My mother-in-law made a batch of these homemade bits and bites and it suddenly dawned on me… we used to make these all the time but somehow it totally fell off my radar. I’ve decided it’s time to revisit this little treat. It’s easy, yummy, and it makes A LOT, but you can totally make this work in your favour.
1) If it’s packaged up in a little tins it makes a nice little gift for school friends, neighbours, work friends.
2) It freezes well. Toss everything in large freezer bags and pull it out when you have company over.
It’s not as fancy as this candied nut recipe (I like to bring that one along as a hostess gift this time of year) but homemade bits and bites are a lot cheaper, AND they are appreciated by kids and adults alike.
As an extra bonus, this recipe is super forgiving as it pertains to tastes and nut allergies. You basically toss in whatever you like! I don’t usually add peanuts (my MIL did in the batch pictured above) or cheese crackers (like goldfish) but you can add both if you’re keen. We’ve made this with regular Cheerios, no-name brand, honey-nut Cheerios, Shreddies, Chex, Crispix … whatever! Bulk stores are your friend here. You can tinker with the quantities too.
Bits and Bites party mix recipe
4-5 cups Cheerios
4-5 cups Shreddies
6 cups pretzels
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons chili powder (optional)
4-6 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
1. Place your rack in the lower position and preheat the oven to 250°F. Get out your turkey roaster, or a foil pan used for this purpose.
2. Combine the cereals and pretzels in your roasting pan.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and spices and stir well to combine. Drizzle over the cereal mix and stir well to coat.
4. Bake for about 1-2 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes with a wooden spoon. Let cool and pack into freezer bags.
5. That’s it! You’ll have enough to last you from now until Christmas I bet!