Easy Nuts and Bolts Recipe (2024)

Appetizers | Christmas Recipes | Recipes | Snack

ByJo-Anna RooneyPostedDecember 28, 2020December 26, 2022UpdatedDecember 26, 2022

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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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine all of the cereals, crackers, pretzels and nuts. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Then whisk in the garlic powder, seasoning salt and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well blended.
Drizzle the butter mixture over the cereal mixture, and mix until the cereal is evenly coated with the seasoned butter.
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.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes making sure to stir every 15 minutes.
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!

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.