15 Unexpected Ingredients To Add To Your Homemade Snack Mix

There's nothing like digging into a bag of salty Chex Mix to try and grab the perfect ratio of cereal to pretzels to all of the other components in the mix, all to curate the ideal bite. It's a thrill no matter what Chex Mix flavor you prefer. But there is one way to make your snack mix experience even better: Skip the store-bought stuff and make your own version at home. It's not difficult to put together — after all, you're really just mixing up a ton of different snack foods in a bowl — and it allows you to customize the flavors to suit your preferences.

Of course, you can always try to stick to the original recipe as much as possible, but why limit yourself when there are so many different options out there to try? That's exactly why we've decided to compile this list of some of ingredients that are worth adding to your next batch. We're not going to be recommending different pretzel shapes here. Rather, we're digging into some ideas you probably haven't thought of yourself.

So, the next time you're ready to get your snack on, take a closer look at this list. You might just make the best bowl of snack mix you've ever had in your life. You can thank us later.

A lot of the time, when people think about snack mix, they're thinking of a salty, savory blend. After all, most snack mix varieties, like from brands like Chex Mix, lean toward the savory end of the spectrum. But that shouldn't limit you when you're making your own batch. Sometimes, we like to incorporate sweeter ingredients into the mix — like goji berries. They're sweet and have just a hint of tartness, which works well when you're trying to create a totally sweet flavor profile. You can also use them to balance out the salty elements with sweetness, like in our maple-roasted snack mix recipe. 

Not only do goji berries lend the snack some interesting flavors, but the dried fruits also have a distinct chewy texture. We think this works really well with the other crunchy ingredients because you get a bit of a textural contrast. You can always use different types of dried fruit, of course, but if you can get your hands on some goji berries, you won't regret including them in your mix. 

Whether you're trying to work more seeds into your diet or you're just looking for an alternative way to add some crunch to your snack mix, consider pumpkin seeds. They do add some extra nutrients to the snack mix, but we're not just in it for the health factor. Pumpkin seeds also have a lovely, super subtle nutty flavor to them, which plays well with both savory and sweet notes you may have going on in the mix.

If you're using a lot of salty ingredients already — or you're planning on adding salt to the mix in the form of some kind of sauce, paste, or spice mix — then you'll want to opt for unsalted pumpkin seeds. After all, an over-salted snack mix can be less than appealing. However, if you're making more of a sweet recipe (or you just want the overall snack to be saltier), go ahead and pick up some salted pumpkin seeds to include in it.

If you're craving dessert but still want to indulge in a snack mix, try giving your recipe a sweet upgrade. There are many different ingredients that can do this, of course, but our favorite might just be maple syrup. Why use maple syrup and not just sugar? First of all, it's a sticky ingredient, so it can help hold different elements of the mix together and create the sweet clusters that make snacking even more enjoyable. But it also offers a more complex flavor profile than sugar.

Your best bet is to use actual maple syrup for your recipe. Yes, it's more expensive than other types of syrup on store shelves, but that added complexity definitely makes it worth the splurge in our books. Pour that maple syrup into a bowl along with your other ingredients (or just a portion of them if you want to limit the sweetness). Bake your snack mix, and you'll have a sweet, crunchy treat you can snack on whenever you're craving a unique dessert.

There's one special ingredient that can completely transform your snack mix recipe, and it's one that you probably never would have dreamt of including until this moment. That ingredient is duck fat, and believe us when we say that this inclusion will result in the most luscious, decadent, and delicious snack mix you've ever tasted. You'll want to use rendered, melted duck fat, which you can find at a local butcher. Alternatively, you can make duck at home and render some fat from it. 

Mix that duck fat with whatever ingredients you want to include in your snack mix. Stick with the standard additions, like dry cereal, pretzels, and the like, or go wild and include some of the other, less expected ingredients on this list. Bake the snack mix for about an hour, stirring it every so often to ensure all the flavors are evenly distributed and nothing burns, then let it cool before digging in. This may just be the fanciest snack mix you've ever tried.

