Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (2024)

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There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than by preparing a festive Nuts and Bolts Recipe.

With its finger-licking-good seasoning and satisfying crunch, Nuts and Bolts are traditionally made of a combination of seasoned cereals, nuts, pretzels and other crunchy morsels like sesame sticks or spicy wasabi peas.

The popular Christmas party snack, also known as Nuts n’ Bolts, has been delighting carb, garlic and nut loving snack fans around the holidays for decades!

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Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (1)

What are Nuts and Bolts?

Traditional Nuts n Bolts offer a humorous take on the “nuts and bolts” commonly found in a handyman’s workshop. The holiday snack mix features pretzel sticks (the bolts) and nuts (which take on the form as Cheerios, as well as mixed nuts).

Nuts and Bolts recipes vary wildly based on family tradition but the majority consistently feature Chex and Cheerio cereal as well as roasted nuts and pretzel sticks. The recipe is so easy to customize that many families develop their own signature snack mix each year at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (2)

A Festive Family Snack and Party Mix

Nuts and Bolts recipes were first popularized in America and Canada and are traditionally considered a North American holiday snack or party mix. Today, the popular holiday snack is enjoyed all over the world, 365 days a year!

My sister and I looked forward to the cooler months in Canada as we knew our parents would prepare the families Nuts and Bolts recipe each Thanksgiving. It’s an easy recipe to make with children as it’s fun for kids to dump out all those cereals and nuts. There are no knives or flames required so it’s a safe and fun holiday tradition to enjoy with the whole family. It doesn’t hurt that our Nuts and Bolts recipe tastes great too!

Also known as Holiday Snack Mix and Christmas Chex Mix, the recipe is traditionally prepared in the Fall and Winter. We enjoy serving Nuts and Bolts at the cottage in Muskoka in the summer too!

Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (3)

When To Make Nuts and Bolts

Most people usually dust off their Nuts and Bolts recipe during the holidays as they’re a fixture at Christmas parties.

My family loves our nuts and bolts recipe so much that my parents have extended the “party mix snacking season,” from Canadian Thanksgiving until after Christmas. I love this Chex mix so much that I make it year round, and you should too!

  • Christmas Party: the most popular time of year to prepare a traditional Nuts and Bolts recipe is during Christmas. I like to serve them around the home in separate bowls to encourage guests to move.
  • Thanksgiving Dinner: we traditionally prepare our first Nuts n Bolts recipe of the season during the Thanksgiving holidays. Family and friends who arrive for turkey dinner know to march straight into the kitchen to enjoy pre-dinner snack mix munching.
  • Super Bowl Snacks: if you’re a sports fan, there’s no better way to liven up a beer-sloshed gathering than with a well seasoned snack mix dotted with mixed nuts.
  • Oscar Party: if sports aren’t your thing, you’re likely more keen to gather for an Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy, Emmy, or RuPaul’s Drag Race Party. Serve our Nuts and Bolts recipe and your friends will be licking the bowl clean.
  • Cottage and Camping: if you store your nuts n bolts in an airtight container they’re a great snack to enjoy on your next camping trip. Or if you’re planning to relax at the beach or lazing at the dock during the summer it’s the perfect snack mix to enjoy with a cold beer while tanning.
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Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (5)
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Get Creative with Your Nuts and Bolts Recipe

We’ve spent decades fine tuning our families Nuts and Bolts recipe. Because Nuts n Bolts are an easy to prepare party mix, you can add or remove ingredients to best suit your taste.

  • Vegan Nuts and Bolts Recipe: if you eat a plant based diet, tinker with the ingredients in the Nuts and Bolts sauce. Swap out butter for a mixture of coconut oil and olive oil.
  • Gluten-free Nuts and Bolts Recipe: if you’ve got Celiac it’s easy to prepare a gluten-free nuts and bolts recipe. Many of the cereals today are made of oats, rice and corn. Simply swap out pretzels and Shreddies for your favourite gluten-free options and enjoy!
  • Nuts and Bolts for Garlic Lovers: I’ve met many nuts n bolts lovers who add twice the amount of garlic in their recipes. Feel free to kick it up a notch until you’ve got the desired punch of garlic for your palette.
  • Nut-free Nuts and Bolts: for those allergic to nuts you can absolutely leave these out. Replace the nuts cup for cup with additional cereal, or find a crunchy nut-free substitute such as wasabi peas.
  • Dill Flavoured Ranch Nuts and Bolts Recipe: I’ve been to a few Christmas parties where the snack mix was flavoured with homemade ranch. It’s a perfect idea for those who love dill!
  • Healthy Nuts and Bolts Recipe: the easiest way to make our Nuts and Bolts recipe healthier is by cutting back on the butter. When my parents prepare Nuts and Bolts for our family during the holidays they cut out half the fat. The nuts and bolts will be more dry and less flavourful, you’ve been warned. Another option is to add half butter and half olive oil to your sauce and play around the the proportions to suit your tastes. You can also emphasize healthier nuts and cereal to increase the vitamins and minerals as well as fibre in your nuts and bolts recipe.
Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (7)

Nuts and Bolts Recipe Supplies

Before making Nuts and Bolts you’ll need to ensure you have the correct items in your kitchen. We’ve linked the ingredients and supplies below on Amazon to make your online shopping experience easy.

