Chill

No-Bake Butterscotch & Chocolate Haystacks

December  9, 2022
5
1 Ratings
Photo by Food52
  • Prep time 1 hour 10 minutes
  • makes 25 haystacks
Author Notes

My mom is an amazing cook and baker, and she made so many things from scratch while I was growing up: fresh baked bread, perfectly iced cookies, and impressive layer cakes were all in her regular repertoire. But it was these simple, no-bake “cookies” that consistently sold out at school bake sales each year. And (perhaps more importantly), they still get gobbled up by the dozens in my family each holiday season. With just three simple ingredients and no oven time required, these “haystacks” make a perfect addition to a holiday cookie box or platter. They’re also easily adaptable—you can use different combinations of baking chips to make the flavor base—and even sub in different crispy, crunchy options for the noodles my mom opts for. I find them delicious with shredded coconut—sweetened or not (your choice)—toasted for a little extra texture. The classic combination my mom makes is a mixture of semisweet chocolate and butterscotch chips - but she’s also subbed in milk and white chocolate through the years, too. Personally, I’ve tried them with peanut butter chips instead of the butterscotch to rave reviews. The possibilities are endless and the final cookies are really a celebration of texture; they still have a sense of melty and gooeyness from the chocolate, but they are delightfully crisp and crunchy, all the way through. Store the finished haystacks in airtight containers for up to one month. They’ll stay fresh and crisp, if you manage to not eat them all first! —Erin Jeanne McDowell

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No-Bake Butterscotch & Chocolate Haystacks
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces (340g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 12 ounces (340g) butterscotch chips
  • 12 ounces (340g) crispy chow mein noodles or shredded coconut
Directions
  1. Line baking sheets or countertops with parchment paper. 2. In a medium heat-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. You can use the microwave or a double boiler. To microwave, start with 30 seconds, then reduce to 10 second bursts, stirring until the mixture is melted. To use the double boiler, fit a medium, heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water; reduce to summer and use medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until melted.
  2. Add the noodles (or coconut) and stir well until they are evenly coated. Use two spoons to drop 2-3 tablespoon sized mounds of the mixture onto the paper. Allow the haystacks to sit at room temperature until firm, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

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