One Of The Best New Snacks Of 2026 Is A Chex Mix Alternative From A Popular Pretzel Brand

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From being a decade-defining snack in the 1950s to continuing to be to a staple of both family gatherings and road trips, party mix has proven to be a timeless snack. While Chex Mix has become a genericized trademark used to describe any combination of pretzels, nuts, corn cereal squares, and other salty goodies, the original version made with Chex cereal remains the best store-bought snack mix. But that's not to say there aren't equally tasty alternatives — and one of the best that you can buy right now is the new-for-2026 Dot's Snack Mix, built around Dot's delicious Original pretzel twists plus a handful of other great ingredients.

In addition to Dot's Seasoned Mini-Pretzels, Dot's Snack Mix also contains Dot's Cheese Pita Chips, Seasoned Corn Cereal, and garlic rye chips. And it is already proven to be a hit with customers. "Our family loves it! Deliciously seasoned and crunchy. New favorite snack mix!," read one Walmart customer review. "Hands down the best snack mix on the market right now. The flavor and crunch are spot on, and every handful delivers. In my opinion, it rivals and honestly even beats Chex Mix," wrote another.

On a Reddit post titled "Dot's Snack Mix is 10/10. Everything I wanted Bold Chex Mix to be," one person confessed, "I can't buy them because I can't stop eating them once I start." And when it comes to a snack like this, there's no higher praise than that.

Like any popular snack, Dot's original blend has already inspired several variations. A new holiday-themed limited edition of Dot's Snack Mix  trades the bold, cheesy, garlicky flavors of the original for cinnamon and sugar. This is perfect for those who like more sweetness in their savory treats, or like party mixes that lean more dessert than snack.

The holiday Dot's Snack Mix is actually quite different from the original in terms of components, rather than just having a sweet version of all the same things. It contains Dot's Cinnamon Sugar Seasoned Mini-Pretzels of course, but also includes kettle corn, chocolate crisps, and mini chocolate chip cookies. It's unlike any sweet party mix we've ever seen, and is already racking up the praise. 

"Love this mix! make it permanent," reads a 5-star review on Walmart. And we couldn't agree more. While none of the components are inherently "Christmassy," Dot's Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels are already a year-round product on their own, so there's no reason this mix shouldn't be as well. Especially since, in our ranking of Dot's Pretzel flavors, we actually declared the Cinnamon Sugar superior to the Original.