There are many ways to add nuance and complexity to an otherwise simple snack mix; seasonings may just be the easiest one. You can mix and match different seasonings according to your taste preferences, but if you like smoky snacks, then there's one seasoning you absolutely have to add to the mix: smoked salt. Of course, every snack mix recipe needs some type of salt, but smoked salt is special because it adds that — you guessed it — smoky flavor profile to the snack. This is hard to achieve with other ingredients (unless you're inexplicably adding smoked meat to the mix), so it's worth a try if you're really trying to build an interesting flavor profile.

Just like when you're using any other type of salt, you'll want to taste as you go to ensure you're not making the mixture too salty. And, keep the other ingredients you're using in mind. After all, if you're adding salt in the form of a paste seasoning liquid, you'll want to take it easy on the smoked salt so as not to get a mouth-puckeringly salty snack.

Meat may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of umami ingredients. But there are other ways of adding umami complexity and a more intense, full-bodied flavor profile to your food. One ingredient that can achieve this is one you may already have in your pantry: Worcestershire sauce. Don't worry about how to pronounce it — just make sure you have some on hand to add even more saltiness and umami to your snack mix.

Keep in mind that Worcestershire sauce is quite salty, so make sure to adjust your seasonings accordingly. This is also quite a thin sauce, so you're not going to want to use too much of it. Otherwise, you may end up with an overly salty and soggy clump of snack foods on your sheet pan. You really only need about a teaspoon of the stuff to bring an interesting, unexpected flavor. 

Ranch dressing lovers, do we have a treat for you. You're probably not going to want to cover your snack mix in actual ranch dressing, as that will create a wet, slippery snack that's not ideal for eating with your hands. Even if you opt out of the dressing, you can use ranch seasoning to capture the same flavors in your snack mix. A pre-blended powdered mix is one of the easiest ways to infuse your snack mix with flavor without measuring out a bunch of different spices and components. 

Just a sprinkle of the stuff goes a long way, so make sure you keep tasting as you go to ensure you're not adding too much of the spice blend to your batch. Ranch seasoning contains salt, so pay attention to the other salty ingredients you decide to include in the mix. Once you give this snack hack a try, you may never go back to boring, basic Chex Mix ever again.

There is a world of crunchy snacks out there, and traditional snack mixes only utilizes a few of them. So, why not add some more to the mix? One of the absolute best crunchy snacks out there are chicharrónes, which are crispy fried pieces of pork skin. They're fatty, of course, which lends a lovely richness to the snack mix, but they're also most notable for their pronounced crunch and airy texture. That makes them an ideal addition to your next batch of Chex Mix.

You really don't have to do anything special here to incorporate this ingredient into your mix, since it already works well with traditional Chex Mix flavors. Just buy a bag of chicharrónes and add as many of them as you want to the mixture. You'll be blown away by the flavor and texture they offer the snack, and you may even ask yourself why you never tried this combo before.

Any good savory snack mix recipe is begging for an extra dose of saltiness. Although you can just add more salt, there are more delicious ways to enhance the flavor of your snack — particularly by introducing a fatty, rich ingredient. That's exactly what bacon will lend your snack mix: salty, meaty, umami, and savory goodness. This mostly carb-based snack can really benefit from the addition of something fatty to round out the flavors and to give it a bit more weight. Luckily, bacon can do just that.

But you're probably not going to want to add a whole strip of bacon to your batch of snack mix, since it won't mix well with the other ingredients. That's why we recommend using crumbled bacon. You can either buy bacon bits from the store, which will cut down on your prep time, or you can simply make bacon from scratch and crumble it up yourself. Either way, you'll experience Chex Mix in a whole new light once you try this tasty addition. 

Take a look in your spice cabinet. What do you see? There are probably several good contenders for flavorful additions to your next batch of snack mix, but furikake may not be the first blend that comes to mind. We're here to tell you, though, that furikake can absolutely transform a basic snack mix recipe and turn it into something really special and unexpected.

