Long before you could buy Chex Mix mix at the grocery store, there was the Original (and still the best) party mix ever - spicy, smokey, can't-stop-eating-it Nuts & Bolts. This vintage homemade Chex mix recipe has your holiday snacking covered.
Every year at Christmastime back when I was a child (just after the dinosaurs died) my mother's best friend Mrs Houston would make a giant batch of Nuts & Bolts and give our family a big bag of it.
The only problem with Mrs. Houston's homemade Chex mix was, no matter how big the bag was she gave us, there was never enough. Spicy, smokey, and perfectly seasoned, I could have crunched through handful after handful for breakfast, lunch, and late night snack and still not have had enough.
This post may contain affiliate links, but don't worry - they won't bite.
Many years ago when I preparing for first Christmas in my own apartment, I decided I needed to make some old-fashioned Chex Mix to welcome the holiday season. So, being young and hopeful, I went to the grocery store and bought one of those little Chex Mix seasoning packets.
All I can say is, the premixed seasoning didn't even compare. It was like craving a Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte and instead getting a Hostess cupcake and a jar of raspberry jam.
Luckily, Mrs Houston was still living at the time, so I asked her for the recipe. I wrote it down on a little recipe card, and have since then guarded the card like Charlie's golden ticket, taking it out each November to make the annual batch of our favorite old-fashioned party mix.
How to Make Old-fashioned Homemade Chex Mix
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Nuts: Most people use peanuts in this mixture, but Mr B doesn’t like them, so I use cashews instead.
Liquid Smoke: Do not leave the Liquid Smoke out!
Did you know that Liquid smoke really is made from smoke? Yep. Chips or sawdust from hardwoods such as hickory or mesquite are burned at high temperatures, and particles of the smoke are collected in condensers. The resulting liquid is concentrated down for a stronger flavor.
Liquid Smoke lasts forever, so even if you never use it for anything else, you can keep it in the back of your seasoning shelf and pull it out every year just for this.
Cereals: The cereal choices in this recipe are the traditional ones used in this 1950s heirloom recipe; however, you can mix it up as much as you want!
Pretzels: Thin stick-style pretzels work best.
Prepare the Snack Mix
In a large paper grocery bag, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts together and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and oil together, and then blend in Worcestershire Sauce, Liquid Smoke, and hot sauce.
Slowly pour over the butter mixture over the dry mix in the bag, shaking as you do to cover everything. Sprinkle seasoned salt over everything, shut the top of the bag, and shake the heck out of it.
Oven-bake the Party Mix
Take out the extra rack in your oven if you have one, and put the remaining rack on the bottom or next to the bottom level. Preheat oven to 225°F | 110°C.
Roaster Pan Method:
Pour the mixture into a large (turkey) roaster pan. (It will barely fit.) Place mixture in roaster pan into oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
Using oven mitts, carefully pour mixture into the large paper bag and shake a couple of times. Return mixture to roaster pan and return to oven.
Repeat 4 times, for a total baking time of 3 hours.
Paper Bag Method: (If you don't have a pan big enough.)
Roll the top of the bag down and place the whole thing on a large cookie sheet.
Place the bag on the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Make sure that the top of the bag is at least a few inches away from the top oven element. Bake for three hours, shaking the bag every 30 minutes.
To make things easier when using the paper bag method, we prepare two bags - one full and one empty. Every half hour, we take the hot mixture out of the oven on the cookie sheet, pour it from the full bag to the empty one on the counter, and then put the (new) full one back in the oven. Doing it this way, the mix at the very bottom gets stirred, and we never have a clump of mix that doesn't get stirred.
If you do a half-batch, you can easily make it in a large roasting pan.
Note that this Chex mix recipe makes a boatload and then some, so feel free to pare it down. (However, if you make the whole batch, you'll have plenty to give away as gifts. Maybe.)
Nuts & Bolts • The REAL Original Chex Party Mix
Equipment
- Large Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 1 - 14 ounce box Wheat Chex
- 1 - 12 ounce box Corn Chex
- 1 - 12 ounce box Rice Chex
- 1 -12 ounce box Cheerios about 12 cups
- 1 bag thin pretzels – the stick kind about a pound
- 2 cups nuts (your choice: peanuts, cashews, etc.)
- 1 ½ cups butter
- ½ cup light olive oil
- ½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Instructions
- Take out the extra rack in your oven if you have one, and put the remaining rack on the bottom or next to the bottom level. Preheat oven to 225°F | 110°C.
- In a large paper grocery bag, mix cereals, pretzels and nuts together and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and oil together, and then blend in Worcestershire Sauce, Liquid Smoke, and hot sauce. Slowly pour over mixture in the bag, shaking as you do to cover everything. Sprinkle seasoned salt over everything, shut the top of the bag, and shake the heck out of it.
Roaster Pan Method:
- Pour the mixture into a large (turkey) roaster pan. (It will barely fit.)
- Place mixture in roaster pan into oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Using oven mitts, carefully pour mixture into the large paper bag and shake a couple of times. Return mixture to roaster pan and return to oven.
- Repeat 4 times, for a total baking time of 3 hours.
Paper Bag Method: (If you don't have a pan big enough.)
- Roll the top of the bag down and place the whole thing on a large cookie sheet.
- Place the bag on the cookie sheet into the preheated oven. Make sure that the top of the bag is at least a few inches away from the top oven element.
