Every Chex Mix Flavor, Ranked Worst To Best

If there was one savory snack that I could eat day in and day out, it would be Chex Mix. Seriously, how do you say no to a bag of this top-ranked snack mix, complete with pretzels, rye chips, and numerous different forms of the classic cereal? And, more importantly, how do you take an already top-tier snacking mix to the next level? 

Well, if you're Chex Mix (more specifically, its parent company, General Mills), you make a whole bunch — and I'm talking a whole bunch — of flavor variations of the classic snacking mix and wait to see what bites. Although the brand will be forever associated with the traditional, blue-bagged variety, there are several other products on the market that are just begging to be enjoyed, including ones that are sweet, savory, and everything in between.

In order to decide if I've just been in the dark about the best Chex Mix flavors, I decided to sample some of the ones that the brand makes and rank them from worst to best. Primarily, I looked at the flavor and the texture of the individual components in the snack mix, as well as the overall bite when I ate several of the different components together. Above all, I wanted a Chex Mix that sent me crawling back for another handful, time and time again, rather than something that I would grow bored of quickly. 

I don't like artificial strawberry-flavored anything, so I knew already that this strawberry créme Chex Mix wouldn't have been my pick of the litter. It's packaged under the "Simply Chex" brand and includes corn and wheat cereal pieces coated in a strawberry créme coating. 

This Chex Mix, if you could call it that, was disappointingly gritty. Some of the strawberry cereal pieces were covered in a yogurt-like blanket, while others were doused in granulated, strawberry-infused sugar. This mix was messy to eat, and its flavor wasn't good enough to justify getting that grit everywhere. 

The flavor of this Chex Mix wasn't as artificial as I anticipated, but it didn't scream "strawberry patch on a Sunday morning," either. It was clear that this a product that the brand didn't spend too much time thinking about or designing. Moreover, I wish there had been more variety in this mix than just the strawberry-coated cereal pieces — though I doubt a couple of pretzels or cookies could save it. 

Funfetti is the kind of cake that someone whips up when they want to escape the reality of adulthood and revisit their childhood. But, it's not a cake that I would personally make if I'm looking for something complex, sophisticated, and, for lack of a better word, adult-ish. 

I suppose you could use this Funfetti Muddy Buddy mix to pacify a seven-year-old who's throwing a temper tantrum — but not for anything else. Going in, I expected that each Chex Mix piece would be coated in a layer of Funfetti-flavored frosting, like the frosted animal crackers of my childhood, but the coating itself was far dustier, like the cake mix flavor had just been intertwined into the powdered sugar coating on the outside of the cereal. 

As expected, there was only one flavor here: sweet. I could tell that this sugary flavor would be plasticky the second I took a whiff and noticed that it smelled just like an open bag of cake mix. The plasticky coating was also off-putting and stuck to my teeth like a cheap, store-bought icing. The obvious textural and flavor faults meant that there was absolutely no reason to come back for a second handful.

No turtles were harmed in the making of this sweet Chex Mix flavor. This overly cloying snacking blend wasn't like the monotonous Muddy Buddy products. Instead, it resembles more of the snack mix style — with a ton of different components, like caramel and cocoa powder-coated cereal pieces, pretzels, caramel popcorn, and chocolate candies. 

I was honestly surprised that this turtle Chex Mix went light on the flavor. When I've had turtle desserts in the past, like turtle cheesecake, they were always super, super heavy and rich. While there were traces of "caramel" and "chocolate" on the cereal pieces, the flavor was like a whisper — and it wasn't as assertive as it needed to be. Moreover, the caramel popcorn didn't do it any favors because the sweetness was too mild, while the cocoa on the cereal didn't really drive home the chocolate flavor. I honestly expected that this mix was going to have a little more punch to it — and have a few more chocolate candies thrown in for good measure.

The main reason I despise cheddar snack mixes is because of those knock-off cheddar crackers. I'm so used to the consistency and flavor of Cheez-Its that I can't stand looking at a generic cracker that tastes kind of like it, but not enough to be believable. I will take my brand-name Cheez-Its, extra toasty, please and thank you. 

The cheddar wedges in this cheddar Chex Mix are downright awful. They have the consistency of butter crackers — not the snappy Cheez-Its I know and love. And that wasn't the only thing vehemently wrong with this snack mix. The cheddar powder dusted across the components is reminiscent of cheese in a can. It's not fresh, it's not bold — and it's not right. Though, this is a better-tasting mix if you eat it by the handful rather than parceling out its individual components. But there are so many other, better flavors out there — why would you want to eat this one? 

I dislike using the word "bold" to describe food in the same way that I dislike using "spicy" or "hot." It's so subjective that if a brand fails to meet that expectation from its customers, it's failed. 

