The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
Haystack cookies are a no-bake recipe. They’re easy to make and can be served year-round and during the holidays.
It costs approximately $6.77 to make these cookies. The recipe makes twenty-six cookies, which cost around $0.26 per cookie.
Haystack Cookie Recipe
These cookies are made with only four ingredients and no oven! This is an easy, no-bake recipe that your kids can make all on their own.
Haystack Cookies are popular around the holidays, but you can easily customize them for any occasion. Add some red and white sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, green sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day, and red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. There are no limits!
This Haystack Cookies recipe will become your new go-to when you need a quick dessert to share with friends or something extra for your holiday tray. They take fifteen minutes of active prep time. Be sure to pin the recipe so you can quickly access it to use it again and again!
What You’ll Love About Haystack Cookies
- Texture: The crunchy chow mein noodles are the perfect addition to the smooth and creamy chocolate peanut butter combo. You can even add in some pretzels or nuts for another added crunch.
- Sweet and Salty Flavor: You can never go wrong with a sweet and salty pairing. The salty chow mein noodles mixed with the sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips are a match made in Heaven.
- Kid-Friendly Recipe: This recipe is so simple that your kids can make it on their own. From start to finish, this is a fun and easy recipe they can master quickly.
- Easy Preparation: These no-bake cookies come together in just fifteen minutes. You will find that even a beginner can make these cookies because minimal cooking skills are required.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips – $1.15
- 11 oz bag butterscotch chips – $2.98
- 3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter – $0.15
- 12 oz bag chow mein noodles – $2.49
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in September 2023.
How To Make Haystack Cookies
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Then, add the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and peanut butter in a large bowl.
- Next, melt the ingredients for one minute in the microwave and then stir together. Continue heating for twenty to thirty-second increments and stirring until the mixture is almost melted.
- Next, stir the chocolate until smooth and mix in the chow meain noodles.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the mixture into mounds and place them on the baking sheet.
- Allow the cookies to set for one to two hours.
- Finally, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and store them in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Haystack Cookies Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Nut Butter Variations: Instead of or in addition to peanut butter, use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a different flavor profile.
- Chocolate Variations: Experiment with different chocolate chips such as milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate.
- Nut Add-Ins: Add chopped nuts like peanuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts for extra crunch and flavor.
- Coconut: Incorporate shredded coconut, toasted or untoasted, to add a tropical twist to your haystack cookies.
- Cereal Options: Instead of chow mein noodles, try using other crispy cereals like cornflakes or rice cereal for a different texture.
- Mini Marshmallows: Fold in mini marshmallows for a delightful twist, creating a s’mores-inspired haystack cookie.
- Decorative Toppings: Before the cookies set, decorate the tops with colorful sprinkles or drizzle with melted chocolate for a festive touch.
Serving and Storage Tips
SERVE: Keep the cookies in an airtight container after they have hardened until you are ready to serve them.
STORE: Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
FREEZE: Flash-freeze the haystack cookies on a lined baking sheet for 1-2 hours until firm. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to airtight containers or freezer-safe bags, separating layers with parchment paper if needed. Freezer for 2-3 months.
Haystack Cookies Recipe FAQs
Sometimes, you have to call it like you see it. These cookies are called exactly what they look like haystacks. The chow mein noodles make the cookies resemble a mini pile of hay. So, to keep it simple, they are called Haystack Cookies.
This could be a result of burning the chocolate during the melting process. It is important to melt the chocolate in twenty to thirty-second increments, stirring between each cycle, to avoid burning the chocolate.
These cookies are made with four simple ingredients: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, creamy peanut butter, and chow mein noodles.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Involve your little one in dumping the ingredients into the large mixing bowl. Then, work on counting skills with them as they count the number of cookies you scoop onto the baking sheet.
Ages 4-5: Teach your child how to use the microwave. Supervise them as they stir the melted chocolate mixture.
Ages 6-8: Have them pre-measure all of the ingredients for the recipe.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
Haystack Cookies are an affordable treat whenever you need to make something quick. You probably have most of the ingredients on hand already!
More No-Bake Desserts
- Fruity Pebbles Treats
- Broken Glass Jello
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons
- Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
- Butterscotch Ice Cream – No Churn Recipe
- No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- No-Bake Chocolate Oat Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Fudge
- Crockpot Candy
- Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Haystack Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing spoons
- cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 11 oz bag butterscotch chips
- 3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 12 oz bag chow mein noodles
Instructions
PREP BAKING SHEET:
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
MAKE COOKIES:
- In a large bowl, combine butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and peanut butter.
- Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, stir and continue heating for 20-30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is almost melted.
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until smooth.
- Stir in chow mein noodles until well coated.
SCOOP AND SET COOKIES:
- Using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, work quickly to divide the mixture into mounds on the lined baking sheet.
- Let the cookies set until hardened, about 1-2 hours.
- Remove from the sheet and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Carrie Robinson says
Such a classic sweet treat! And I just love that these are also no-bake. 🙂
justine says
So easy to make as no bake with the kids. So good during the holidays.
Anjali says
This was such an easy recipe, my daughter was able to make it herself and these cookies turned out perfectly – sweet, crunchy and delicious!
Kristine says
Not only are these cookies adorable, they are yummy! We enjoyed every last one of them, haha!
Kathleen says
These quick and easy haystack cookies are a perfect addition to my Holiday cookie tray.