I’m not sure if it was just a my-family thing or a universal thing, but somewhere in my childhood we got into the tradition of making homemade Chex Mix around the holidays. I LOVED Chex Mix growing up, store-bought or homemade. It embodies the two most important components I’m constantly chasing in food - salt and crunch.
Ever since I started giving a damn about what I was eating (about 7 years ago) I’ve tried to recreate a healthier version of homemade Chex Mix every holiday season. The problem I run into every time is the cereal - all of it is garbage. It’s either made from inflammatory grains (hi corn) or it has added sugar - even the not-sweet cereals! I had just kind of resigned that this was going to always be the case, but things really turned around this year.
I finally figured out a way to make a (super-addictive) snack mix that is salty, savory, crunchy and NOT TERRIBLE FOR YOU! If that’s not a holiday miracle, then I don’t know what is!
Super Good Snack Mix
cook time 1 hour / total time 1 hour 10 minutes
makes approximately 5 cups
Ingredients
3 cups plantain chips
1 cup cashews
1 cup pecans
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1⁄2 tbsp coconut aminos
1⁄2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
1 1⁄2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
1⁄4 tsp paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250.
Add plantain chips, cashews and pecans into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk together until there are no clumps and the oil mixture is slightly warm, about 3 minutes.
Pour oil mixture in the bowl with plantain chips and nuts. Stir the mixture with a large spoon until the everything is evenly coated.
Pour the snack mix on a baking sheet in an even layer and pop in the oven. Give the mix a stir every 15 minutes for an hour.
After the hour, remove from the oven and allow the mix to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. It will be best for up to a week, but I doubt it will last that long.
Notes
* I like Inka brand plantain chips, which uses palm oil. Palm oil is a better choice over refined vegetable oils such as canola, soy or sunflower.
* You could use worchestire sauce or tamari in place of the coconut aminos.