- Bake for three hours, shaking the bag every 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Need a something sweet to go along with this savory holiday snack? Try our amazing, addictive Soft Caramel Popcorn. This treasured family recipe, affectionately known as Mary's Sticky Popcorn, is the best Soft Caramel Corn recipe ever! (And despite its nickname, it's not sticky at all!)
Have you tried our Almond-Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry? It's a delicious addition to any holiday grazing table!
THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. • Be sure to PIN this post!
Mom says
Thank you sweet daughter. I am soooo giving this recipe to George. He loves chex mix and will insist I have all the required ingredients, including cashews which he loves. I will be smelling it as soon as I get to the store tomorrow. XXOO
Alli says
I remember nuts and bolts from my childhood! Thanks for the memories and have a great SITS day!
Rabia @TheLiebers says
This looks yummy! And I love liquid smoke. It comes in handy for lots of stuff!
Cori O'Shaughnessy says
Love this! My mom used to make this every holiday season (with a little different method). I might have to bring back the tradition this year!
Nicole Nenninger says
Great use of flavorings--I'll have to come up with a gluten-free version. I love these types of mixes!
Wilma Jones says
I remember these from when I was in high school. Nice blast from the past. I may try it at my next party.
Allison B says
Oh man I remember this stuff from when I was a kid. I'm going to have to make it this year. Happy SITS day!
Renée ♥ says
I know just what you mean! Once you taste it, it become one of those very strong taste memories.
P.S. I checked your Family Dinner post and really enjoyed it (said the older mom whose kids can all tie their own shoes). Another truth: family dinners never look like the picture in your head. And that's OK. Great family memories rarely look like the picture.
Laura Townshend says
I've never seen Chex mix made in a paper bag...interesting! Chex mix is one of my all-time fav recipes. My mom (and every other mother in my hometown) made Chex mix for holiday festivities. That time of year was definitely a feast for the snack!
Have a wonderfully happy SITS Day! 🙂
Renée ♥ says
Thank you for stopping in! The paper bag was more of an end-solution: I didn't have a pan big enough to put a whole batch in, and the bag idea worked great, so I just kept doing it.
Kimberly H. Smith says
My mother used to make something just like this when I was a kid! Ha. She called it Trash. We were just talking about it the other day. I'm not sure of everything she used to make it, but I don't think it was much different from yours. Takes me back. AHHH. Visiting from SITS!
Kimberly {Stuffed Suitcase} says
Looks so yummy!! Pinned this one!
Renée ♥ says
Thank you for the pin!
Mamapotamus says
My mother in law makes this and I just love it!
Renée ♥ says
I'm finding that a lot of Moms made this before ready-made Chex mixes hit the scene. I think it's time to revive the tradition!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
I didn't grow up with Chex Mix so I never understood the appeal until I got older, but I always saw it in all of the party planning articles I'd peruse. It's so tasty, and I love that you used cashews instead of peanuts in your recipe! What a great gift to package up and give during the holidays, too.
KRAYL FUNCH says
WHAT!!!? That mouse is the cutest thing I have ever seen!!!
Erin @ Platings and Pairings says
This sounds amazing! I definitely love a good amount of worcestershire sauce in my chex mix - Love keeping hand me down recipes alive!
Ginger R says
I remember this from my youth. My great aunt introduced me to it, she baked it in a large Nesco turkey roaster. and it was called Texas Trash. it did not have liquid smoke but it did have a generous helping of chili powder. I wish i had her original recipe but alas it has been lost.
Mandy @ South Your Mouth says
Your little mousie in the pics is THE BEST thing about my week so far!
Renée ♥ says
So glad he made you happy today!
Noelle says
Love making chex mix for the holiday season! Thanks for the great idea
Renée ♥ says
It's a necessity at our house!
Valerie Rath says
My mom used to make something similar but she called it "Trash" (I think). That was so long ago.
Andrea Metlika says
I've never heard it called Nuts & Bolts but it is delicious! Can snack on this all the time. Your mouse is adorable!
Renée ♥ says
Thank you - it's pretty addicting! As for our mouse, he's a cutie alright!
Renée ♥ says
Texas Trash maybe? Recipes I've seen for that mix are pretty close, but I love the rich, smoky spiciness Nuts & Bolts has - the flavors are so much deeper.
Anita says
This looks like the best thing ever. And it's great that it makes a boat load, because this is so good. 🙂 And now that I know about liquid smoke, it seems like I need to use this stuff more often.
Renée ♥ says
I don't use liquid smoke often, but when I do... ?
Jeffrey Beck says
I can remember my mom making this recipe 50 years ago when I was 10. She never wrote it down, so finding it here was a blessing. It was always her "gift" to friends in the neighborhood and co-workers of my dad. Thank you.
Renée says
I imagine you will have the same experience I do as it bakes in the oven: just smelling this stuff brings back long-gone memories of holidays past. I'm so happy you found your way here!
Lydia C. Pierson says
Renee, you are the first person that I have come across using both Liquid Smoke and Tabasco sauce in your recipe. I made it last week and loved it, again. I hadn't made it in several years; but I remember the LS and TS because that's the only time I use it. I'm trying to fix my recipe to a timeline when I first got mine. How old was Mrs. Houston and when did she give the recipe to you. I have used this since before 1991. I am 76 right now. Thank you for your help!
Renée says
I remember Mrs Houston making Nuts & Bolts for us back in the late 1960’s to early ‘70’s She was probably in her mid-forties at the time.