Cheddar Chex Mix is a popular snack mix made by General Mills. It contains a combination of Chex cereal, pretzels, nuts, and seasoning that gives it a cheesy cheddar flavor. Knowing the exact ingredients can be helpful for people monitoring their dietary needs or allergies.
Overview of Cheddar Chex Mix
Cheddar Chex Mix has been around since the mid-1990s. It was released as a new variety of Chex Mix that contained a cheddar cheese seasoning. The snack mix combines Chex cereal pieces with mini breadsticks, pretzels, and peanuts. It comes in a bag around 13 ounces in size.
This Chex Mix variety has a distinct cheddar cheese flavor from seasoning on the pieces. The seasoning also provides a reddish-orange color to the cereal and pretzels. It has a crunchy texture with some cheesy flavor in every bite.
Cheddar Chex Mix makes a handy snack to eat by the handful straight from the bag. It can also be used as a topping for salads or casseroles to add crunch and cheesy notes. The mix of textures and flavors makes it a popular party snack, especially for sporting events.
Nutrition Facts
Here are some basic nutrition facts for Cheddar Chex Mix:
- Serving Size: 1 cup (28g)
- Amount Per Serving: Calories 140, Calories from Fat 45
- Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 380mg
- Total Carbohydrate 21g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 2g
- Protein 3g
As you can see, Cheddar Chex Mix is fairly high in calories and sodium, which is common for savory snack mixes. Keep portion sizes in check around 1 cup or less.
Ingredients
Now let’s get into the complete list of ingredients in Cheddar Chex Mix:
Chex Pieces
The main component of Cheddar Chex Mix is the Chex cereal pieces. General Mills makes it with Rice Chex cereal, which is gluten-free. Rice Chex contains just rice, sugar, malt flavoring, and salt.
Breadsticks
Mini breadsticks are tossed into the mix. They appear as small knotted twists. Ingredients include:
- Enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Soybean oil, salt, yeast, corn syrup, dextrose, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, dough conditioners (disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, sodium stearoyl lactylate, monoglycerides, ascorbic acid, calcium peroxide, enzymes).
Pretzels
Small pretzel pieces are also mixed in. Pretzel ingredients are:
- Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following oils: canola, corn, cottonseed, palm, soybean, sunflower)
- Malt syrup (from corn), salt, yeast, sodium bicarbonate.
Peanuts
Roasted peanuts are also included. Ingredients are just peanuts, canola oil, and salt.
Seasoning
Here is the seasoning blend that gives Cheddar Chex Mix its cheesy cheddar flavor:
- Maltodextrin
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes)
- Salt
- Natural Flavors
- Whey
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Yellow 5 Lake
- Yellow 6 Lake
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Sugar
- Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes)
- Sunflower Oil
- Paprika Extracts
- Spices
- Citric Acid
- Blue Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes)
- Natural Flavor
As you can see, there is a wide variety of artificial coloring, MSG, milk products, and other additives used to create the strong cheddar cheese flavor coating the pieces.
Contains Wheat, Milk, and Soy Ingredients
Based on the ingredients lists, Cheddar Chex Mix contains:
- Wheat – The breadsticks and pretzels contain wheat flour.
- Milk – Several types of cheese are used in the seasoning.
- Soy – The breadsticks contain soybean oil and other soy-based ingredients.
So it is not suitable for people with allergies or sensitivities to wheat, dairy, and soy.
Detailed Ingredient Breakdown
For more details, here is a breakdown of every single ingredient in Cheddar Chex Mix from the ingredients labels:
Chex Pieces
- Rice
- Sugar
- Malt flavoring
- Salt
Breadsticks
- Enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Soybean oil
- Salt
- Yeast
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Partially hydrogenated soybean oil
- Disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate
- Sodium stearoyl lactylate
- Monoglycerides
- Ascorbic acid
- Calcium peroxide
- Enzymes
Pretzels
- Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
- Vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following oils: canola, corn, cottonseed, palm, soybean, sunflower)
- Malt syrup (from corn)
- Salt
- Yeast
- Sodium bicarbonate
Peanuts
- Peanuts
- Canola oil
- Salt
Seasoning
- Maltodextrin
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes)
- Salt
- Natural Flavors
- Whey
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Yellow 5 Lake
- Yellow 6 Lake
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
- Sugar
- Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes)
- Sunflower Oil
- Paprika Extracts
- Spices
- Citric Acid
- Blue Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes)
- Natural Flavor
Major Allergens
Based on the ingredients, here are the major food allergens found in Cheddar Chex Mix:
- Wheat – The breadsticks and pretzels contain wheat as a main ingredient.
- Dairy – Various types of cheese are used in the seasoning, along with whey and milk products.
- Soy – Soybean oil and soy lecithin are used in the breadsticks.
So those with allergies or intolerances to wheat, dairy, and soy should avoid eating Cheddar Chex Mix or look for a similar snack mix that is free of those allergens.
Vegan Substitutions
To make a vegan version of Cheddar Chex Mix at home, you would need to substitute or omit the following non-vegan ingredients:
- Instead of breadsticks, use vegan crackers or breadsticks seasoned with vegan margarine or oil.
- Use pretzels made without dairy-based oil.
- Omit the cheese seasoning blend. Make your own seasoning with nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and turmeric for color.
- Use vegetable oil instead of canola oil on the peanuts.
With some simple substitutions, you can replicate a similar Chex Mix snack mix that is free of animal products.
Common Questions
Is Cheddar Chex Mix gluten-free?
No, Cheddar Chex Mix is not gluten-free. While the Chex cereal is gluten-free, the snack mix also contains wheat ingredients in the pretzels and breadsticks.
Is there MSG in Cheddar Chex Mix?
Yes, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used in the seasoning blend for Cheddar Chex Mix.
What is the yellow coloring in Cheddar Chex Mix?
The yellow-orange color comes from Yellow 5 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake artificial food dyes in the seasoning.
Is Cheddar Chex Mix kosher?
Regular Cheddar Chex Mix is not certified kosher. However, General Mills does make a kosher for Passover version without dairy ingredients sold during the holiday.
Can you make Cheddar Chex Mix from scratch?
Yes, you can make homemade Cheddar Chex Mix using Chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts, oil, and a homemade cheese seasoning blend. There are many easy recipes online for copycat Chex Mix.
Conclusion
Cheddar Chex Mix has a long list of ingredients that provides its signature cheesy, savory flavor. Main ingredients include Chex cereal, pretzels, breadsticks, peanuts, vegetable oil, and a powdered cheese seasoning. Understanding exactly what is in Cheddar Chex Mix allows you to enjoy this snack in moderation while being aware of potential allergens and additives.