Browned Butter Furikake Chex Mix

This Browned Butter Furikake Chex Mix recipe was originally posted in November 2017. I’ve updated the post to include more photos and hints on substituting ingredients in the snack mix.

Furikake Chex Mix is ​​a delicious snack mix coated in a sweet glaze and a Japanese spice called Furikake (ふりかけ). There are many types of furikake, but a typical mix includes roasted, chopped seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and other spices. Furikake often also contains dried fish flakes for umami flavor. Furikake is a magical condiment that you can sprinkle over many foods like rice, vegetables, fish, and even a sweet chex mix!

I often make the Furikake Chex mix for large parties because it’s easy to make and a crowd pleaser. When I first made the Chex blend for my family, my mom and sister were so excited they immediately asked me for the recipe! They enjoyed the delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors and the irresistible crunch of granola and pretzels. This furikake chex mix keeps well for a week or two, so they make great gifts, too.

DEVELOPING MY FURIKAKE CHEX MIX RECIPE

USE MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD OF CORN SYRUP

To make a furikake chex mix, you need to make a sweet glaze. When I first learned how to cook this dish, I was following recipes that used a significant amount of sugar and corn syrup for the glaze. I don’t cook with corn syrup often, and I found it silly to buy a bottle just to make a batch of Chex mix. Also, I found the Chex mix from these recipes to be a bit too sweet for my liking.

Over time, I started experimenting with the glaze, omitting the sugar entirely and substituting maple syrup for corn syrup. I loved the results! The slight hint of caramel flavor in maple syrup goes so well with the glaze.

BROWNING THE BUTTER

On a whim, I decided to brown the butter for the glaze rather than just melt the butter. I found that the malty flavor in the browned butter complemented the maple syrup in the glaze very well and enhanced the overall flavors of the Chex mix.

To brown butter, melt the butter in a saucepan over the stove. Continue to heat and stir the melted butter until the milk solids in the butter begin to brown. Once the butter starts to brown, pay close attention to the butter as it can go from brown to burned very quickly.

Once the butter begins to turn from a caramel brown color to a darker brown (like the color of medium roasted coffee beans), turn off the heat. I like to add the maple syrup to the saucepan right away to prevent the butter from further browning and possibly burning.

CHEX MIX INGREDIENTS

You can make the Chex mix with any combination of granola, nuts, and savory snacks you like. In the original recipe I posted in 2017, I used a combination of corn chex, pretzels, and mixed nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, and almonds). I like to change things up every once in a while by adding popcorn or bugles to the mix, which I note in the recipe. I’ve even seen some people add honeycomb granola or goldfish crackers. Feel free to play around with the snack mix ingredients.

BE PATIENT WHILE BAKING THE CHEX MIX

I like to bake the furikake chex mixture at 250ºF (120ºC) for 1 hour. I know it’s tempting to turn up the heat to speed up the baking time, but resist the urge! Baking the chex mix at a lower temperature for a longer period of time makes the snack mix extra crunchy without burning the sugar.

HOW LONG DOES THE FURIKAKE CHEX MIX SHELFLY?

This chex mix will keep in an airtight container for 1 to 2 weeks.

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Servings: 12 People

Author: Lisa Lin

Browned Butter Furikake Chex Mix

This Furikake Chex Mix with Browned Butter is a delicious sweet and savory snack that everyone will love. It will keep for a good 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container, making it a great gift. In my original recipe (posted 2017) I only used chex, pretzels, and mixed nuts in the snack mix. I modified the recipe slightly to allow for the addition of popcorn. If you want the original recipe amounts, see note 1. I also doubled the amount of vanilla I used in the original recipe.Feel free to substitute any ingredients in the snack mix. When making these substitutions, measure ingredients by volume rather than weight. For example, swap out 2 cups of pretzels for anything else you’d like.A full batch of this recipe serves 10 to 12 people. If you don’t want to make such a large batch of Furikake Chex mix, you can halve the recipe.

preparation timefifteen minutes

cooking time1 Hours

ingredients

• 1/2 Cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 2/3 Cup (205 g) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or use tamari if gluten free
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt, or 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• 8.5 ounces (about 7 cups) Corn Chex, can substitute Chex with 50/50 corn and rice
• 6 ounces (about 4.5) pretzel turns
• 12 to 13 ounces (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups) raw mixed nuts
• 4.5 ounces (about 4.5 cups) unsalted popcorn
• 1/2 Cup (45 g) Furikake, (see note 2)

gear

• 2 large 15″ x 20″ jelly roll pans, (see note 3)
• parchment paper
• 2 large mixing bowls

instructions

• Preheat the oven to 120ºC (250ºF). Position the oven racks in the upper third and lower third. Line 2 large jelly roll pans with parchment paper. Put them aside.

• Brown butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, continue to heat it until it starts bubbling feverishly. Stir the butter frequently to keep it from burning. Gradually, the milk solids on the bottom and sides of the pot will begin to turn golden, like caramel. Reduce the heat slightly and keep stirring to avoid burning. Once the milk solids begin to turn the color of medium to dark roasted coffee beans, turn off the heat and add the maple syrup. Adding the maple syrup right away will help keep the butter from browning further, as the solids can turn black and burn very quickly at this stage. It usually takes me about 2 to 3 minutes to brown the butter after it’s melted (less time if you’re making a half batch).

• Finish the glaze: Add the soy sauce (or tamari), vanilla and salt to the saucepan and whisk together. Remove the pot from the oven.

• Add snack mix: Divide the corn chex, pretzels, and nuts between 2 large bowls. Mix the contents in each bowl.

• Add glaze & furikake: Divide the glaze between the two bowls. Use 2 spatulas to toss the dry ingredients and brush with the glaze. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup furikake into each bowl. Throw again to spread the Furikake.

• Bake chex mixture: Spread the furikake chex mixture onto the lined baking pans. Bake for 1 hour, stirring halfway through the baking time. Be sure to swap the position of the baking pans as well.

• Allow chex mixture to cool: Remove the baking molds from the oven. Allow the chex mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring to prevent clumping. You can sprinkle more furikake over the chex mixture if you like. Chex mixture will crisp up as it cools.

• Reserve Furikake Chex Mix in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks if it lasts that long.

Remarks

1. the original recipe uses 12 ounces of corn chex, 8 ounces of pretzels, and 12 ounces of mixed nuts. I also only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the glaze.
2. I can usually find this type of Furikake in the Asia section of my grocery store or any major Asian grocery store. You can find it too Amazon (affiliate link).
3. If you don’t have those extra large jelly roll pans, you can use 2 or 3 large (about 13″ x 18″) baking sheets. If using 2 baking sheets, make sure to stir the chex mixture well halfway through baking to ensure the icing evenly coats the snack pieces. After the chex mixture is done baking, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring to prevent clumping. This step is even more important if you are using smaller baking sheets.

nutrition

Portion: 1.66cups | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 57.2G | Protein: 9.2G | Fat: 23.5G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 7.2G | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 582mg | Fiber: 3.7G | Sugar: 15.5G

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