Crock-Pot Maple Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix

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Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix — This Crock-Pot Chex Mix is LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor! It’s so easy to make and can easily be adapted to suit the ingredients you have on hand.

crock pot chex mix

Homemade Crock-Pot Chex Mix

It’s been far too long since my last slow cooker recipe. It was both a blessing and a curse that I fired up my Crock-Pot and made this pumpkin spice Chex Mix. Holy addicting.

I’ve always had a thing for Chex Mix. All the textures and flavors make it such a great snack. I decided to put a fall spin on it with this blend.

I made it by combining two types of Chex, graham crackers, honey-roasted cashews and peanuts, pretzels, dried cranberries and cherries, and over the top I drizzled a mixture of melted butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.

The maple flavor really shines, and I used one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice, but if you want to boost the pumpkin flavor, use two tablespoons or more. The nuts and pretzels provide crunch and there’s a salty-and-sweet component that I can’t resist. The texture of the cereal is more chewy than crunchy. If you’re looking for the traditional, very dry, crunchy Chex mix, this isn’t it.

This pumpkin spice Chex Mix recipe sounds like it makes a ton, but actually it doesn’t. I filled up 3 one-quart baggies. One for us, one for teachers, and one for coaches. This would also be a great Halloween Chex Mix to hand out to trick-or-treaters or serve at a Halloween party! It’s so irresistible and will be your new favorite snack.

pumpkin spice crock pot chex mix in bowl

What’s in This Crock-Pot Chex Mix? 

To make this sweet Chex Mix, you’ll need: 

  • Chex cereal
  • Dried fruit
  • Nuts
  • Pretzels
  • Graham crackers
  • Unsalted butter
  • Maple syrup
  • Light brown sugar
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt

bowl of crock pot chex mix

How to Make Crock-Pot Chex Mix

To make this homemade Chex Mix, you’ll first need to add the cereal, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, and graham crackers to a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Then, melt the butter and stir the remaining ingredients into it. 

Evenly pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture in the Crock-Pot. Gently stir with a spatula to combine, being careful not to break up the cereal. 

Cook covered on high power for about 2 hours, stirring well every 15 to 20 minutes. You need to cook the Crock-Pot Chex Mix until there’s no more liquid pooled on the bottom. Note that the homemade Chex Mix will not be “dry,” but instead will be more on the sticky and tacky side even when done.

Turn the sweet Chex Mix out onto a baking tray and allow to dry for at least 2 hours (overnight is better!).

homemade chex mix in bowl

Can I Make Homemade Chex Mix in the Oven?

I haven’t tested it myself, but you could probably bake this pumpkin spice Chex Mix in a 250ºF oven with the mixture divided between two baking trays. Keep a very watchful eye on it and toss every 15 minutes until it’s done (will likely take about an hour).

Crock-Pot Maple Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix - Loaded with fall flavors and made in a Crock-Pot! Wayyy too easy and totally irresistible!!!

Can I Make This Dairy-Free? 

I’ve only ever made this Crock-Pot Chex Mix with butter, but you could try using vegetable oil or canola oil and see how it turns out. 

Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix — This Crock-Pot Chex Mix is LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor! It's so easy to make and can easily be adapted to suit the ingredients you have on hand.

Tips for Making Crock-Pot Chex Mix

I used two types of Chex because I refuse to buy multiple $5 dollar boxes of cereal and open them for just a cup or two. But if you want to add in Cheerios, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or similar, they’d all be great. Same with the graham crackers, I had a package open, chopped them up, and tossed them in. They don’t hold up as well as Chex, but they’re still tasty.

I used honey-roasted cashews and honey-roasted peanuts because I had them on hand and open, but if you want to use almonds, walnuts, or omit the nuts, feel free.

Also, I used dried cherries and dried cranberries because I just made my Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts Trail Mix with them, but golden or regular raisins would be lovely. If you’re not a fan of dried fruit, omit.

Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix — This Crock-Pot Chex Mix is LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor! It's so easy to make and can easily be adapted to suit the ingredients you have on hand.