If you go to your local Asian grocer, you'll likely notice that there are many different types of furikake to choose from. That's because there's no one specific spice blend that makes up this delicious, sprinkle-able ingredient. Rather, different versions of furikake include different ingredients, like fish flakes, dulse, shiitake powder, and wasabi powder. Pick a version of furikake that sounds good to you and combine it with the rest of your snack mix ingredients. You won't be disappointed with the results. 

There are a few ingredients you should always have on hand when you want to infuse flavor into your food — and miso paste is one of them. It's something that we always keep in our fridges for when we're looking for an easy way to up the flavor ante in a recipe. You may assume that miso paste is only for Asian-inspired dishes, but you can use it for a wide variety of foods. And it just so happens that miso paste is absolutely delicious when it's mixed into a snack mix. 

There are different types of miso to choose from, so you may want to try the different varieties to get a better sense of which flavor profile you should add to your snack mix. You'll likely see white, red, and yellow miso paste on store shelves, each of which has slightly different properties. Once you pick the kind of miso you want to use, simply combine it with melted butter or coconut oil and drizzle it over your snack mix. Throw it all in the oven and let it bake, and soon you'll have a deeply flavorful snack mix that tastes way better than the store-bought stuff.

We've discussed savory, salty snack mix variations a lot on this list, but that doesn't mean that we hate the sweet varieties. In fact, there are many interesting ways to upgrade a sweet snack mix, including by stirring in some less-expected ingredients. There's one spice blend that Food Network star Molly Yeh recommends for snack mix recipes, and it's one that you might already have in the pantry. Gingerbread spice, she says, is an interesting addition to your sweet snack mix. It will offer a festive punch of flavor that's particularly delicious around the holidays (but it's also one you can enjoy all year long).

Gingerbread spice is likely easy to find at your local grocery store, so you can simply sprinkle some into your mix if you want to keep things as simple as possible. Alternatively, you can make your own gingerbread spice by combining allspice, ginger, and cinnamon with ground cloves, nutmeg, and a small amount of black pepper.

Snack mix comes in so many different forms, but you probably don't think of it as a meal — or even a very substantial snack. But luckily, there are ingredients you can use to transform it from a simple, snacky food into something a bit heavier and more nourishing. For example, why not try making a charcuterie board-inspired snack mix? It's a fun way to bring some heartier flavors and more filling ingredients into your mix.

Of course, it's not necessarily going to be easy to cut up a bunch of cured meat to add to your recipe. It won't stay good for long and may result in a messy snack that's a bit too oily to eat on-the-go. If you're still going for that meaty flavor, though, consider adding in some beef jerky (or other dried meats of your choice). It makes both the flavor and texture of the snack more interesting, and you don't even have to worry about arranging things nicely on a wooden board. What's not to love?

If you still want to run with the whole charcuterie board-inspired snack mix theme, there are other ingredients you might want to consider adding. Sure, you've got the meaty aspect of the board covered, but what about the cheese? There are some types of cheese, particularly drier varieties, that technically could be included in a snack mix recipe — but they're not ideal if you don't plan on eating all of it in one sitting. Rather, we prefer adding a snackier version of cheese to the mix: cheese crisps.

Cheese crisps may just be exactly what your Chex Mix has always been missing. They're dry and don't have to be refrigerated, but they offer that same cheesy, umami quality that you get from real cheese. Plus, they only add to the crunch factor of the finished snack. Give them a try the next time you whip up a batch of snack mix. 

Toffee isthe sticky sweet ingredient you never knew you needed in your snack mix recipe. You'll want to work with small pieces of toffee, as larger chunks can be quite difficult to chew — which can mess up the overall texture of the mix. We like to use toffee candies, as they are easy to incorporate into the mixture. But feel free to make your own toffee from scratch if you feel so inclined.

Use it in conjunction with other sweet ingredients, like chocolate chips and maple syrup. Alternatively, you can include toffee in an otherwise savory recipe to add a touch of sweetness and balance to the finished snack. Either way, it's sure to soothe your sweet tooth.