However, I had very high hopes set for this bold snack mix — especially because I've heard so many good things about it. The bold flavor contains all the same components as the traditional Chex Mix, just with more seasoning, spices, and punch. I will say it is "bolder" than the traditional Chex Mix. However, it wasn't more umami or more savory as I expected it to be. Rather, the bag throws a whole bunch of new, unanticipated, and frankly, unnecessary flavors at you — like garlic, soy, black pepper, and malt vinegar. I also couldn't shake the fact that this Chex Mix tastes like fish sauce — which is extremely unappetizing.

Eating "Bold" Chex Mix is like being in gym class and getting hammered constantly with stinging plastic dodgeballs of flavor. You're crying out, "Make it stop!" and are just getting pelted more and more with every bite. It's unpleasant, to say the least. 

I love cookies and cream ice cream, so liking this Muddy Buddy Chex Mix flavor seemed like a no-brainer. Each corn Chex is covered in a powdery coating of chocolate cookies and vanilla cream filling. Right off the bat, I noticed that the coating on these was more candy-like and uniform than the powdered sugar on the Funfetti Muddy Buddies — which was promising. Though, I was shocked that each of these cereal pieces didn't give off the impression that they were actually made with cookies. I only found this out once I bit in and realized there was, in fact, a chocolate coating between the cereal and powdered sugar. 

Oddly enough, the chocolate flavor was more bitter than sweet. It was clear that the brand used a low-quality cocoa here, as it tasted stale and weak. I'm sure a child under the age of 10 would love snacking on this treat, as it is still sweet-leaning, but I don't think I'll be buying it ever again because of its bitterness. 

Peanut butter and chocolate is the original puppy chow combination, so I expected that this one would be a shoo-in for one of the top spots. But right off the bat, it was clear that General Mills didn't pay enough attention to this snack — because the peanut butter and chocolate Muddy Buddies really needed some love.

The peanut butter coated my tongue and lips with this plasticky overtone. It's like the quality of peanut butter that you'd expect to find in a generic-brand candy bar that's been sitting in the back of your drawer for two years. Moreover, like the other Muddy Buddy flavors, I just got bored by the ho-hum peanut butter and chocolate coating (which was, thankfully, less bitter than the cookies and cream Muddy Buddies). If you want to skip the process of making Muddy Buddys at home, by all means, buy a bag. Just don't expect to be "wow-ed" by the flavor in any capacity. 

No no, I'm not talking about the beloved childhood cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios, that is). This is Chex Mix's honey nut rendition of it — complete with a sweet and salty medley of the corn and wheat Chex, pretzels, vanilla breadsticks, and sugary cookies. 

Based on the label and components, I got the impression that this mix was going to be more sweet than it was going to be savory. And, indeed it was. It didn't make my eyes bug out of my head like the super-sweet Funfetti Muddy Buddies did, but it did leave a saccharine overtone on my taste buds and tongue. Moreover, it tastes like the cheap, bagged snacks that a school cafeteria would hand out to pacify hungry children in the middle of the afternoon. There's no vanilla, no honey, or really anything going on besides the vague sweetness. I missed the "salty" component that was promised on the label, which really would have helped balance this snack mix plead its case. The pretzels had the potential to balance out the flavors here, but they were coated in too much sugar to be considered "savory." 

The traditional Chex Mix is the undisputed OG. And I can say that it was my favorite flavor going into this ranking. There's just something very special about this blend, which includes crisp breadsticks, rye chips, cereal, and pretzels. Oh, and don't even get me started about how sublime of an experience it is to get your hands on one piece of cereal that's dressed to the nines in a beautiful layer of umami-rich seasoning. 

Sure, this Chex Mix variety might feel "plain" when it's paired with the other flavors on this list. But, the traditional Chex Mix is proof that the brand can do one thing well — so is there really an imperative to deviate from that? After trying so many different variations of Chex Mix for this review, I can't help but call the traditional Chex Mix "average." Although it's been my go-to for so many years, I wasn't really impressed by its flavor, not-crisp-enough pretzels, and textural diversity enough to rank it any higher. But, I was somewhat glad that it was an adequate mix, as there was nothing particularly "wrong" with it that could send it to the bottom of the pile. Predictable, yes — but exciting? No. 

I will admit that I am an absolute fiend for sour cream and onion chips (especially the kettle-cooked ones). So, I was a bit surprised to see that Chex Mix also offers a sour cream and onion-seasoned snack mix. The variety contains all the same components as the original mix, but with a different, oniony seasoning blend. So fear not; you won't have to abandon your rye chips any time soon.

I was really impressed by the flavor balance that the brand was able to achieve here. I could even see the little flecks of green onion on the chips. This flavor was easily transmitted to the cereal chips — which was lovely. However, by the third mouthful, I just felt that I was eating the traditional Chex Mix; that sour cream and onion flavor just evaporated into nothing. Chex Mix could safely double its seasoning and have a stellar product that would appeal to sour cream and onion chip lovers everywhere. But until it makes this seasoning more prominent, I can't consider ranking the sour cream and onion Chex Mix any higher. 

