This easy Vegan Chex Mix is loaded with crispy cereal, salty pretzels, and crunchy bagel chips all coated in a zesty, bold, buttery seasoning (no Lawry’s needed)! Every December, Justin and I make a giant batch of Chex Mix to kick off the holidays. But the classic version uses ingredients with “natural flavors”, a ton of salt, and other not so great fillers. So I created a vegan version using real spices, pantry staples, and zero weird additives. It's lower in sodium and, oh yes, it totally rivals the original!
We're keeping it vegan, dairy free, using only real food ingredients and ACTUAL flavor! The ratios of cereal to other add ins like pretzels or bagel chips can be tweaked to your liking. We always gravitate to the cereal, it's our favorite because of how it soaks up all that incredible flavor, so that's our main ingredient for this recipe. And if your Grandpa is anything like Justin's, you're going to need to make a double batch of this totally addictive vegan holiday snack mix!
Want more great holiday snack ideas? These High Protein Crunchy Chocolate Cashews will give you the energy you need to wrap all those presents! And my One Bowl Vegan Banana Bread will make your holiday brunch table the talk of the party! And, no holiday is complete without a steamy mug of chocolatey hot cocoa, warm up my Easy Vegan Chocolate Milk for a cozy marshmallow filled treat!
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💗Why You'll Love This Easy Vegan Chex Mix
- Made with real spices — no Lawry’s, no additives, no mystery flavor dust or processed spice blends.
- Nut Free Version: that perfect balance of buttery, garlicky, toasty goodness without nuts so everyone can enjoy!
- Kid- and party-approved (Justin’s personal favorite).
- Easy to customize: gluten-free (see my FAQ's section below, nut-free, sweet, spicy, or mild — it’s all up to you.
- Make-ahead & share: stays crunchy for days and makes an excellent homemade gift for teachers, friends, and neighbors.
🥨 Ingredients & Helpful Substitutions
For the full list and measurements, see the recipe card below. Here are the main ingredients and easy swaps.
- Vegan butter: gives that classic buttery flavor without dairy. Salted or Unsalted are both fine. (Miyoko’s or Earth Balance work great.)
- Vegan Worcestershire: adds the zestiness! I order mine from Vitacost or Amazon. If you can't find it locally this is the Vegan Worcestershire I use.
- Garlic granules & onion powder: mimic that seasoned salt base, no icky additives needed. If you don't have garlic granules you can sub with garlic powder.
- Coconut sugar: balances the salt for that “can’t-stop-eating-it” finish. Regular or brown sugar works fine here too.
- Chex cereal: Check your Chex for vitamin D3 if strictly vegan, many traditional Corn, Rice, and Wheat Chex cereals in the US contain D3 derived from lanolin (sheep wool grease and not vegan, ewwwwww).
I have used Barbara's Spoonfuls Cereal when making our Chex Mix (it's vegan as well as kosher). Whole Food also carries this very affordable Organic Wheat Waffles Cereal very similar to Chex. - Pretzels & bagel chips: Our favorite Pretzels by far are Whole Foods 365 brand Organic Pretzels, however, any will brand, any shape will work so use your favorite. For Bagel Chips I love these thin crispy one from The Greater Knead, they're vegan and GF.
- O shaped cereal: Many Chex recipes use Cheerios, but again, not vegan due to Vitamin D3. So look for any Toasted O's type cereal in either Vegan or Vegan & GF.
- Cornstarch: helps the seasoning cling evenly to each piece, you can omit it if you don't have any.
🥣How To Make This Irresistible Vegan Chex Mix
Gather up your ingredients.
Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C) and line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
Start the seasoning base.
Melt the vegan butter in a heat-safe measuring cup, then pour in the vegan Worcestershire sauce.
Add the spices.
Sprinkle in the salt, coconut sugar, garlic granules, onion powder, paprika, and cornstarch.
Stir it together.
Stir until everything is fully combined and the mixture looks smooth, glossy, and evenly mixed.
Combine the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, add the Chex cereal, Toasted O’s, pretzels, and bagel chips.
Pour on the seasoning.
Drizzle the butter mixture over the bowl of dry ingredients, scraping out every last bit with a spatula.
Toss to coat.
Gently stir and fold the mix until all the pieces look lightly and evenly coated in seasoning.
Spread it out to bake.
Divide the mixture between your two prepared large sheet pans, spreading it into a single, even layer.
If your oven can’t fit both pans side by side, place them on separate racks.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring well at the 20- and 40-minute marks. Rotate the pans each time you stir so everything toasts evenly and crisps instead of steaming.
Cool and crunch.
Remove from the oven and let the mix cool completely on the pans. It will crisp up as it cools, then it’s ready to snack on or pack up for gifting.
🧊Storage & Meal Prep Tips
Room Temp: Up to 2 weeks in airtight glass jar or container.
Fridge: Not necessary (this adds moisture).
Freezer: Up to 2 months. Cool completely first.
Re-crisp: After removing from the freezer it should be ready to enjoy, however, bake at 250°F for 10–15 minutes if it has softened.
