This browned butter furikake Chex mix recipe was originally published in November 2017. I have updated the post to include more photos and notes about substituting ingredients in the snack mix.
Furikake Chex mix is a delicious snack mix that’s covered in a sweet glaze and a Japanese condiment called furikake (ふりかけ). There are many varieties of furikake, but a typical mixture contains toasted chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and other seasonings. Often, furikake will also contain dried fish flakes for umami flavor. Furikake is a magical condiment that you can sprinkle over many foods, such as rice, vegetables, fish, and even a sweet Chex mix!
I often prepare furikake Chex mix for large parties because it is easy to make and it’s a crowd pleaser. The first time I made the Chex mix for my family, my mom and sister loved it so much that they asked me for the recipe right away! They enjoyed the delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors and the irresistible crunch of the cereal and pretzels. This furikake Chex mix keeps well for a week or two, so the recipe is great for gifts as well.
DEVELOPING MY FURIKAKE CHEX MIX RECIPE
USING MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD OF CORN SYRUP
To make furikake Chex mix, you need to prepare a sweet glaze. When I first learned how to cook this dish, I followed recipes that used a considerable amount of sugar and corn syrup for the glaze. I don’t cook with corn syrup often, and I thought it was silly to buy a bottle just to make a batch of Chex mix. Moreover, I found the Chex mix made from those recipes to be a bit too sweet for my tastes.
Over time, I started experimenting with the glaze by cutting out the sugar entirely and replacing corn syrup with maple syrup. I loved the results! The slight hint of caramel flavor in maple syrup works so well for the glaze.
BROWNING THE BUTTER
On a whim, I decided to brown the butter for the glaze instead of simply melting the butter. I thought the malty flavor in the browned butter complemented the maple syrup in the glaze very well and elevated the flavors of the Chex mix overall.
To brown butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over the stove. Keep heating and stirring the melted butter until the milk solids in the butter start to brown. Once the butter starts browning, pay close attention to the butter because it can go from brown to burnt very quickly.
Right when the butter starts to go from a caramel brown color to a darker brown (like the color of medium-roast coffee beans or milk chocolate), turn off the heat. I like to add the maple syrup to the saucepan right away to prevent the butter from browning further and potentially burn.
CHEX MIX INGREDIENTS
You can make the Chex mix with any combination of cereal, nuts, and savory snacks that you like. In the original recipe that I published in 2017, I used a combination of corn Chex, pretzels, and mixed nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, and almonds).
2023 Update: I made a version of the Chex mix with a lot of different ingredients: corn Chex, honeycomb cereal, pretzel twists, pretzel balls, nuts, and Bugles. When making substitutions, I swapped out ingredients based on their volume measurements, and not the weight. For instance, I swapped out 4.5 cups of popcorn with 2 1/2 cups of Bugles and 2 cups of Snyder’s pretzel balls. Because popcorn weighs differently from Bugles and the pretzel balls, it wouldn’t make sense to make the substitutions based on weight. What matters more is volume of the ingredients you coat with the browned butter and maple syrup mixture.
BE PATIENT WHEN BAKING THE CHEX MIX
I like to bake the furikake Chex mix at 250ºF (120ºC) for 1 hour. I know it’s tempting to want to crank up the heat to shorten the baking time but resist the urge to do so! Baking the Chex mix at a lower temperature for a longer period makes the snack mix extra crunchy without burning the sugars.
HOW LONG DOES THE FURIKAKE CHEX MIX KEEP?
This Chex mix will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
MORE PARTY SNACKS
Browned Butter Furikake Chex Mix
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup (205g) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or use tamari if gluten free
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 7 to 8 cups (about 7.7 to 8.8 ounces) corn Chex, can sub with any cereal
- 4 1/2 cups (about 4.5 ounces) pretzel twists, (see note 2)
- 2 1/2 to 3 cups (about 11 to 13 ounces) raw mixed nuts
- 4.5 cups (about 4.5 ounces) unsalted popcorn, can also use salted popcorn for more savory flavor
- 1/2 cup (45g) furikake, (see note 3)
Equipment
- 2 large sheet pans, (see note 4)
- parchment paper
- 2 large mixing bowls
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven to 250ºF (120ºC). Position the oven racks to the upper third and lower third positions. Line 2 large jelly roll pans with parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Brown Butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, continue heating the butter until it starts bubbling feverishly. Start stirring the butter frequently to keep it from burning. Gradually, the milk solids at the bottom and sides of the saucepan will start turning golden, like caramel. Reduce the heat slightly and continue stirring constantly to prevent burning. Right when the milk solids start turning into the color of medium roast coffee beans (see photo below), turn off the heat and add the maple syrup. Adding the maple syrup immediately will help keep the butter from browning further, as the solids can blacken and burn very quickly at this stage. It usually takes me about 2 to 3 minutes to brown the butter after it has melted (less time if you’re making a half batch).
