Spicy Snacks: Chex Mix Hot & Spicy and Spicy Dill
Bottom Line: The Hot & Spicy Chex Mix is an old favorite that delivers a kick, and the Spicy Dill Mix will certainly satisfy dill pickle fans.
Chex Mix has been on store shelves since the 1980s, based on the holiday-favorite recipe you can find on the back of most Chex cereals. Over the years, quite a number of variations of the mix have been come and gone, though just recently they seem to have been limiting the options when it comes to that snack. The Hot & Spicy version, a particular favorite of mine, disappeared from shelves for a while, but it has now returned in family-sized bags at Walmart stores. And it has been joined by another version with a kick: Spicy Dill.
The Hot & Spicy mix at Walmart is basically the same as what used to be available, and it includes Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, Spicy Dill Chex, Round Pretzels, Square Pretzels, Squiggle Breadsticks, and Rye Chips, all kicked up with spicy seasoning. But there is one main difference: they have now added what they call “Hot & Spicy” pieces, which are heavily seasoned Chex squares similar to what you find in the Chex Max’d bags typically only available in convenience stores (you can read my review of the Hot Buffalo mix here).
The Hot & Spicy pieces have less of the hot sauce tang than the Hot Buffalo version, but they’re still quite good. The rest of the mix seems very similar to the prior Hot & Spicy version, delivering a nice peppery kick with a little bit of sweetness to balance that out. It is certainly a flavorful snack and has a decent kick, coming in around Medium on my scale. But I seem to remember this being a little hotter in the past, so they may have toned it down from the prior recipe.
As for the Spicy Dill mix, it has the same pieces as the Hot & Spicy, along with the amped-up “Spicy Dill” squares. These are very similar to the Spicy Dill Max’d (you can see my review of those here), with just a slightly different assortment of crackers. And just like that option, this delivers some good dill pickle flavor along with a touch of sweetness and a nice pop of heat. Dill pickle fans will certainly be satisfied, and those looking for some heat will find this goes beyond Medium on my scale and is approaching Hot.
I’m not certain if these are limited-time items, but I do know that Walmart has cycled through other Chex Mix flavors in these family-sized bags in the past. I plan on stocking up on the Hot & Spicy mix since I can’t find that anywhere else these days. I may also buy a bag or two of the Spicy Dill, but those are close enough to the Max’d version that I know I can still find them while traveling.
Nutrition Info:
Hot & Spicy Chex Mix
Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Whole Wheat, Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid), Vegetable Oil (soybean, palm kernel, high oleic soybean, high oleic canola, high oleic sunflower, palm, palm olein and/or fractionated palm), Maltodextrin, Sugar, Rye Flour. Contains 2% or less of: Whey Powder, Salt, Yeast, Spice, Natural Flavor, Dried Cayenne Pepper Sauce (cayenne pepper, vinegar, salt, garlic), Yeast Extract, Corn Starch, Cheddar Cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), Baking Soda, Color (paprika extract, red 40 lake, caramel color), Dextrose, Garlic Powder, Distilled Monoglycerides, Onion Powder, Soy Lecithin, Yellow Corn Flour, Malted Barley Extract, Barley Malt Syrup, Trisodium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Spice Extract, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Modified Corn Starch, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Sodium Diacetate, Calcium Lactate, Sodium Citrate, Fumaric Acid, Caraway. Freshness Preserved by BHT.
Serving Size: ¼ Cup (34g)
Calories: 150
Fat: 5g (2g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 25g
Sodium: 220mg
Spicy Dill Chex Mix
Ingredients: Degermed Yellow Corn Meal, Whole Wheat, Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid), Vegetable Oil (soybean, palm kernel, high oleic soybean, high oleic canola, high oleic sunflower, palm, palm olein and/or fractionated palm), Maltodextrin, Sugar, Rye Flour. Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Whey Powder, Yeast, Dextrose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Starch, Spice (chile pepper), Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder, Cheddar Cheese (milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), Baking Soda, Vinegar, Distilled Monoglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Color (paprika extract, yellow 5 lake, blue 1 lake, caramel color), Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Malted Barley Extract, Barley Malt Syrup, Trisodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Dill Weed, Onion Powder, Soy Sauce (wheat, soybeans, salt), Sodium Diacetate, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Fumaric Acid, Caraway. Freshness Preserved by BHT.
Serving Size: ¼ Cup (34g)
Calories: 150
Fat: 5g (2g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 25g
Sodium: 250mg