Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy Recipe (2024)

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ByLana Stuart Published: Last Updated:

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4.96 from 84 votes

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Four ingredients and just 10 minutes are all you’ll need to make this Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy recipe. Crunchy chow mein noodles, butterscotch, and peanut butter collide in this no-bake treat for the holiday season or any time of year. It’s an easy to make vintage candy recipe that’s a perfect combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy!

Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy Recipe (1)

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‘Tis the season for holiday baking and candy making! And though I do enjoy a leisurely day in the kitchen making Christmas candies, I also appreciate recipes that can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

This vintage recipe for No-Bake ButterscotchHaystacks Cookies is one of the quickest and simplest recipes I know. It takes about 10 minutes from getting the ingredients out of the pantry to dropping them onto the paper to cool.

This retro haystacks recipe has been in my files forever. It’s a delightful combination of sweet, salty, and crunchy and makes a lovely addition to your assortment of more traditional Christmas candies.

🛒 Ingredient Notes

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This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

🔪 How to Make Easy Vintage Haystacks

Melt the Chips

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STEP 1. In a large bowl, microwave the butterscotch chips and peanut butter on 50% power for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chips have melted, stirring after each one-minute increment.

👉 PRO TIP: It’s important to use 50% power on the microwave or you’ll wind up with butterscotch chips that have seized or burned. Stir the mixture every minute. Alternately, you can melt the chips and peanut butter in the top of a double boiler.

Stir in the Peanuts and Noodles

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STEP 2. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in the peanuts and chow mein noodles. Stir gently until everything is coated very well. Take care not to break the noodles too much.

Drop Onto a Baking Sheet

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STEP 3. Drop the mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed or parchment paper. Let it sit at room temperature until completely cooled and firm. It may take several hours for the candy to become firm depending on the humidity that day.

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🍚 Storage and Make Ahead Information

  • Make Ahead: It goes without saying that these can, and should, be made in advance.
  • Storage: Best stored at room temperature. Refrigerating the haystacks tends to make them too firm. Place the finished candy in an airtight container and keep for 5 to 7 days (they would be fine for longer but the noodles tend to become stale after a while).
  • Freezing: Not recommended.

🔀 Variations

  • Swap out the peanuts with slivered almonds, chopped pecans, cashews, or walnuts.
  • Use milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or white chocolate chips in place of the butterscotch.
  • Add sprinkles for a pop of color and interest.
  • Drizzle the finished haystacks with melted milk chocolate.
  • For an Easter theme, shape the haystacks into the form of a nest and add a few egg-shaped candies in the center.

❓ Questions About Haystacks Candy

Why is it called “Haystacks?”

These candies are called haystacks because they resemble an old-fashioned stack of hay.

What are “chow mein noodles?”

The chow mein noodles you’ll use in this recipe are the crispy, quick cooked noodles available in most U.S. grocery stores. The most popular brand (and the one used for this recipe) is La Choy.

🧾 More Homemade Candy Recipes

Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Bark

Homemade Southern Pecan Pralines

Saltine Cracker Toffee

  • Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Bark
  • Easy 5-Minute Microwave Fudge
  • Mounds Bars Candy
  • Classic Peanut Brittle
  • Salted Butterscotch Fudge
  • Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Brittle
  • Homemade Southern Pecan Pralines
  • Homemade Marshmallows
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Paté
  • Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee
  • Saltine Cracker Toffee
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More Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

📖 Recipe

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Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy

You’ll need just four ingredients and 10 minutes to make this simple, no-bake Haystacks Candy recipe with crunchy chow mein noodles, butterscotch, and peanut butter.

4.96 from 84 votes

Print It Rate It Save

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 servings

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips (recommend: Nestle Toll House brand)
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup salted peanuts
  • 2 cups chow mein noodles (La Choy brand recommended)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, microwave the butterscotch chips and peanut butter on 50% power for 3 to 5 minutes or until the chips have melted, stirring after each one minute increment.

  • Remove from the microwave and stir in the peanuts and chow mein noodles.

  • Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed or parchment paper. Let sit until completely cooled and firm. It may take several hours for the candy to become firm.