- Finish the Glaze: Add the soy sauce (or tamari), vanilla, and salt to the saucepan and whisk everything together. Remove the saucepan from heat.
- Toss Snack Mix: Divide the corn Chex, pretzels, nuts, and popcorn between 2 large bowls. Mix the contents in each bowl.
- Add Glaze & Furikake: Divide the glaze between the two bowls. Use 2 spatulas to toss and coat the dry ingredients with the glaze. Then, sprinkle 1/4 cup of furikake into each bowl. Toss again to distribute the furikake.
- Bake Chex Mix: Spread the furikake Chex mix over the lined baking pans. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through baking. Make sure to also swap the position of the baking pans.
- Let Chex Mix Cool: Remove the baking pans from the oven. Let the Chex mix cool for 5 to 10 minutes and give everything a stir to prevent clumping. You can sprinkle more furikake over the Chex mix, if you like. The Chex mix will turn crunchy as it cools.
- Store Furikake Chex Mix in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, if it lasts that long.
Notes
- The original recipe used 12 ounces corn Chex, 8 ounces pretzels, and 12 ounces mixed nuts. I also used only 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the glaze.
- I recommend using Synder’s gluten-free pretzels, if you can find them. They are more crunchy than their regular pretzels!
- I usually find this variety of furikake in the Asian section of my grocery stores or any major Asian grocer. You can also find it on Amazon (affiliate link).
- You can use the large jelly roll pans (about 15″x20″) or half sheet pans (roughly 13”x18”). Make sure to give the Chex mix a good stir halfway through baking to ensure that the glaze coats the snack bits evenly. After the Chex mix is done baking, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes and stir everything to prevent clumping. This step is more important when you’re using smaller baking sheets, which have less surface area.
- 2023 Update: I made a Chex mix using 4 cups corn Chex, 4 cups honeycomb cereal, 3 cups Bugles, 2 cups Snyder’s pretzel balls, 2 cups Snyder’s pretzel twists, and 3 cups mixed nuts. All the ingredients for the butter and maple syrup mixture remained the same.
Bridget says
Hi. I was going to make this for the holiday but my local Asian food market didn’t have to exact furikake product linked in the recipe. The alternatives in stock contained MSG. Wondered if your preferred product is MSG free – hoping do because this looks so tasty. Thank you.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Bridget! The brand I chose doesn’t have MSG in it, but it does include two additives: disodium isosinate and disodium succinate. It’s available on Amazon and Target online (Target is cheaper at the moment). However, Urashima is a brand that produces an all-natural furikake. It’s more expensive and less widely available online, though I wonder if you could find it at a Japanese supermarket. Hope this helps!
Lori says
Made this for New Year’s Day festivities and it was a big hit. I’ve been using so much butter the past month that I decided to cut back on the butter and supplemented with a light tasting olive oil. (1/4 c of each) I’m sure avocado oil would be great too. But it worked and no one noticed ! Thanks for healthier version it’s so much better. My sister said her co-worker brought the fully-loaded (sugar, corn syrup, butter, Bugles and Honeycomb) into work and it was way too sweet! She loved this one so much more!
Lisa Lin says
I’m so glad you and your family/friends enjoyed it, Lori! Yes, use whatever oil you prefer!
Jaimee Gorospe says
Highly addicting for sure! Just made a batch for Superbowl and we couldn’t stop eating it. Thank you for sharing the recipe- will be making more this weekend 😉
Juli says
Hi! Wondering if I can use Earth Balance to substitute the butter. Going to attempt this for my dairy allergy kids.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Juli! I think it will work!
Christian says
Super easy to make! The browned butter makes a difference – gives it a smokier taste which pairs well with the salty sweet factor.
Elaine Lin says
Yummy snacks! Kids love it 😍
Julia says
What nuts are you using? Salted? Roasted? Raw?
Thanks
Lisa Lin says
Raw nuts! Will make a note of it in my recipe
Jess says
My trays just came out of the oven and my house smells amazing! I had to substitute a lot for a nut-free home. I used rice chex, crispix, popcorn twists, and pretzels. I think would leave out the additional 1/2 tsp salt next time since the pretzels and popcorn twists I used were already salted, and I find the furikake already quite salty (I used the exact same brand as you). Thank you for the Asian twist on Chex mix! Love it.
Lisa Lin says
Jess, thank you so much for trying this recipe!!! Love the substitutions you made!
bobbi says
This sounds so good! Vanilla seems like an odd addition, but I noticed you increased it in the revision. How does vanilla work with these other flavors?
Lisa Lin says
Yes, I doubled the amount compared to the old one! Personally, I like the note of vanilla to give the mix more aroma but feel free to leave it out.
