Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks

Delightfully crunchy and easily customizable, haystack cookies comprise just three ingredients: chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and chow mein noodles. Not only that, but they don’t require any baking; all you have to do is refrigerate them for a few minutes before they’re ready to serve. Add in nuts, dried fruit or other kinds of baking chips if you’d like, though do keep in mind that the beauty of haystacks is their simplicity. Because these cookies are so easy to make, they’re a fantastic dessert for kids to help with. Keep reading for our tried-and-true haystack cookie recipe.

Ingredients for Haystack Cookies

• Semisweet chocolate chips: Milk chocolate is too sweet for this recipe; semisweet chocolate chips offer the ideal balance of sweetness and bitterness.
• Butterscotch chips: Butterscotch chips taste rich and buttery and pair perfectly with semisweet chocolate chips in these haystack cookies.
• Chow mein noodles: Make sure to use the exact amount of noodles the recipe calls for; otherwise, these cookies will have a dry texture.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

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In a microwave or on the stovetop in a large metal bowl over simmering water, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips; stir until smooth. Gently stir in the noodles.

Step 2: Prepare to serve

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Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper–lined baking sheets. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes or until set.

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Haystack Cookie Variations

• Add your favorite combination of nuts and fruit: Raisins, craisins, dried cranberries, crushed walnuts and cocktail peanuts all work well in this recipe. Experiment with some different combos to see what you like best.
• Use mini marshmallows: Mini marshmallows make for a tasty addition to these cookies.

How to Store Haystack Cookies

Our favorite airtight storage containers can help you store cookies at room temperature, between sheets of waxed paper. If you like, you can also store these cookies in the fridge.

How long will haystack cookies last?

These cookies will last for up to one week at room temperature.

Haystack Cookie Tips

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Can I make these cookies vegan?

Yes, you can make these cookies vegan by using peanut butter and dairy-free chocolate in place of the chocolate and butterscotch chips.

How else can you melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips for haystack cookies?

The microwave or stovetop methods in this recipe are the most popular, but there are other easy ways to melt chocolate. Just take your time and make sure that your tools are completely dry so that no water is introduced.

Is it possible to double this recipe?

Yes, you can double this recipe, though we recommend making two separate batches of cookies instead of combining double the ingredients. We also love making one batch of chocolate haystacks (using only chocolate chips) and one batch of butterscotch haystacks (using only butterscotch chips).