I'm not a fan of barbecue chips, so I can't say I was looking forward to trying and tasting this snack mix. Like some of the other varieties, it's just a flavor spinoff of the OG traditional Chex Mix — but this time, it has a honey barbecue coating on it. 

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this snack mix. For once, Chex Mix balanced two competing (yet complementary flavors) — sweet honey and tangy barbecue sauce — and managed to do it quite well. The bites were refreshing rather than monotonous, and the coating remained on my taste buds even after I finished chewing it. It left an indelible impression on me in more ways than one. 

The biggest complaint I have is that the Chex Mix is a bit dusty and left a residue on my fingers — but all barbecue-seasoned things do that. Overall, barbecue chip lovers will enjoy this honey BBQ Chex Mix flavor — you can consider me impressed. However, it didn't have the same addictive pull as the top-ranking Chex Mix products did. 

I've never tried a Buffalo chicken sandwich or any sort of Buffalo-flavored chicken product. But, I do know what Buffalo wing sauce tastes like, and I was excited for the spicy kick that it could bring to a bland and boring bag of Chex Mix. This product seemed more thought-out than the other Remix flavors; it includes seasoned cereal pieces, ranch-seasoned wing puffs, toasted breadsticks, and buffalo-seasoned Chex cereal. 

Like the other Remix flavors, though, Chex Mix knew what it was trying to do here. The puffs in the Buffalo sandwich Remix mix are actually shaped like chicken drumsticks, which makes them feel like a more purposeful addition to this snacking mix — especially compared to the random cheese puffs in the cheesy pizza and zesty taco-flavored mixes. Moreover, I think that Chex Mix was really able to accomplish something special with the balance of heat from the Buffalo-seasoned cereal and the breadsticks. Every bite was diverse, interesting, and really delivered on that authentic Buffalo flavor. 

Admittedly, though, I'm not a fan of spice. So, the heat level here was a little too much for my liking; its overpowering and front-loaded flavor meant that it was one that not everyone could enjoy. It was, for that reason, that I had to place slightly lower than the other Remix flavors on this ranking. 

The zesty taco sounds like it would be a good name for a grungy Tex-Mex bar, let alone a name for a snack mix. But, once you consider the components here, you'll find that its name kind of fits. Taco-seasoned cereal pieces, cheese puffs, corn shell chips (knock-off Fritos), and salsa-flavored cereal make up its base. 

Again, what's with those cheese puffs? Maybe Chex Mix just needed a way to extend its product a bit farther with a filler. These puffs, along with the seasoned corn chips, were holding this snack mix back. The taco-seasoned and salsa-seasoned Chex Mix surged ahead in this product and really brought home touchdown after touchdown. Their flavor was bold, but not intrusive, and taco-esque, without being too artificial. 

But, we all know the rules of teamwork: You're only as strong as your weakest player. And, the puffs and the chips didn't do this mix any favors. Unlike the other snacks I sampled, I would certainly buy it again, though it's not my favorite of the Remix varieties. It was only able to nudge out the Buffalo sandwich because its flavor was slightly more balanced and approachable. 

I love cheese pizza, and I love Chex Mix. So, could I love the two together, especially when all the complicated and nuanced flavors of the Italian-American classic is turned into a flavor dust? In each bag of this pizza Remix flavor, which is one of the brand's newer additions, you'll find "pizza sauce Chex," garlic and herb Chex, pizza crust bagel chips, and cheese puffs. I can understand the first three additions, but the cheese puffs feel wildly out of place.

But, while eating it, I found that every component of this snack mix really held its own. The cheese puffs were about as close as you can get to name-brand nacho cheese puffs (which is a relief, considering how awful the cheddar Chex Mix's cheese triangles were). Oh, and those pizza sauce-covered cereal pieces? I could simply eat them by the bag; they almost melt in your mouth with every bite. While I doubt anyone would confuse the flavor of this pizza with a high-end and greasy New Haven-style pizza, it's by far the most addicting Chex Mix I sampled. 

I purchased all of these bags of Chex Mix from Amazon, rather than a grocery store, to ensure that I could cover as many Chex Mix products as possible. When it came to tasting, I first sampled each individual component of the snack mix, like the pretzels and the cereal, before trying a random handful of each bag to see how the flavors melded together with each bite. 

The primary factor that I considered in establishing this ranking was flavor. It wanted each variety to taste like the flavor that was advertised on the bag. Moreover, I wanted a balance of textures that kept things interesting, as a good snack mix should, and a bag that I could return to time and time again without getting bored. There should be something novel and enticing about each mix that could keep me coming back and distinguish it from the other snack mixes.