There are some recipes that are quintessentially Christmas recipes and, in our family Nuts and Bolts is one of them. So much so we knew we had to create a Gluten Free version for those family members who can’t have gluten. After workshopping our recipe, we think we have the perfect combination of everything.
Last week, when we posted our recipe for Nuts and Bolts containing gluten, we mentioned that most of our family members make Nuts and Bolts for Christmas and although the family all knows how to make it and what goes into it, we didn’t have Grandma’s actual recipe written down. Well, we got quite the surprise when my uncle read the post and informed us that he did have a recipe from Grandma. It turns out that not everyone knew what went into Grandma’s version of Nuts and Bolts. Hers has HP (may contain gluten) and Tabasco sauce and celery salt, Mom and I were flabbergasted. So, I reached out to one of my aunties to see if Grandma had ever given her a recipe, after looking through her recipes she found one. It was like Uncles but different enough that I think Grandma had been making it a little bit different every year. We will get around to making Grandma’s version eventually but in the meantime, we will be making my mother’s version.
To have the recipe perfected in time for Christmas we were making it over the summer, and we thought to ourselves, why do we only make them for Christmas? It is after all a party mix and is a perfect snack for game night. Why not serve it at a Grey Cup gathering, or a Superbowl party? I can’t think of a better snack to munch on while watching football. So, remember, Nuts and Bolts are not just for Christmas, they can be enjoyed year-round!
Let’s talk a little about what goes into this delicious party mix. With our gluten version we use Shreddies, Cheese Nips, pretzel sticks and Oatmeal O’s (Cheerios). We wanted to make sure that we could find something that was the gluten free equivalent for each of our ingredients.
To replace the Shreddies we used Rice Chex, for the Cheese Nips we found cheddar star puffed crackers by Made Good. We were a little nervous that the star puff crackers would not hold up to the butter, but they were a perfect substitution. We used Glutino pretzel sticks and for fun we added some pretzel bites we came across in the gluten free isle in our grocery store. To replace the Cheerios, we used Whole O’s by Nature’s Path. They are made with rice instead of oatmeal which is important as some with Celiac disease are unable to eat oatmeal. The wild card in this was the gluten free cornflakes, we used Corn Flakes that were also made by Nature’s Path. I thought they would work well in the party mix because they are very sturdy compared to regular cornflakes and they have a concave shape that I thought would grab hold of the butter and spices and they did. We might even add them to our gluten recipe they were that good.
Now, I am sure that this recipe with stir up a bit of a debate within the family, as unlike many other family members we do not like to add peanuts. I grew up with peanuts in my nuts and bolts, but they were never my favourite. As it turns out they are not anyone’s favourite in my immediate family which is why we no longer add them. If you would like peanuts in your mix just substitute a cup or two of one of the other ingredients with peanuts, check to make sure they are gluten free!
We need to discuss one more ingredient, Worcestershire sauce. You need to make sure that you read the label as some brands do contain gluten, never assume something is gluten free, it hides in many things. Please note that we have not been paid by any of the brands mentioned above, we just wanted you to know what was used in this recipe. We hope that if you don’t make them for Christmas, you find another reason to make this yummy treat.
3 cups Rice Chex
2¼ cups Gluten Free Cheese Star Puff Crackers
2 cups Gluten Free Whole O’s
2 cups Gluten Free Stick Pretzels
2 cups Gluten Free Corn Flakes
1 cup Gluten Free Pretzel Bites
½ cup Salted Butter
2-3 tbsp Gluten Free Worcestershire Sauce (Heinz)
1 tbsp Onion Powder
½ tbsp Garlic Powder
The trick with Nuts and Bolts is to make sure that the butter and spices evenly coat the mix. We used to just melt the butter and add everything in, but we noticed that the spices would separate from the butter. This year mom had a bit of a Eureka moment and we have come up with a way of preventing that separation.
Melt butter in a microwave safe measuring cup. In a separate measuring cup combine the Worcestershire sauce, onion, and garlic powder until it forms a thick paste.
Add a little butter at a time to the paste whisking vigorously until all the butter is added.
In a large bowl combine the rice Chex, 0’s, stick pretzels, star puff crackers, Whole O’s cornflakes, and pretzel bites. Pour ¼ of the butter mixture over the dry mix gently stirring, repeat this process until the butter mixture is gone. Next, pour mixture into a roasting pan or spread evenly over a baking sheet. We have a rather large baking sheet which is approximately 21½” by 16” but you could spread it cover two regular baking sheets. Just make sure that the baking sheets fit into your oven without touching each other.
Bake in a 250°F oven for 1-1½ hours gently stirring every 15 minutes. The mixture will darken in colour and should be dry. We always do a taste test to see if the pieces are crunchy. Keep in mind if they are still warm, they may still seem a little wet. If you are unsure remove the mixture from the oven, allow it to cool before testing it again. If it still needs a bit more time throw it back in checking the mixture every 5-10 minutes. Enjoy.
Gluten Free Nuts and Bolts
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rice Chex
- 2¼ cups Gluten Free Cheese Star Puff Crackers
- 2 cups Gluten Free O's
- 2 cups Gluten Free Stick Pretzels
- 2 cups Gluten Free Corn Flakes
- 1 cup Gluten Free Pretzel Bites
- ½ cup Salted Butter
- 2-3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- ½ tbsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- The trick with Nuts and Bolts is to make sure that the butter and spices evenly coat the mix. We used to just melt the butter and add everything in, but we noticed that the spices would separate from the butter. This year mom had a bit of a Eureka moment and we have come up with a way of preventing that separation.
- Melt butter in a microwave safe measuring cup. In a separate measuring cup combine the Worcestershire sauce, onion, and garlic powder until it forms a thick paste.
- Add a little butter at a time to the paste whisking vigorously until all the butter is added.
- In a large bowl combine the rice Chex, 0’s, stick pretzels, star puff crackers, cornflakes, and pretzel bites. Pour ¼ of the butter mixture over the dry mix gently stirring, repeat this process until the butter mixture is gone.
- Pour mixture into a roasting pan or spread evenly over a baking sheet. We have a rather large baking sheet which is approximately 21½” by 16” but you could spread it cover two regular baking sheets. Just make sure that the baking sheets fit into your oven without touching each other.
- Bake in a 250°F oven for 1-1½ hours gently stirring every 15 minutes. The mixture will darken in colour and should be dry. We always do a taste test to see if the pieces are crunchy. Keep in mind if they are still warm, they may still seem a little wet. If you are unsure remove the mixture from the oven, allow it to cool before testing it again. If it still needs a bit more time throw it back in checking the mixture every 5-10 minutes. Enjoy