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4.35 from 29 votes

Maple Pumpkin Spice Crock-Pot Chex Mix

By Averie Sunshine
This Crock-Pot Chex Mix is LOADED with pumpkin spice flavor! It's so easy to make and can easily be adapted to suit the ingredients you have on hand.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Drying Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
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Ingredients  

  • 6 cups Chex cereal, I used 3 cups each Rice Chex and a storebrand honey-nut Chex; try Cheerios, Golden Grahams, etc.
  • 2 cups dried fruit, I used 1 cup each dried cranberries and dried cherries; try (golden raisins, etc.)
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups nuts, I used 3/4 cup each honey-roasted cashews and honey-roasted peanuts
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups pretzels
  • 1 ½ chopped graham crackers, diced in large 1-inch pieces (about 5 full-size graham crackers)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup maple syrup, I used sugar-free pancake syrup
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 to 2 + tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • salt, optional and to taste

Instructions 

  • In a 5 to 6-quart Crock-Pot, add cereal, dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, and graham crackers. Recipe is very flexible. If you don’t have something, don’t like something, etc. use something you do have on hand or omit.
  • In a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
  • Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tablespoon but recommend at least 2 tablespoons if you want a more pronounced pumpkin flavor), vanilla, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
  • Slowly and evenly drizzle wet mixture over the dry ingredients in Crock-Pot and stir very well to combine. I use a silicon-tipped spatula so I don’t break the cereal.
  • Cook covered on high power for about 2 hours, stirring well every 15 to 20 minutes. Start keeping a more careful eye on mix at about 1 1/2 hours to make sure pieces on bottom don’t start burning. All slow cookers and ingredients vary, and cooking times will vary. Cook until there’s no visible liquid pooling and pieces have dried out. They will not be ‘dry’ and will be more on the sticky and tacky side even when done, but do dry out more as they cool.
  • Turn mixture out onto baking tray and allow to dry for at least 2 hours, overnight is better. Mix will keep airtight for up to 5 days.

Notes

Note: Although I haven’t tested it, you could probably bake in a 250F oven, with the mixture divided between two baking trays. Keep a very watchful eye on it and toss every 15 minutes until it’s done.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 314mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Easy Snack Recipes: 

5-Minute Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix — This mix comes together in the microwave in 3 minutes. There’s some flexibility in the recipe depending on what you have on hand and enjoy.

5-Minute Pumpkin Spice Chex Mix

Skinny 100-Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix — This skinny version of ‘puppy chow’ is vegan, gluten-free, there’s no butter or oil added, and it’s ready in less than 5 minutes.

Skinny 100-Calorie Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Mix (vegan, GF, no butter/oil) - 5 mins to make, satisfying, & won't derail your diet!

Sweet with Heat Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts – Make shopping mall-style candied nuts any time you want! Just 30 minutes and these crunchy and very addictive nuts are all yours! Makes a great gift!

Sweet with Heat Cinnamon Sugar Candied Nuts

5-Minute Dill Pickle Chex Mix — We’re big pickle fanatics and loved this Chex mix that’s loaded with bold dill flavor.

5-Minute Dill Pickle Chex Mix

Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola (vegan, GF) – Make your own granola that’s full of rich flavors for a fraction of the cost of storebought

Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola 

Piña Colada Chex Mix – An EASY and addictively AMAZING salty-sweet snack!! It’s crunchy, chewy, and between the pineapple, coconut, banana, and lime you’ll feel like you’re on a tropical vacation!!

Piña Colada Chex Mix

Reindeer Chow – A holiday twist on classic Muddy Buddies that’s EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and perfect for hostess gifts or cookie exchanges!

Reindeer Chow

This post is brought to you by Crock-Pot. Recipe, text, images, and opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Oh. My. Goodness. This recipe turned out amazing! i absolutely adore all things pumpkin any time of year. I did switch it up a little because i wanted a little more of that scrumptious pumpkin flavor so i decided to actually add a bit of canned pumpkin puree top the mix. i found that if i warmed the puree and creamed it with the syrup,butter, and sugar i was able to mix it right in and got a pretty even coating with very little clumping.
    However, i did run into trouble with the silicone spoon. It just didn’t have enough fortitude to get the job done so i ended up switching to a wooden spoon halfway through. Had a little breaking of the chex but nothing that was too noticeable.

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad to know you were able to add pumpkin puree, too!

    1. I haven’t tried honey but that would probably work, or agave. No personal experience but just a hunch those would both work.

  2. Is there any way to make this dairy free. Would other oils work or would you have to use butter? I would like to make this  for someone who is dairy/gluten free. 

    1. I mentioned in the post, “The texture of the cereal is more chewy than crunchy. If you’re looking for the traditional, very dry, crunchy Chex mix, this isn’t it.” So it’s not going to be super crispy and is definitely more chewy but I wouldn’t call that limp. Maybe yours needed a bit longer in the slow cooker since they all vary in their power and intensity and that would have dried it out a bit more. Thanks for trying the recipe.