This healthier Hawaiian-style furikake chex mix is a salty, savory, and sweet snack that’s perfect for potlucks and movie nights.
What is Furikake?
Furikake is a Japanese sweet and savory seasoning added to rice. It can be made with many different ingredients, but some of the most common are bonito flakes, sesame seeds, and nori seasoned with salt and sugar. You can buy furikake at Japanese markets, and you can also make your own at home. If you make your own dashi, you can use the leftover katsuobushi (bonito flakes) or kombu to make furikake. I make a very simple furikake with nori and aonori, so instead of buying or making furikake for this chex mix, I decided to just add the ingredients directly to the recipe. The result is a savory, sweet, salty snack that is so delicious, you won’t be able to stop snacking on it!
Key Ingredients
- Chex Cereal ⟶ I prefer corn and rice chex. Wheat chex can also be used. Avoid the strong flavored ones like chocolate, peanut butter, and cinnamon (honey nut would be good though).
- Pretzels ⟶ You can use mini twists or sticks, whatever you prefer.
- Roasted Chickpeas/Edamame/Peas ⟶ For extra protein and crunch. See FAQ for substitutions.
- Roasted Peanuts ⟶ Can replace with other roasted nuts, but I love the flavor combo of peanuts and nori.
- Aonori 青のり ⟶ Instead of using premade furikake seasoning, I like to just add aonori since the chex mix sauce will add salty, sweet, and savory flavors. You can find aonori (or aosa 青さ) at Japanese markets or on Amazon*.
- Nutritional Yeast ⟶ Technically you can omit this if necessary, but it adds extra umami flavor.
- Sauce ⟶ Vegan butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, and sesame oil for coating the cereal (and other fillings) so the seasonings can stick.
Tips for Success
Stir frequently ⟶ Be sure to stir every 15 minutes throughout baking so that the mixture doesn’t clump together.
Bake at low heat ⟶ The chex mix bakes for one hour at 250°F to ensure the ingredients soak up the sauce and crisp up without burning.
Add seasonings after sauce ⟶ Mix the sauce into the cereal, pretzels, chickpeas, and nuts first. Then add the seasonings (aonori, nutritional yeast, nori). If you add the seasonings before the sauce, the seasonings will clump together rather than coating the cereal.
Homemade Chex Mix FAQ
How do I store furikake chex mix?
Cool the chex mix completely to room temperature, then place in airtight containers or ziplock bags. Store at room temperature for up to a week (any longer and it will start to taste stale).
Can I use other cereals?
You can, but chex is really the best for this! However, you can also try honeycomb cereal, crispix, or cheerios. You can also use wheat chex.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I used salted butter since most vegan butters are salted, but if you can I’d recommend unsalted so you can adjust the salt to your liking.
Can I replace the maple syrup?
You can try another liquid sweetener such as agave, corn syrup, or honey (not vegan). Just be sure it is a liquid sweetener since this helps coat the mixture.
Can I replace the roasted chickpeas?
I like to add roasted chickpeas for some extra protein. You can also use roasted edamame or peas. If you don’t have any of these, you can replace the chickpeas with more nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts), pretzels, cereal, or even popcorn.
Note: I don’t recommend sesame seeds since they’re so small, they don’t stick well and usually end up leftover at the bottom of the bag.
More Vegan Potluck Sides
If you make this furikake chex mix, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Furikake Chex Mix (Small Batch)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rice chex
- 1 ½ cups corn chex
- ½ cup pretzels
- ¾ cup roasted chickpeas, edamame, or peas**1, plain or lightly seasoned
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp (20g) melted vegan butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp
aonori* - ½ tbsp
nutritional yeast* - 1 sheet
nori* , torn into pieces, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Set aside a small baking pan (I make mine in a toaster oven).
- Combine chex, pretzels, chickpeas, and peanuts in a large bowl.
- Make sauce by mixing melted butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
- Pour sauce over chex mixture and mix until well coated.
- Stir in aonori and nutritional yeast and mix until well coated.
- Stir in nori if using.
- Spread out in baking pan.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until mixture is dry and lightly toasted.
- Cool in the baking pan for at least 10 minutes to crisp up further.
**Notes
Furikake Chex Mix (Large Batch)
Ingredients
- 6 cups rice chex
- 6 cups corn chex
- 2 cups pretzels
- 3 cups roasted chickpeas, edamame, or peas**1, plain or lightly seasoned
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
Sauce
- 6 tbsp (78g) melted vegan butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
Seasonings
- ¼ cup
aonori* - 2 tbsp
nutritional yeast* - 4 sheets
nori* , torn into pieces, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Set aside two large baking pans.
- Combine chex, pretzels, chickpeas, and peanuts in a large bowl.
- Make sauce by mixing melted butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl.
- Pour sauce over chex mixture and mix until well coated.
- Stir in aonori and nutritional yeast and mix until well coated.
- Stir in nori if using.
- Spread out in baking pans.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until mixture is dry and lightly toasted.
- Cool in the baking pans for at least 10 minutes to crisp up further.
**Notes
*Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, but the price remains the same to you. Thank you for supporting Ellie Likes Cooking!
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