Easy Vintage Haystacks Candy

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!

‘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 Butterscotch Haystacks 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 is also a retro recipe that I’ve had 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.

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• Peanuts (I like to use the small, red-skinned Spanish peanuts for this, but dry roasted also work.)
• Butterscotch Chips (Purchase a good quality brand. I typically use Nestle.)
• Peanut Butter (You’ll want smooth peanut butter for this recipe.)
• Chow Mein Noodles (I recommend La Choy brand, unflavored, chow mein noodles. Look for these in the aisle with the Asian cooking ingredients.)

Melt the Chips

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

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

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Bark
• Quick and Easy Fudge
• Mounds Bars Candy
• Classic Peanut Brittle
• Salted Butterscotch Fudge
• Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Brittle
• Pecan Pralines
• Homemade Marshmallows
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Paté
• Bacon and Pecan Topped Toffee
• Toffee Bars (a.k.a. Redneck Toffee)

📖 Recipe

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