Nuts and Bolts Recipe
This Nuts and Bolts Recipe is a flavorsome and crunchy snack that’s excellent for parties or a snack by the handful when you feel like something savory.
This party favorite is super easy to make. Youโll be so impressed with this recipe that combines mixed nuts, pretzels, and breakfast cereal with simple seasonings to create an irresistible snack.

I love making this homemade Nuts and Bolts Recipe as part of a party appetizer featuring Bruschetta with Mozzarella, my Garlic, and Herb Cheese Spread, and my Roasted Garlic Butter to enjoy with crusty bread. The only problem is that youโll never be able to stop at one handful of this delicious snack!
While it is the perfect easy recipe for entertaining, I also love gifting bagfuls to my family and friends over the festive season. Your friends and family will love how tasty this crunchy party snack is; Iโm sure theyโll be requesting more!
Why youโll love this recipe
- Flavor – this recipe is absolutely loaded with flavor. Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder add a deliciously savory note to this party snack.
- Crunch – youโll love the addictive textures in this tasty snack. Between the crispy cereal, crunchy nuts, and crackly pretzels, youโll never be able to stop at one scoopful.
- Simple to make – my Nuts and Bolts recipe comes together quickly and with only a handful of ingredients. Youโll love how easy it is to make this delicious, savory treat.
- Gifting – This makes a delicious gift for your friends and family over the holiday season. Pile some into a jar, seal, and decorate with a red ribbon for a special festive touch!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
- Cheerios – I like the original Cheerios cereal for this recipe, but you can use Honey Nut Cheerios if you prefer.
- Crispix – or Chex cereal is perfect for capturing the seasonings in this recipe. Use whichever variety you enjoy – rice Chex, wheat Chex, original Crispix. I used Honey Crispix for a bit of sweetness, like a sweet and salty Chex mix.
- Salted Mixed nuts – I love almonds, cashews, and peanuts, but you can use any mix of your favorites.
- Pretzel sticks and twists – nothing fancy here, whatever you usually buy.
- Unsalted butter – this is one recipe that definitely requires that you choose unsalted butter because thereโs enough salt in the seasoning.
- Worcestershire Sauce – this savory, tasty sauce adds a real kick.
- Seasoning salt – instead of regular all purpose salt, seasoning salt has more taste and isnโt as salty. The one I use has paprika, garlic, and onion as well as other spices like celery seed, cumin, and coriander.
- Garlic and onion powder – dehydrated powder adds so much flavor and savoriness to this recipe.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250ยบF (120ยบC) and have a large baking pan ready.
Melt the butter, then thoroughly stir in the remaining sauce ingredients.
Combine the cereals, nuts, and pretzels in a large baking pan.
Mix thoroughly with the butter mixture over the combined cereals, nuts, and pretzels.
Bake in preheated oven, stirring regularly for 1 hour.
Allow the mixture to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Hint: Combine the sauce ingredients thoroughly to ensure the flavorings are evenly distributed throughout the nut and cereal mixture.
Substitutions
- Cereal – substitute one of your favorite cereals in this recipe. Some great substitutions are Shreddies or Nutrigrain.
- Flavorsome – instead of seasoning salt, use a dry soup mix (like French onion).
Variations
- Spicy – why not add some red pepper flakes or a hot sauce like sriracha to add spiciness to this recipe?
- Crackers – you could add some tasty cheesy crackers like Ritz, cheez-its, or goldfish.
- Warming spices – a sprinkle of paprika or cumin would add a lovely warming flavor to this Nuts and Bolts recipe.
- Curry – add a few teaspoons of Indian curry powder to this recipe for a delicious variation.
Equipment
You donโt need fancy kitchen equipment to make this recipe, just a large baking pan.
Storage
Once the mixture has cooled, store it in an airtight container. It can last up to 2 weeks or even longer. If it becomes stale, refresh in a hot oven.
Top tips
- Be sure to bake the mixture uncovered in the oven so it becomes perfectly roasted and toasted.
- Donโt forget to stir regularly during cooking so it doesn’t burn.
- Before storing in an airtight container, be sure the nuts, cereal, and pretzels have cooled completely.
FAQ
Party mixes are also known as TV mix, snack mix, Chex mix.
You can use an array of snack items to make this recipe. I have used a mix of nuts, cereal, pretzel bites, and seasonings. There are so many variations, and you can easily substitute snack items of your choice.ย
Serving Suggestions
This Nuts and Bolts recipe, just like my Minestrone and Tortellini alla Panna is so nostalgic, taking us back to childhood. Serve a generous bowl alongside a festive cocktail for the perfect Italian apertivito. Itโs comforting, crunchy and tasty!
Made this recipe?
Please let me know if you liked it by leaving a โ
โ
โ
โ
โ
star rating and a review below. And remember to subscribe to my newsletter – it’s free!
Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix with Cheerios
Ingredients
- 3 ยฝ cups (125 grams) Cheerios cereal
- 3 ยฝ cups (120 grams) Crispix or Chex cereal
- 2 cups (265 grams) salted mixed nuts
- 1 ยฝ cup (70 grams) pretzel sticks
- 2 cups (90 grams) mini pretzel twists
Sauce
- ยฝ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 ยฝ tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 ยฝ tablespoon seasoning salt
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250ยบF/120ยบC.
- Make the sauce first. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, seasoning salt, garlic, and onion powders.
- Into a large, deep roasting pan place the cereal, nuts, and pretzels.
- Pour the sauce (butter mixture) over the cereal mixture and mix well.
- Bake in the preheated oven uncovered for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes until dry and starting to take on a light golden color. It may take 15 or 20 minutes longer.
- Cool before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Instead of Cheerios and Chex, try Shreddies or Nutrigrain.
- Add red pepper flakes or a splash of hot sauce like Sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Mix in cheesy crackers like Ritz, Cheez-Its, or Goldfish for extra crunch.
- Sprinkle in paprika or cumin to give the mix a cozy, warming flavor.
- Stir in a few teaspoons of Indian curry powder for a flavorful twist.
- Be sure to bake the mixture uncovered to ensure it roasts and toasts perfectly.
- Stir frequently during baking to avoid burning.
- Allow the nuts, cereal, and pretzels to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
I added a quarter of a cup of peanut butter, because my cheerios were the honey flavored ones, but I added red pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika, besides the garlic and onion powders. The peanut butter adheres nicely to the mix to get a nice even distribution. The flavor I was shooting for is an Indoesian fav of the Dutch with honey peanut butter and hot spice that they put on their French fries. I avoided making the sweetness to dominate the flavors for traditionalist tastes who expect a salty snack..
Thank you for your detailed comment, Liz. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. Your variation is very interesting!
I made this today for Christmas. It has really lovely flavor. Not too strong or salty. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Joanne!