Don’t get me wrong, baking is great but sometimes you just need a quick and easy, no-fuss, and no-bake dessert or treat that you know everyone will love! Enter my Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks!
The cute haystacks have been around for a long time and most of us are familiar with the butterscotch haystack recipe but have you tried mixing things up a little with some chocolatey goodness?! If not, then allow me to introduce you to a dynamite duo that will elevate your haystacks to new heights.
These Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks include a mix of milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. The flavor combination is a match made in a sweet-tooth heaven and will only take you 15 minutes to fully assemble.
With minimal ingredients and hardly any time required, these no-bake Chocolate Haystacks are an easy treat to enjoy with the family or to be served at parties. Dress them up with some sprinkles and added ingredients or keep them simple – either way, they’ll be flying off the table in no time!
If you love easy and delicious chocolate treats like these haystacks then you’re going to want to try my Peanut Butter Chocolate Eggs and Easter Bunnies.
These chocolate butterscotch haystacks consist of crunchy chow mein noodles that are covered with melted chocolate and butterscotch chips and left to set hard. They are much-loved chocolatey treats, often enjoyed around the Christmas holidays but many adaptations to this recipe mean that they can easily be made for various holidays and occasions.
While the Chocolate version of haystack treats is particularly popular during Christmas time, there are other variations to this recipe that you can enjoy, some of which are suited to specific holidays:
- For an Easter Haystack: This Chocolate Haystack can also easily resemble a bird’s nest with a little positioning on your cookie tray. Add candy in the shape of eggs and Peeps marshmallows to place on your haystack nest for a cute Easter-inspired haystack treat!
- For a Valentine’s Day Haystack: Use white chocolate instead to cover the chow mein noodles and then sprinkle your haystack with pink and red sprinkles of your choice or colored sanding sugar!
- For a Halloween Haystack: Color some white chocolate with green food coloring and fix some spooky candy eyes around your haystack while it’s setting!
- For a Nutty Haystack: Add salted peanuts (about ½ cup), and peanut butter (about ½ cup) to this recipe, and omit the chocolate chips unless you want a chocolate peanut butter haystack.
Store these Chocolate Haystacks in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. In both cases, you should ensure that they are kept in airtight containers.
To prevent your Chocolate Haystacks from sticking to the bottom of the container, line the container with a sheet of parchment paper.
No, the chow mein noodles used in this recipe are not gluten-free but you could source gluten-free brands to make these chocolate butterscotch haystacks gluten-free.
- It’s important that you don’t burn the melted chocolate and butterscotch chips while microwaving the ingredients otherwise you’ll end up with a solid and clumpy mixture that won’t incorporate with the noodles. To prevent this, don’t heat for more than 30 seconds at a time and stir well between each interval.
- You can substitute peanut butter chips or milk/semi/dark chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips.
- Fold your chow mein noodles into the chocolate butterscotch mix instead of vigorously stirring as excessive stirring is likely to break the noodles and you’ll end up with short matchstick piles instead of haystacks!
- While this recipe makes 12 haystacks, you can easily double the ingredient quantities if you are catering to a larger crowd or wish to make more ahead of a busy holiday season.
- While you need to be gentle with the melted chocolate and butterscotch haystack mixture, if you take too long to incorporate the noodles, the mixture may become hardened through cooling. If this happens, simply pop the mixture in the microwave for 15-30 seconds and then continue to fold the ingredients.
- Make sure to assemble your haystacks on a parchment-lined cookie tray. It will prevent them from sticking to surfaces and will create ease of transferring your haystacks to the fridge or freezer for faster setting if preferred.
Other No-Bake Desserts That You’ll Love!
Chocolate Butterscotch Haystacks
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 5 oz. container of chow mein noodles
Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until chips are mostly melted.
- Stop heating and continue stirring until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
- Stir in a full container of chow mein noodles. Stir gently until all the noodles are fully coated in the chocolate mixture.
- Use two spoons to scoop small piles of the “haystack” mixture onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Allow the haystacks to set and solidify before serving.
- Storage:
- Keep leftover haystacks in a cool location (or in the fridge or freezer). They will stay good for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container.
Notes
- Be careful not to burn the chocolate and butterscotch chips when heating in the microwave.
- Stir the chow mein noodles into the melted chocolate-butterscotch. Some will break and that’s okay.
- Easily double this recipe if serving a larger crowd.
- Soften the haystack mixture for 15-30 seconds in the microwave if it starts to get too hard to work with.
- Always use parchment paper to line the tray. It will help prevent mess and the haystacks from sticking to any surface you add them to.
Nutrition
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