Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (2024)

Appetizers | Christmas Recipes | Recipes | Snack

ByJo-Anna RooneyPostedUpdated

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This Easy Nuts and Bolts is a delicious salty and garlicky mixture of cereal, pretzels, nuts and chips! Makes a big batch.

Nuts and Bolts is a staple snack in our home during the holiday season! Made with 15 cups of different cereals, crackers, chips and nuts, this delicious snack will disappear quickly!

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (1)

A Classic Nuts and Bolts Recipe

My Mom has been making Nuts and Bolts at Christmas for as long as I can remember. It’s one of those snacks that has become associated with the holidays and it doesn’t feel like Christmas without them! So this year because we won’t be seeing my parents for Christmas, I decided to make a big batch of Nuts and Bolts for my own family and wanted to share the recipe with you.

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (2)

Make it your way!

The great thing about Nuts and Bolts is how easy the recipe is to change to suit the tastebuds of your family. We definitely have our own favourite additions, and things we don’t like, so I made this batch to reflect that. I used 4 different kinds of cereal: Chex, Crispix, Cheerios and Life. I also added 2 cups of mini cheese crackers, 2 cups of salted nuts, 1 cup of pretzels and 2 cups of Bugles. But you can add all of your favourites…some people love Shreddies in their Nuts and Bolts, others leave out the nuts. The key is to have 15 cups total…how you get there is up to you!

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (3)

Salty and Garlicky!

These Nuts and Bolts are the perfect balance of salty and garlicky. We don’t like our Nuts and Bolts too garlicky, so I have only added 2 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder to this recipe. If you love garlic, feel free to bump that up to 3 or more teaspoons. And for saltiness, I use a seasoning salt like Lawrys or Hys.

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (4)

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (5)

For the Holidays and Beyond

Not only are Nuts and Bolts a holiday staple, but they’re perfect for game day parties too! This recipe makes a pretty big batch (and it’s easily doubled), so it’s great for feeding a crowd. Enjoy!

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (6)

Nuts and Bolts Recipe Tips:

  • Cereal: I have listed cereal options below, but honestly, you can add what ever cereal you like. Chex, Shreddies, Life Cereal, Cheerios, Crispix.
  • Sweetness Tip! If you want a little sweetness in your Nuts and Bolts, try adding Honey Nut Cheerios or Honey Chex to your mix.
  • Crackers: I used mini cheese crackers and sticks in this recipe, but you can use any mini cracker.
  • Nuts: I like to add salted mixed nuts to this recipe.
  • Seasoning Salt: I use either Hys or Lawrys seasoning salt for this recipe.
  • Spices: Love garlic? Feel free to add more!
  • Baking: Make sure to stir the mixture every 15 minutes or so during the baking process.
  • Other delicious additions: Substitute any of the ingredients below with things like Shreddies, Fritos Corn Chips or Hoops. The key is to have 15 cups total.

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (7)

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This recipe takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to make, but make sure to let the Nuts and Bolts cool for at least 30 minutes before snacking!

  • Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 75 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 14 cups 1x
  • Category: Snack

Ingredients

UnitsScale

  • 4 cups bite-size corn and rice square cereal (like Crispix or Chex)
  • 2 cups Life Cereal
  • 2 cups cheerios
  • 2 cups small crackers (or cheese crackers)
  • 1 cup small pretzels
  • 2 cups Bugles
  • 2 cups mixed salted nuts
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp seasoning salt (like Lawrys)
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl combine all of the cereals, crackers, pretzels and nuts. Set aside.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  4. Then whisk in the garlic powder, seasoning salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well blended.
  5. Drizzle the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, and mix until the cereal is evenly coated with the seasoned butter.
  6. Spread the cereal mixture onto a baking sheet so that the mixture is in a single layer…you don’t want the layer too thick or the mixture won’t bake evenly. If you have too much, use 2 baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes making sure to stir every 15 minutes.
  8. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before snacking!

More Delicious Snack Recipes:

  • No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Squares
  • No Bake Chocolate Cereal Squares
  • Even Better Than Starbucks Oat Bars
  • Chewy Date Oat Bars
  • Caramel Popcorn

Have a delicious day!

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (9)

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (10)

Jo-Anna Rooney

Hi I'm Jo-Anna Rooney, the creator, director, baker, maker and home decorator here at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs! I'm sharing a simple home life through fresh and easy recipes and uncomplicated home tips and home decor.

Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do you use for nuts and bolts? ›

My personal favourite choices are Cheerios, shreddy, pretzel sticks, peanuts, Goldfish, Cheezits, pecans, and Worchester sauce. Nuts and Bolt have a long history dating back to the early 1950s.

What can I use instead of bugles in nuts and bolts? ›

If you don't have Bugles or prefer an alternative for your Nuts and Pretzels snack mix, you can substitute them with another type of crunchy snack or chip. Some good alternatives to Bugles include corn chips (such as Fritos), mini ice cream cones (without the ice cream, of course), or even rolled tortilla chips.

How long is homemade Chex Mix good for? ›

Make Ahead Instructions: Chex mix tastes freshest when served within 2-3 days of making it, but it will last stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Freezing Instructions: Chex mix freezes great! Store in freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.

What is a substitute for Crispix cereal? ›

Sometimes I use a mix of Chex cereals if I'm out of Crispix. I like the recipe with less salt as well, the pretzels and butter add just enough.

What lubricants to use on nuts and bolts? ›

Castrol Stick Wax

tubes or a case of 24 tubes (enough to do three to five thousand nuts). For best results, apply wax as a couple stripes along the threads where the nut will thread onto the bolt.

What material are nuts and bolts made of? ›

Steel is the most common material used for making nuts and bolts and fastener materials. Apart from this Alloy; Steel, Silicon, Bronze, Brass, Aluminum, Chrome, Titanium, Plastic and other exotic materials are also being used for manufacturing of this product.

Why were Bugles banned? ›

Bugles were discontinued in Canada in early 2010 due to a decrease in customer demand, but were soon brought back in November 2011 due to a renew in demand.

What can I use if I don't have a nut? ›

Seeds – a nut-free source of roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds makes a great replacement for nuts in granola bars, breads, and “butters”.

What is a good substitute for Bugles in snack mix? ›

These are a delicious corn chip that holds up well to this recipe and provides the salty crunch to the snack mix. If you can't find Bugles, you could use pretzel twists or another corn chip like Fritos.

Is it cheaper to make or buy Chex Mix? ›

Homemade Chex Mix Is Cheaper AND More Delicious Than The Store-Bought Stuff. Chex Mix offers variety: the crisp cereal, toasty pretzels, the unique crunch of the bagel chips. This homemade recipe puts the store-bought to shame.

Why is Chex Mix not in Canada? ›

Chex has really not caught on as a brand in Canada. Although many other products of General Mills, like Cheerios, are very popular, Chex is seen as a “niche” product. General Mills has five factories in Canada, and that means that they really can't afford to produce their entire product line up here.

How do you keep homemade Chex Mix from getting soggy? ›

To avoid soggy Chex mix, make sure to toss the ingredients well with the butter mixture and spread out on a large pan. Keeping toasting in the oven and tossing until the Chex mix is well-coated and dry. It will further dry out as it cools.

What is the most heart healthy cereal? ›

Which Breakfast Cereals Really Help Your Heart?
  • Barbara's Puffins. This cereal is low sugar, high fiber, and great tasting. ...
  • Bob's Red Mill Crunchy Coconut Granola. ...
  • Cascadian Farms Hearty Morning. ...
  • General Mills Cheerios.
Oct 5, 2023

Did Crispix get discontinued? ›

A variation of original Crispix introduced in late 2001 in the US known as Cinnamon Crunch Crispix was described by Kellogg's as a "[c]rispy corn and rice cereal with a cinnamon taste." Cinnamon Crunch Crispix joined a number of cereals discontinued by Kellogg's after disappointing sales.

Why is Crispix so good? ›

We love the crunchy texture, savory flavor, and the hint of sweetness in every bite.

What kind of chips are Bugles? ›

Original Bugles

Lightly salted and uniquely crunchy, our very first cone-shaped corn snacks have stood the test of time and remain one of America's favorites! MAY CONTAIN MILK AND WHEAT INGREDIENTS. Details: Crispy cone-shaped corn snacks.

What is the alternative to double nut? ›

HARDLOCK Nut similar to double nutting prevents relative thread movement by eliminating the gap between the threads. But unlike double nutting, the HARDLOCK Nut jams the threads in the transverse direction not the axial direction. This is achieved by “Wedging” the two nuts together.

What do you screw nuts on? ›

Nuts are fasteners with threaded holes that secure to bolts, screws or studs and hold parts together. Once securely fastened, a nut prevents axial movement in connected materials.

What material are Bugles? ›

These have a heavy copper body, which has the optimum tonal qualities required in this instrument. Bugles are the simplest brass instruments and can usually be seen in military camps for indicating schedules and routine activities.

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