Homemade Cheez-It Ranch Snack Mix
, LAST UPDATED Jan 29, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Homemade Cheez-It Ranch Snack Mix is a buttery, oven-baked snack made with Cheez-Its, Goldfish, pretzels, and oyster crackers. It’s seasoned for big flavor, baked low and slow until crisp, and perfect for parties, game day, or anytime you need a salty, crunchy snack.
Looking for more recipes perfect for entertaining? Try out my Caramelized Shallot Dip, Baked Brie with Cherry Preserves and Pistachios, or French Onion Oyster Crackers.
🐝 Quick Look: Homemade Cheez-It Ranch Snack Mix Recipe
- ⏱ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽 Serves: 18 (1/2 cup servings)
- ⚡ Calories: ~161 per serving
- 🍳 Cook Method: Oven-baked
- 🧂 Main Ingredients: Cheez-Its, Goldfish crackers, pretzels, oyster crackers, butter, ranch seasoning
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Buttery, savory, with a subtle sweet-and-salty balance
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Minimal prep and mostly hands-off baking
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big flavor with simple ingredients: This snack mix uses pantry staples and a few classic crackers to create a buttery, savory, ranch-forward flavor without anything complicated or hard to find. Try my French Onion Oyster Crackers for another snack with pantry staples.
- Perfect for parties and game day: Kids and adults will love this recipe, and it’s easy to scale, making it ideal for serving at parties, holidays, or setting out alongside other appetizers such as Loaded Baked Potato Dip or Snickerdoodle Cream Cheese Dip.
- Easy and mostly hands-off: Once everything is tossed together, the oven does most of the work. A quick stir every so often is all it takes to ensure even baking.
- Make-ahead friendly: This snack mix keeps well at room temperature, making it great for prepping in advance and having ready to go for entertaining. Check out my Chipotle Copycat Fresh Tomato Salsa for another make-ahead snack.
- Customizable with your favorite mix-ins: You can easily swap in different crackers or seasonings, as long as you keep the overall volume the same.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients with exact quantities.
- Cheez-It Crackers: I recommend using original Cheez-Its for this snack mix. They hold up well during baking, get extra crisp, and provide that classic cheesy flavor that everyone will love.
- Ranch Seasoning Packet: A dry ranch seasoning packet provides the base flavor for this snack mix. It adds that familiar tangy, herby ranch taste, while the butter and additional seasonings help round everything out so it’s flavorful but not overpowering.
Tips and Substitutions
- Cracker swaps: You can swap in different crackers or pretzels, but aim for about 9 cups total so the seasoning coats everything evenly.
- Stir regularly: Tossing the snack mix every 15 minutes helps prevent hot spots and ensures everything bakes evenly without burning.
- Watch closely toward the end: Ovens vary, so check during the last 10–15 minutes and pull it early if the crackers look deeply golden.
- Adjust the heat: The cayenne adds just a subtle kick, but you can reduce or omit it entirely, or add a little extra if you prefer more heat.
How to Make Cheez-It Snack Mix
See the recipe card below for full instructions and exact amounts.
- Melt the butter, then stir in the ranch seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, garlic powder, and cayenne until fully combined.
- Add the Cheez-Its, Goldfish, pretzels, and oyster crackers to a large bowl, pour the seasoning mixture over top, and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the snack mix to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it into an even layer before baking low and slow, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Let the snack mix cool slightly so it crisps up, then serve or store at room temperature for easy snacking.
Cheez-It Snack Mix FAQs
This snack mix uses a combination of dry ranch seasoning, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and a small amount of cayenne. The ranch seasoning provides the base flavor, while the butter and additional seasonings help balance everything out for a savory, well-rounded taste.
Yes. You can swap in different crackers or pretzels as long as you keep the total volume around 9 cups so the seasoning coats everything evenly. This makes it easy to customize the mix using what you already have on hand.
When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, this snack mix stays fresh and crisp for up to one week. Make sure it has cooled completely before storing so moisture doesn’t get trapped.
This snack mix has very mild heat from a small amount of cayenne. You can reduce or omit it entirely for a no-heat version, or add a bit more if you prefer a spicier snack.
More Snacks for Entertaining
Homemade Cheez-It Ranch Snack Mix
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cheez-It Crackers
- 3 cups Mini Pretzel Twists
- 2 cups Goldfish Crackers
- 1 cup Oyster Crackers
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ounce Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 250°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the Cheez-Its, Goldfish, pretzels, and oyster crackers to a large bowl and gently toss to combine.
- Season: In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, ranch seasoning, sugar, garlic powder, and cayenne until fully combined.
- Coat: Pour the seasoned butter mixture over the crackers and toss well until everything is evenly coated.
- Bake: Spread the snack mix into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until dry, evenly toasted, and crisp.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet. The snack mix will continue to crisp as it cools.
Notes
- Bake Time: Bake until the snack mix is dry and crisp, usually about 1 hour. Ovens vary, so if the mix still feels slightly soft after 45 minutes, continue baking and stirring every 15 minutes until evenly toasted.
- Stirring Matters: Stirring every 15 minutes is key for even coating and crisping. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks or browns too quickly.
- Pan Size: Use a large rimmed baking sheet so the snack mix can spread into an even layer. If your pan is crowded, divide the mix between two pans to help it bake evenly.
- Cooling: Let the snack mix cool completely on the baking sheet. It will continue to crisp as it cools, so avoid transferring it while warm.
- Heat Level: This snack mix has a subtle kick from the cayenne. For a milder version, reduce or omit the cayenne. For more heat, add an extra pinch or a little red pepper flakes.
- Ingredient Adjustments: This recipe uses about 9 cups of crackers total. You can swap in different crackers or adjust the ratios, just be sure the total amount stays close to 9 cups so the seasoning and butter stay balanced.
- Scaling: This snack mix can easily be doubled or halved. If making a larger batch, use a large roasting pan or divide the mix between two baking sheets so it can bake in an even layer.
- Storage: Store completely cooled snack mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If it softens, spread it on a baking sheet and reheat at 250°F for 5–10 minutes to crisp it back up.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Couldn’t stop eating this!!!! So so good. Brought to a party and was a big hit!
This snack mix is such a crowd pleaser and so easy to make! I hope you love it.