This easy Chocolate Haystacks recipe makes a simple no-bake cookie that uses rich chocolate chips, peanuts, and crunchy chow mien noodles. It’s an old school treat that’s always a huge hit!

As long as I can remember, Chocolate Haystack cookies have been a quintessential no-bake cookies during the holidays. Sometimes called chow mein noodle cookies, they are the perfect sweet and crunchy dessert that uses just a few simple ingredients. Though we have tried different delicious variations of haystacks recipes, like these Peanut Butter Haystacks, this recipe is the classic chocolate with peanuts recipe that’s been around for ages.

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Easy Haystack Cookies

With all the holiday baking at Christmas time, it’s nice to have that one go-to sweet treat recipe to ease your baking stress. Haystacks are such an easy recipe, and everyone loves them-kids and adults alike.

They aren’t just for the holiday season either. They are such a delicious cookie; we make all throughout the year and will add different colored holiday sprinkles depending on the time of the year.

Ingredients in this Haystack Cookie Recipe

ingredients on white counter: chow mein noodles and peanuts, melted chocolate, vanilla, salt

24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can use milk dark)
2 cups chow mein noodles (one large 5 oz. container)
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped (you can use cocktail peanuts)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

How to Make No Bake Haystack Cookies

top: bowl with chow mein and chopped peanuts. Bottom: added melted chocolate with cookie scoop

Place wax paper on a baking sheet or on the counter and set aside.
Place chow mein noodles in large bowl and set aside.
Melt chocolate chips in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute at 50% power and stir.
Continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until chips are melted. If the chips don’t completely melt that’s ok. You won’t even notice in the end result.
Add salt and vanilla and stir to combine.
Pour melted chocolate over the noodles and chopped peanuts and toss until all the noodles are completely coated.
Using two tablespoons or a cookie scoop, drop mixture by the spoonful onto the lined cookie sheet and let cool.

How to Store Chow Mein Noodle Cookies

You can store haystack candy at room temperature. Place them in an airtight container in a single layer for up to 3-4 days. Make them last a little longer by storing them in the refrigerated for up to a couple of weeks.

You can also freeze these cookies for a make ahead snack. Just make sure you wrap them well with plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. They’ll last for up to 2 months. Perfect for having a quick snack on hand when that sweet tooth hits.

Why are they Called Haystack Cookies?

Once you assemble these Christmas cookies and drop them onto parchment paper, the chow mein noodles cause the clusters to resemble little haystacks you’d see out in the middle of a field.

Add-ins and Flavors

There are several flavors and variations of these sweet treats that are all great. Have fun and create your own version with some of these suggestions:

Add-ins: This recipe uses peanuts but you can use any other nuts you prefer, chopped up pretzels, mini marshmallows, quick oats, or puffed rice cereal are all great ideas.

For extra peanut butter flavor, add a little crunchy peanut butter to the melted chocolate mixture before mixing in the noodles. One of my favorite additions it to sprinkle just a tiny bit of sea salt to the top of each cluster before they dry.

Flavors: You can change up the flavors in this haystack recipe easily by using a combination of semisweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, or white almond bark. You use peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips or try a combination of your favorite flavored chips.

Where Can I Find Chow Mein Noodles for Chocolate Haystacks?

Chow Mein noodles are a crunchy, fried egg noodle you can find on the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores.

What are Other Versions of Chocolate Haystack Cookies?

chocolate and butterscotch haystacks on parchment

There are different ways to make haystacks. Some use peanut butter, some don’t. This recipe is for our chocolate haystacks, and we also have a butterscotch and peanut butter version.

Try our crockpot haystacks too that can be used for all the holidays with different colored sprinkles.

Want More Easy Treat Recipes?

Chocolate Haystack Cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

This easy Chocolate Haystacks recipe makes a simple no-bake cookie that uses rich chocolate chips, peanuts, and crunchy chow mien noodles. It's an old school treat that is always a huge hit!

Ingredients

▢ 24 ounces chocolate chips milk, dark, or semi-sweet
▢ 2 cups chow mein noodles one large 5 oz. container
▢ 1 cup peanuts chopped
▢ ½ tsp vanilla extract
▢ Pinch of salt

Instructions

Place wax paper on a baking sheet or on the counter and set aside.
Place chow mein noodles in medium-sized mixing bowl and set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl add the chocolate chips and microwave for 1 minute at 50% power and stir. Put back in microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until chips are melted. If the chips don’t completely melt that’s ok. You won’t even notice in the end result.
Add salt and vanilla and stir to combine.
Pour melted chocolate over the noodles and chopped peanuts and toss until all the noodles are completely coated.
Using two tablespoons or a cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the wax paper and let cool.
Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition

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