AT says
This recipe is fantastic. You can play around with so many add-ins and it still tastes great. I didn’t add soy sauce bc some of my ingredients were already salted and it turned out perfectly. This would be a really unique addition to a winter cookie box which is what I’m planning to do!
Lisa Lin says
AT, Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it!
Lingy says
Yummmm!!!! This came together so quickly and the fragrances were mouthwatering! Had never browned butter before but looking at Lisa’s recipe and the pictures/details gave me the confidence and knowledge!
Couldn’t get the same ingredients in the UK but substituted the Chex with Weetabix Crunchy Bran + Cheerios which gave some fun textures and shapes. Also had to use sweet + salted popcorn and salted pretzels – wasn’t sure whether to make adjustments with the salt but kept recipe as-is and seemed pretty delicious! (I used Emma Basic furikake which has no MSG nor salty fish flakes so I think it was ok to keep the original 0.5 tsp salt in the recipe)
Delish!! Can’t wait to make this again with a different assortment of ingredients!
Amy says
Is popcorn added in step 4? It looks like it in the picture but doesn’t list popcorn in the image.
Lisa Lin says
Yes! Sorry, I’ve made so many different variations of this recipe, that I forgot to edit the recipe with the popcorn. Will do so now!
Sarah C。 says
These were so good！ I added cheez-its and Trader Joe‘s mochi puffs since I don’t like pretzels。 I love how you use maple syrup instead of corn syrup found in other recipes。 I‘m making this again！
Lisa Lin says
Thank you, Sarah!!
Justine Chang says
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Love the salty and sweet taste.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this recipe, Justine!!
George Sand says
I love this stuff – and so do all my “giftees” The browned butter & maple syrup not only add complexity, but they’re easy! I need to try the gluten free pretzels next.
Thank you!
URL says
Your blog is very informative, thanks.
Carren says
I’ve tried this recipe a couple of times and love it! However, I’d like to tweak the sweet/salty ratio to make it more savory. Any tips for this, besides just adding salt? Maybe add some Worcester or garlic powder? I don’t want to mess with the stickiness of the glaze by adding too much liquid or removing too much of the syrup.
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Carren! I’m trying to develop a recipe for a slightly more savory version (but haven’t actually tried anything yet). Off the top of my head, I think adding a little more soy sauce will balance the flavors a bit more (maybe 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, or tamari if you’re making this gluten free). If you want to add another layer of flavor besides salt, I actually think some kind of mushroom powder might be good. I usually buy dried sliced mushrooms and grind it in a spice grinder. It’ll add a subtle umami flavor to the mix. I think a pinch of garlic powder (or even some freshly ground black pepper) could be good too.
Carren says
Thanks! I’ll give some of these a try.
Lisa Lin says
I just thought of something else, Carren! You can also use dry ingredients that are more savory in the mix. For instance, instead of using popcorn, use rice crackers (that already have savory flavor) or Bugles. That way, you can keep the ingredients for the sauce exactly the way it is. I hope this makes sense!
Carren says
That makes sense. I’m thinking rye chips could be good 🙂
Qt says
Can I used store bought Chex mix bag and mix in sauce ingredients?
Jennifer Eman says
I’ve made multiple batches of this and it’s a hit every time!! So dangerously addictive and everyone loves it whenever I bring it to a gathering. I’ve tried both corn chex and rice chex and both are good! I get my furikake from Trader Joe’s and it works great with the recipe.
Lisa Lin says
Jennifer, thank you so much for making this recipe!!! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it, and thanks for the note about the TJ furikake!
Suz says
Made for first time yesterday and making a second batch now! Love how adaptable it is. Perfect sweet and savory blend. Can’t wait to give it away.
Lisa Lin says
Suz, thank you so much for making this!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Cheska says
Amazing flavor! I highly recommend everyone make at least the full batch.
I made this to share with college students and they ate every bit of it. I scooped 16 one-cup servings into ziploc bags for easy grabbing. I would have had more if I didn’t snack during the cooling process.
I kept a small mason jar for myself to test if it stays crunchy, and I’m happy to report 1 week later that it still does! I’m sure it would last longer but I’d just like to eat them up now 🙂
I loved that I could finish up some ingredients we had at home. Here are the details in case it helps anyone:
Trader Joe’s Furikake – I’ve tucked this away in the pantry because I didn’t like the taste. BUT it was perfect to use up in this recipe
Walnuts, pecans, almond slivers, pre-roasted peanuts – got to use up left over nuts from previous recipes. Chopped as needed to be a more consistent size.
Popcorn kernels – couldn’t find unsalted popcorn, so I dug up some kernels in the pantry and popped my own
Lisa Lin says
Cheska, thanks for making this!