, and Goldfish. Now, I will not lie, I don’t tend to use things like store-bought cheese crackers in recipes. But sometimes they have their time and place. My advice…live a little…and then maybe eat a salad with dinner.
I also tossed in some Chex cereal, but not too much since I really wanted the pretzels and crackers to shine.
So that’s the base.
Now, that seasoning…
Which is the heart of the recipe and really what inspired me to create this snack mix.
I love everything bagel spice and I love ranch dressing. The sound of the two together has always been a combination that has intrigued me. But until today I’d never put the two together.
I took homemade everything bagel spice and mixed it together with homemade ranch seasoning. This is KEY. It’s a blend of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parsley, dill, garlic, onion, and chives. Seems so simple, but I really cannot tell you how good this blend is when mixed with this snack mix.
I tossed the seasonings together with a splash of Worcestershire sauce and melted butter. Added the pretzel/cracker mix. Then baked everything together at a low temp until the mix became warm and toasted. As this bakes the scents coming from the oven will immediately get you excited.
I like to think of this as my favorite Christmas Eve Chex Mix, but with a twist. It’s not that it’s better per se, just completely different…and still so delicious.
It’s made with the best seasoning blend, plus the addition of cheese crackers, and minus all the other “stuff” that’s sometimes added to Chex mix (you know, the stuff you pick around). No picking around here!
Serve this salty, cheesy snack mix up…
On game-day, at gatherings with friends, and even looking ahead at upcoming holiday gatherings. We might be entertaining in smaller groups this year, but we still need all the snacks!
My biggest tip? Make a double batch. This mix gets eaten fast.
Whether it’s game-day snacking (hello Monday/Thursday/Sunday night football) or a holiday party, this is about to become your new go-to. Even my brothers agree…this mix is pretty darn good. And the added bonus? It’s the easiest to throw together. Plus, I usually have all the ingredients stashed away in my pantry.
Perfect for last-minute snacking. Have fun with this one guys, and enjoy!!
Looking for other fun autumn appetizers? Here are a few ideas:
Pastry Wrapped Baked Brie with Maple Butter Roasted Apples
Baked Sweet Potato Parmesan Tater Tots
Garlic Parmesan Herb Butter Polenta Fries with Lemon Aioli
Pumpkin Beer Pretzels with Chipotle Queso
Lastly, if you make these Everything Ranch Baked Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 372 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 cups salted mini pretzel twists
- 3 cups mixed Cheez-Its and Goldfish crackers
- 2 cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, Worcestershire, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the pretzels, cheese crackers, and Chex, tossing well for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is evenly coated. Spread the mix evenly over a rimmed baking sheet.3. Transfer to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, Toss 1-2 times throughout cooking. Serve, or store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I made this for a Halloween party last night and it was the hit of the entire spread. Everyone loved it. I didn’t have individual seeds, but I did have Everything Bagel spice so I subbed that in and it was perfect!
Hi Kate! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xTieghan
Delicious recipe! A unique savory/tart flavor altogether that is really tasty. I cooked at 280F and did my first toss at 10 minutes. Cooked for another 8 minutes or so and they were done. Keep a close eye on these while cooking!
Hey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
Made this for a party and it was a hit! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great. I was already asked to bring it to the next party this weekend :). Thanks for a great recipe!
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
Ugh sadly mine burned!! Next time I’ll try at a lower temp and half the time.
So sorry to hear this!
This is delicious! I read some comments about it being too salty, so I went with unsalted butter. I also baked it lower and slower to be sure I did not burn anything (new oven and still learning all its idiosyncrasies). I would definitely make this again, I love a good homemade ranch seasoning!
Hey Mary,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I truly appreciate you giving it a try!!? xTieghan
For everyone asking about the Ranch part: I believe that the seasonings are basically/pretty much what makes up Ranch powder???? Full disclosure, I haven’t made this yet, but I feel like it will probably taste a bit ‘Ranchy’?
Yes, that’s correct Catherine:)
Great recipe! But, where is the ranch seasoning listed in the actual recipe?? It’s talked about but not listed??
I ended up making it without and still tasted good!
Hey Diana,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I truly appreciate you giving it a try!! The ranch is the dill, parsley, chives, garlic, and onion powder. ? xTieghan
Wayyy too salty (and I love a salty snack) and all the toppings fall off after baking. Lots left over in the pan. 🙁
Hey there,
So sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Such a bummer!! Maybe try eliminating the salt, and using unsalted pretzels?? Also, maybe a bit more butter to help the goody bits stick?
…….and maybe use unsalted butter?
Could I use ghee instead of butter ?
Hi Kate,
Yes, that would work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious and craveable. Baked at 300 for 30-35 minutes and it was perfect.
Hey Leanne,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! Have the best weekend? xTieghan
Could I swap Cheerios for pretzels or mixed nuts? Are you able to swap out ingredients to bake properly?
Hey Bri,
Sure, you could really use any snacks that you like here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This turned out to be a great snack for watching football! If I were going to make it again I would use way less salt (if you think about it the snacks themselves already have a lot) and I would use less seeds because like others said a lot of them do fall off. It was still delicious and easy to make. Others mentioned trouble with the temp/time and burning but it was perfect for my oven.
Hey Hailey,
Thanks a bunch for trying out this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best day:) xTieghan
so easy and tasty!!! I had no problem with the poppyseed and sesame sticking to the various crackers. I baked at 280 for 30 minutes since people mentioned it could burn easily and it turned out perfect!!
Hey Shelby,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is amazing!! Just made a batch, and I don’t think it’s going to last very long 🙂
I might try to make this for a friend who’s dairy free. Could I use olive oil instead of butter?
Hey Kelsey,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! I would use ghee in place of butter. xTieghan
Ghee may not be the best option for dairy free, depending on the reason: according to theDairyDish.com:
“Butter, the starting ingredient of ghee, is made from milk. Since butter is a dairy product, ghee is not dairy-free. You should not consume ghee if you are committed to being dairy-free. However, if lactose intolerance is your concern, ghee may still be suitable for consumption. When ghee is heated to create clarified butter, much of the lactose is removed when the milk fat is skimmed or stained away.
Ghee contains very low lactose content making it suitable to consume for many people with lactose intolerance or sensitivity. A study by P.A. Portnoi and A. MacDonald of a sampling of ghee found the lactose to be < 0.05 to 2.9 mg/100 g. For comparison, the lactose content in butter was found to be 685 and 688 mg/100 g. You would typically have to be extremely sensitive to lactose to experience side effects from ghee since it contains only minimal lactose."
Everyone loved this!
Hey there,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan