An easy no-bake recipe with crunchy chow mein noodles and salty peanuts covered in buttery, sweet butterscotch. These eat a lot like chocolate covered pretzels with a perfect combo of salty and sweet!
JUMP TO RECIPENo one in my house can remember what these things are called! And it’s hilarious! Brutus and Husband are having a particularly hard time with it and I have laughed at their expense all week long! Especially since I torture Brutus by telling him he can’t have one until he gets the name right.
They have called them fence posts, hay bales, scarecrows, barn doors, farm boys, straw stumps and more that I can’t even remember.
I grew up with these things so I was shocked when Husband didn’t know what they were. If you’re like Husband and haven’t heard of them, they eat a lot like a chocolate covered pretzel. They’re sweet and salty, creamy and crunchy all at the same time.
Traditional haystacks only have chow mein noodles in them but I like to to add dry roasted peanuts. And packing in a little extra protein is never a bad idea. They lose their haystack shape a little this way but I don’t think anyone minds. Feel free to make them without the nuts – just double the chow mein noodles and the recipe works perfectly.
These always ALWAYS make the baking list at Christmas. They stay perfectly yummy and crunchy for at least a week, if not more. Actually, I don't know just how long they'll keep because we always eat them all!
I like to add them to my holiday cookie/candy trays because they're a nice balance to all the rich chocolate and sugary sweet treats - both in color and in flavor.
MORE EASY NO-BAKE MUNCHIES!
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WHITE CHOCOLATE TRASH - Also called Christmas Crack, this sweet and salty snack mix made with chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts, M&M’s and white chocolate is the perfect treat!
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE FRITO MUNCH - A quick 4-ingredient sweet and salty recipe of Fritos corn chips and chocolate morsels covered in white chocolate and peanut butter then cooled into a candy bark.
Recipe for Butterscotch Haystacks
Butterscotch Haystacks
Ingredients
- 2 11-oz. bags butterscotch morsels
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 5-oz. can chow mein noodles
- 1 1/4 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Melt butterscotch morsels, peanut butter and vegetable oil in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Add noodles and peanuts to a large bowl. Pour butterscotch mixture over noodles and peanuts then gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Use two tablespoons to drop little “haystacks” of the mixture onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Leave haystacks to firm up for approximately 4 hours. Once set, store at room temperature in an airtight container
Notes
You can omit the peanuts and double the chow mein noodles if desired.
Love the idea of adding peanuts. Now I know what to do with the leftover chow mein noodles I have from a chicken salad!
ReplyDeleteWe called these bird's nests or haystacks depending on the occasion they were made for. For Easter they were birds' nests and in the fall they were haystacks. I've heard them called chow mein cookies too.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered your cookbook from Amazon as a Christmas gift to me from me. Each time I need a recipe I come browse your website. Now if I lose my internet connection, I will still be able to figure out what to eat.:)
ReplyDeleteAt Easter time we would make these into little bird's nest shapes in a muffin pan and add 3 jelly beans or malted milk eggs to the centers...so cute. I can't wait to try your addition of peanuts.
ReplyDeleteI made these in home ec class back in the 70's but we used potatoe sticks
ReplyDeleteI've been making these since The Seventies. My Aunt always made them for family parties. They are called "Trifles" in the Betty Crocker Cookbook from back then. I've only ever used Butterscotch Morsels, Chow Mein Noodles, and Salted Cashews in mine. Our whole family loves them! I think I'll try the peanut butter in them! I'm from Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeletesame here.....since '73....from my Auntie....she added about a half tablespoon Crisco to a bag of butterscotch chips, melted over low heat. Then 2 cans of Lachoy noodles and a can of cashews about 11/2 cups were added and then dropped onto waxed paper, chill till set.
DeleteI too, will be trying it with PB.
My grandma made them with the peanut butter and butterscotch chips but instead of oil she used butter and instead of the peanuts she used cashews
DeleteI'm sure they don't really taste like "sweat" do they? ;) Thanks for your lovely commentary and recipes.
ReplyDeleteI make something similar...but use a combo of semi-sweet and butterscotch chips. I swear that when we have them in the house, I hear them calling my name!
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ReplyDeleteMy mom made something similar when I was growing up, but it was a package of butterscotch chips and a jar of peanut butter melted together and then 6 cups of corn flakes mixed in thoroughly; then dropped by the spoonful onto baking sheets and refrigerated. We called them "Mars Munchies" and to this day they are traditional Christmas time treats in our family. I am intrigued by the texture option of the chow mein noodles. I'd probably just use crunchy peanut butter and skip adding whole peanuts. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful idea. I'm not a huge peanut fan and I bet that will do the trick. Texture wise it is so similar to pretzels. I have only had chow mein noodles and bs chips so I will use just the chunky on. Great idea, thank you both for doing all thinking for me.
DeleteThis is my son's favorite candy...After they are set up I drizzle melted chocolate over them.... I call them Muddy Haystacks...lol
ReplyDeleteOh, what a good idea!
DeleteWe did these in Home Ec in high school, but we used potatoe sticks that came in a can.
ReplyDeleteDo they taste like butterscotch or peanut butter
ReplyDeleteButterscotch
DeleteWe always add chow main noodles, peanuts and regular cheerios then drop onto the wax paper. They are delicious. Using crunchy PB doesn't provide the same flavor as regular peanuts. Enjoy! Got to love it!
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