Make Ahead: Mix seasoning sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; warm it back up before using to melt the butter.
🥄 Baking Tip to Prevent Soggy or Steamy Chex Mix
Use two large sheet pans so the Chex Mix spreads out in a shallow, even layer. Overcrowded pans trap steam, which leads to soggy cereal instead of that irresistible crunch.
If your pans don’t fit side-by-side in the oven, place them on separate racks and rotate them each time you stir (20- and 40-minute marks). This keeps everything toasting evenly and helps every piece crisp up perfectly.
❓FAQ's
Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks at room temperature.
Combine butter and seasonings before pouring, toss to combine well, and stir twice during baking.
You can! Cool fully, seal airtight, and freeze up to 2 months. It will thaw quickly and should be ready to enjoy, however, if it has absorbed moisture simply re-crisp in the oven at 250°F for 10 minutes before serving.
Yes! Just swap the mix-ins for gluten-free versions. Use a gluten-free Chex type cereal such as Barbara's Original Puffins Cereal, gluten-free Toasted O’s or a similar GF O-shaped cereal, gluten-free pretzels, and gluten-free bagel chips. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free, including the seasoning blend and vegan Worcestershire (always double-check the label).
👩🏻🍳 Want to see some behind-the-scenes fun (and maybe a little kitchen chaos)? Keep scrollin’ — it’s all happening below the recipe card!
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Easy Vegan Chex Mix
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy Vegan Chex Mix is loaded with crispy cereal, salty pretzels, and crunchy bagel chips all coated in a zesty buttery seasoning blend (no Lawry’s needed)!
Ingredients
5 cups Chex cereal (See Notes for Vegan options)
2 cups Toasted O’s cereal (similar to Cheerios; verify vegan)
2 cups pretzels
1 cup bagel chips
8 tablespoons vegan butter (½ cup)
3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line two large sheet pans with parchment.
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Melt the vegan butter in a heat-safe measuring cup, then stir in the vegan Worcestershire sauce.
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Add the salt, coconut sugar, garlic granules, onion powder, paprika, and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth.
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In a large bowl, combine the Chex cereal, Toasted O’s, pretzels, and bagel chips.
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Pour the seasoning mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.
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Divide the mixture between the two large sheet pans and spread into an even layer.
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Bake for 1 hour, stirring at the 20- and 40-minute marks. Rotate the pans each time you stir.
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Let cool completely on the pans before serving or storing.
Notes
Vegan Chex type cereals I have tested this recipe with:
I have used Barbara's Spoonfuls Cereal when making our Chex Mix (it's vegan as well as kosher). Whole Food also carries this very affordable Organic Wheat Waffles Cereal very similar to Chex.
Toasted O’s: Use any “Cheerios-style” cereal that is labeled vegan. Many store brands are vegan even if Cheerios aren’t.
Vegan Worcestershire: Annie’s and The Wizard’s are both vegan.
Use two pans: Spreading the mix onto two large sheet pans prevents steaming and keeps everything crisp.
Rotate pans: If your oven can't fit both pans side by side, place them on separate racks and rotate when you stir at 20 and 40 minutes.
Butter amount: This recipe was tested multiple times to avoid greasy bottoms, 8 Tablespoon was just right for evenly coating everything.
Mix-ins: Swap in gluten-free pretzels or gluten-free cereal to make it fully GF (see my FAQ section). Add nuts or extra bagel chips if you want more crunch.
Storage: Store cooled mix in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. It stays crisp at room temp — no fridge needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
⭐Did you enjoy this Easy Vegan Chex Mix?
If you give this Chex Mix a try please leave a comment and rating below! Justin and I read every one! Your feedback helps more people find my recipes and keeps the delicious messy chaos going in the Fresh Fun Flavor kitchen. Plus, we just love hearing from you!
👩🏻🍳Creating the shot: A behind the scenes look
Charlie meandered in as usual to see what was hanging out at cat food dish level.
Proof that food blogging is 10% cooking and 90% rearranging props until the snacks look cute.
What Really Happened
So, there I was… taking the final photos, feeling all proud and professional, when my phone rang. I stepped into the kitchen to grab it, chatting away, and suddenly I hear the very distinct sound of paper crinkling in the forbidden cat room.
I knew that sound.
Sure enough, Charlie ON the table sniffing my Chex Mix like he was the head chef. He knew he was in trouble though, because the moment he saw me he launched himself off that table and ran like he'd just knocked over the Christmas tree.
And the other what really happened moment was this weeks recipe was supposed to be a Vegan Chicken Pot Pie, but Justin declared a thumb war and won. So, it turned into Chex Mix. Not complaining 😋. His final words on the finished recipe:
"This is literally irresistible, I can't stop eating it!" -Justin
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided for Easy Vegan Chex Mix is an estimate calculated using Nutrifox, an online tool. Please note that this information is for general guidance only and should not replace advice from a qualified professional. Additionally, this page may include affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through those links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Fresh Fun Flavor!
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