No Bake Haystack Cookies

By
Katie Workman
Katie Workman
Award-winning food writer, blogger, and author of two cookbooks. She frequently appears on broadcast media sharing her expertise.
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Updated on 10/17/21
No-Bake Haystack Cookies

The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 15 servings
Yield: 15 cookies

No-bake cookies are fun to make all year round but are especially perfect for the summer. Who wants to fire up the oven on a hot day? Luckily, you don't have to swear off sweets when the temperatures rise. Use your microwave or a double boiler to whip up some crunchy, chocolatey, nutty haystack cookies.

Haystack cookies get their name from their resemblance to stacks of hay in the field. They are one of the quintessential no-bake cookies and for a very good reason—they are delicious, easy, and a crowd-pleaser. Chocolate, butterscotch, and peanut all come together for a decadent treat. The chow mein noodles and peanuts add crispy crunch and just a hint of salt. You could try these with all chocolate or all butterscotch, swap for white chocolate, or use crushed pretzels instead of the peanuts to give them your own twist.

Enlist the kids to help make these cookies since there's no oven time involved. They're great for a party, potluck, picnic, bake sale, or for sticking in a school box.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter, crunchy or smooth

  • 1 (6-ounce) package chow mein noodles

  • 1 cup peanuts, unsalted or lightly salted, lightly crushed

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    No-Bake Haystack Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler set over medium heat. Alternatively, add to a heatproof bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring until melted.

    melt butterscotch and chocolate chips in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

  3. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until well combined.

    peanut butter added to the butterscotch and chocolate mixture in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

  4. Combine noodles and peanuts in a large bowl. Pour butterscotch-peanut butter mixture over and stir to combine. All of the noodles and nuts should be coated.

    The butterscotch-peanut butter mixture poured over the noodles peanuts in a large bowl

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

  5. Drop mixture by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet. Allow to fully set before serving. In warmer months, this is best done in the fridge. If chilled, let sit at room temperature for several minutes before serving. 

    No-Bake Haystack Cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

How to Store

  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Haystack cookies can be frozen in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 2 months. Defrost before enjoying. Note that the cookies will not be as crunchy after being frozen.

Tips

  • To crush the peanuts, place them in a sturdy zip-top bag, press the air out, seal, and whack it with a rolling pin or mallet. Don’t crush them into a powder, just break them into slightly smaller pieces. You could also use the food processor to pulse them a few times to make chunks.
  • If you don’t have a double boiler you can make one by nestling a metal or heatproof glass bowl over a pot with an inch of water in the bottom. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Bring the water to a simmer and stir the chips frequently until they melt.

Recipe Variations

  • Make them nut-free by leaving out the peanut butter and peanuts and tossing in some extra chocolate or butterscotch chips
  • Use salted peanuts for a sweet and salty treat
  • Use all chocolate chips or all butterscotch chips
  • Replace the chocolate or butterscotch chips with white or dark chocolate chips
  • Replace the peanuts or some of the chow mein noodles with pretzel rods
  • Replace the peanuts with a different nut, mini M&Ms, or even crushed potato chips
  • Stir in some mini marshmallows
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
185 Calories
10g Fat
24g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 15
Amount per serving
Calories 185
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 12%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 157mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 11mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 77mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)