  • Cheerios
  • Shreddies
  • Crispix
  • Rice Chex
  • Pretzels
  • Cashews
  • Peanuts
  • Hazelnuts
  • Pecans
  • Almonds
  • Sesame Sticks
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Measuring Cups
  • Rubber Spatula Spoon
  • Large Roasting Pan
  • Stainless Steel Pot

How To Make Gourmet Holiday Snack Mix

Nuts and Bolts Recipe

Celebrate the holidays by preparing our festive Nuts and Bolts Recipe. The popular holiday snack mix features seasoned cereals, nuts and pretzels.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chex mix, holiday snack mix, Nuts and Bolts Recipe

Servings: 14

Calories: 222kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Wheat Chex Shreddies
  • 5 cups Corn Chex Crispix
  • 5 cups Rice Chex
  • 5 cups Cheerios
  • 3 cups pretzels
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 1 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 cup almonds
  • 2 cup sesame sticks
  • 2 cups salted butter melted
  • 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250F.

  • Place butter in medium pot and melt over the stove while the oven is preheating.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Stir well to combine.

  • In a large roasting pan combine cereals, nuts, pretzels and sesame sticks.

  • Pour sauce into the roasting pan a half cup at a time, stirring gently to combine.

  • Bake for 2 hours, stirring the Nuts n Bolts every 30 minutes.

  • Once cooled, store the party mix in air tight containers or Ziplock bags.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.4g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 16.3g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 2.8g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 5mg

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Nuts and Bolts Recipe: Easy Holiday Snack Mix | dobbernationLOVES (2024)

FAQs

How do you make nuts and bolts in Dreamlight Valley? ›

After unlocking it, look for almond plants and harvest almonds from them. With each harvest, you'll get two almonds. After grabbing both these ingredients, you can go to any cooking station and make Nuts & Bolts by interacting with the pot.

How long can you keep nuts and bolts? ›

Properly stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, this homemade Chex Mix should keep up to 4 weeks. Just be sure to fully seal the container each and every time. You can also freeze this nuts and bolts in freezer-friendly bags for 3-5 months.

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.

Why did my chex mix burn? ›

Why did my Chex Mix burn? Over-cooking and forgetting to stir the mixture throughout may cause your chex mix to burn. For best results, stir the mixture every 15 minutes while cooking. This ensures the mixture is evenly coated and that no parts of it get burned.

What to do with expired almonds? ›

They may lose some of their oils and become dry but generally still good to use. Your ground almonds aren't that old and as long as they have been stored in a dry place, you can use them. Use up what you've got for home treats like Bakewell tarts, in cakes and homemade marzipan.

What to do with leftover nuts and bolts? ›

Easy Things To Make Out Of Old Nuts And Bolts
  1. Craft A Fun Decorative Snowman. TUTORIAL: DIY Network. ...
  2. Make Industrial Thumb Tacks. ...
  3. Create Some Cool Industrial Drawer Pulls. ...
  4. Craft A Nuts And Bolts Monogram Letter. ...
  5. Decorate A Picture Frame With Old Nuts And Bolts. ...
  6. Make A Tiered Tray.
Nov 21, 2018

Is it better to store nuts in the refrigerator or freezer? ›

When your refrigerator stash is running low, it's time to "refill from the freezer to the jars in the fridge." Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, nuts will last for four to six months, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meanwhile, in the freezer, they'll last for at least one year.

Is it cheaper to buy Chex mix or make your own? ›

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 my homemade Chex mix soggy? ›

Why is my chex mix soggy? You had too much liquid so instead of crisping up in the oven, it just sat on the cereal and pretzels resulting in soggy chex mix. Make sure you are measuring correctly and if you are somehow getting too much liquid, add more dry ingredients (cereal, pretzels, etc.)

How do you freshen stale Chex mix? ›

You can bring them back to an edible state by heating them in the oven. This works wonderfully for snacks like crackers, Chex mix, tortilla chips, pretzels and even whole loaves of bread.

Is Chex mix bad for you? ›

Is Chex mix a healthy snack. In terms of snacks, this one certainly isn't the worst. On the other hand, if you've got high blood pressure, you definitely need to be careful of mindlessly eating it. In just a half cup, traditional Chex mix has 250 mg of sodium.

What is the least favorite Chex mix piece? ›

Other than the rye chip, nothing brought more people together than pretzels — combined, 38% marked the circle and square pretzels as the worst pieces.

Can Chex mix mold? ›

Several factors can adversely affect the freshness of Chex Mix: Exposure to Air: Oxygen can make the mix go stale faster. Moisture: High humidity or moisture can lead to a soggy texture and potential mold growth.

How do you unlock a nut? ›

If you're having trouble loosening a bolt, try using a penetrating oil first to see if this loosens the nut. You could also try hitting it with a hammer to break it loose first, then unscrew it with a spanner. You can also use a wrench to help you turn the nut first.

How do you set up a nut and bolt factory? ›

  1. Double stroke solid die cold forging machine.
  2. Head trimming machine.
  3. Thread rolling machine.
  4. Wire pointing machine.
  5. But tapping machine.
  6. Steel polishing dyer machine.
  7. Bull block wire drawing machine.
  8. Cooler and boiler.

What to make with peanuts in Dreamlight Valley? ›

Grab them and return to the valley, giving the Peanuts to Remy. He'll give you two recipes: Peanut Butter Sandwich and Peanut Butter Waffle.

What gives you nuts and bolts in fortnite? ›

Nuts 'n' Bolts in Fortnite are an important resource for crafting ammo. They can be found in many metal structures around the maps. While you play the game and uncover the map look for cars, fridges, arcade machines, computers,... By destroying them you will almost always get Nuts 'n' Bolts.

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