Notes

  • It’s important to use 50% power on the microwave or you’ll wind up with butterscotch chips that have seized or burned. Stir the mixture every minute. Alternately, you can melt the chips and peanut butter in the top of a double boiler.
  • Storage: Best stored at room temperature. Refrigerating the haystacks tends to make them too firm. Place the finished candy in an airtight container and keep for 5 to 7 days (they would be fine for longer but the noodles tend to become stale after a while).
  • Freezing: Not recommended.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 147kcal | Carbohydrates 22g | Protein 5g | Fat 5g | Saturated Fat 1g | Cholesterol 1mg | Sodium 189mg | Potassium 59mg | Fiber 2g | Sugar 7g | Vitamin A 7IU | Calcium 6mg | Iron 1mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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— This post was originally published on December 11, 2012. It has been updated with new photographs and additional information.

Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy Recipe (14)

Lana Stuart

Lana Stuart is the cook, writer, and founder of Lana’s Cooking. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
More About Lana →

Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are haystacks candy made of? ›

It's so quick and easy, using just four ingredients: chow mein noodles, co*cktail peanuts, white chocolate/candy/almond bark, and red and blue sprinkles. All you have to do is melt the candy, combine it in a bowl with the noodles and peanuts, and then place the haystacks on a baking sheet to set.

What are haystack cookies made of? ›

Haystack Cookies are a magical combination of butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate, M&Ms, and marshmallow bits. It doesn't get much sweeter than this!! It all comes together with a secret ingredient that you likely wouldn't expect: noodles!

What is a haystack? ›

A haystack is a pile or bundle of hay. On farms, after hay has been cut, it's formed into haystacks until being fed to farm animals. Haystacks come in different shapes and sizes, including piles of rectangular blocks of hay; rounded bales; and pointed piles of hay.

How do you make a traditional haystack? ›

The Romanian-style haystack is made by stacking dried grass hay upon a bed of branches (4 pallets would work), around a very tall, central pole, which is braced with a tri-pod, and then the hay is stacked very high. The outside of the stack is then raked with a hayrake, to form a thatched outer shell.

Why is it called hard tack candy? ›

The name is derived from "tack", the British sailor slang for food.

What is the difference between Carmel and butterscotch? ›

Similar to caramel, butterscotch is made by heating sugar. The main difference between the two is that butterscotch uses brown sugar instead of white. The ingredients are also combined in a slightly different order for butterscotch: your start out by melting butter with brown sugar.

What makes butterscotch taste like butterscotch? ›

The primary taste of butterscotch comes from its main ingredient, brown sugar, which imparts a deep, caramel-like sweetness. This sweetness is characterised by notes of toffee and a hint of molasses, a complexity due to the molasses content in brown sugar.

What is the main ingredient in butterscotch? ›

Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. Some recipes include corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.

What is cowboy cookies made of? ›

What's in a Cowboy Cookie? A cowboy cookie is basically a souped-up oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips, roasted pecans, and sweetened flake coconut. Former First Lady Laura Bush's recipe included one tablespoon of cinnamon, a unique addition and not typically included.

Why are my haystack cookies dry? ›

If you don't boil the mixture long enough, your cookies may not set properly. On the other hand, if you boil it for too long, your cookies may turn out dry and crumbly. Using a timer for one minute avoids these issues and sets you up for beautiful, perfectly textured no-bake cookies!

What are chocolate haystacks made of? ›

Stir oats, chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk sugar, milk, butter, and salt together in a saucepan; bring mixture to a boil, add vanilla, and remove from heat. Pour milk mixture over chocolate chips mixture; stir until well-combined.

Why is it called Hawaiian haystacks? ›

In the community associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these are better known as Hawaiian haystacks, named for the use of pineapple chunks as a topping.

Are Hawaiian haystacks a Mormon thing? ›

Explore the weirdest Mormon foods like Hawaiian haystacks and funeral potatoes. Discover the unique dishes Mormons create with their food storage.

Do haystacks have needles? ›

Yes, plenty. Haystacks used to be 'sewn' together with rope and a long metal needle. The needle would be pushed into the last stack of the day and have to be found again next day.

What is sea foam candy made of? ›

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, cider vinegar and water in a deep pot. (In other words, everything but the baking soda.) Place the pot over high heat and cover. The lid is essential as its keep the sugar from crystalizing on the side of the pot.

What is candy's made of? ›

Sugar, mainly sucrose from sugar beets or sugarcane, is the major constituent of most candies. Other sweeteners employed in candy manufacture include corn syrup, corn sugar, honey, molasses, maple sugar, and noncaloric sweeteners.

What are butterscotch balls made of? ›

Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. Some recipes include corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.

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