Haystack Recipe (butterscotch)

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This butterscotch haystack recipe could not be easier! A simple 4 ingredient no bake dessert that takes just 10 minutes to prepare. Crispy, crunchy, chow mein noodles and salted peanut coated with creamy smooth peanut butter and melted butterscotch chips. This simple treat is decadent, crunchy, and irresistable.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This no-bake dessert could not be more simple to make and takes only 10 minutes and a microwave to prepare.
The crunchy salty chow mein noodles and the smooth sweet butterscotch are a perfect match!
An easy last minute dessert to make for parties, picnics, birthdays, and holiday meals.

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What Are Butterscotch Haystacks

Butterscotch haystacks are made from crispy chow mein noodles and a creamy sweet coating like melted chocolate or butterscotch. They are called haystacks because the little pile of chow mein noodles resembles a stack of hay. The coating hardens keeping everything in place and these sweet treats can be enjoyed like a chow mein noodle cookie.

No Bake Haystacks Ingredients

This easy dessert has only 4 common ingredients!

Butterscotch chips
Smooth Peanut butter
Salted peanuts
Chow mein noodles

Variations to Try

Haystacks come in many forms and there are lots of ways to add variety to these crunchy little treats.

Chocolate haystacks – This recipe is often made with semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips instead of butterscotch chips for a rich melt-in-your-mouth dessert.

Extra nutty haystacks – Adding a variety of different nuts to this recipe like pecans, cashews, walnuts, or almonds will add a flavorful nutty crunch to each haystack.

Easter Themed Haystacks – For Easter try forming each haystack into a little nest filled with candy eggs like mini eggs for a fun holiday dessert.

Tips for Making Haystacks

Line the baking sheet with parchment or wax paper for easy cleanup and removal. Do not use aluminum foil, it will stick and tear leaving little bits of aluminum on each haystack.
Take your time mixing in the ingredients to make sure the chow mein noodles and peanuts are well coated in the melted butterscotch and peanut butter.
Lightly brush the spoon with oil or cooking spray to make the mixture easier to scoop.
Melt the butterscotch and peanut butter slowly in the microwave to prevent scorching. Heat on 45-60 second intervals stirring in between each one.

Leftovers and Storage

Haystacks are a great make ahead dessert. Once hardened these treats can be stored at room temperature for up to 7 days until the chow mein noodles start to become stale.

Prepared haystacks can be placed in a freezer bag and stored frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature until soft enough to eat.

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FAQs

Are haystacks cookies?

Haystacks are sometimes referred to as a chow mein noodle cookies.

Where to find chow mein noodles?

Chow mein noodles can be found at most grocery stores in the Asian/Ethnic section. Often near ramen noodles and rice noodles. Sometimes they are sold in bags in the chip aisle.

Are these a no bake dessert?

Haystacks require no baking whatsoever. The microwave used to melt the butterscotch is the only cooking in thai no bake dessert recipe.

Why are they called haystacks?

They are called haystacks because they resemble little stacks of hay like you would find in the fields.

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