Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks
These chocolate salty sweet Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks are a riff on one of those old school sweet butterscotch holiday treats.
Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks Recipe
These sort of old school confections always make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Most often, haystacks are made using a mixture of butterscotch flavored chips and peanut butter but, this variation features chocolate and peanut butter in lieu of butterscotch. The original buttery butterscotch haystacks like this recipe for butterscotch haystacks from Fountain Avenue Kitchen, are often found on holiday goodie trays and always a crowd favorite but, for a non seasonal treat chocolate is the way to go. How to make Candy Haystacks with chow mein noodles:
- Chocolate – Use a really good brand of chocolate chips for this easy haystacks recipe. You can use milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips. I used milk chocolate chips.
- Peanut Butter – I used creamy Jif peanut butter. You can use your favorite brand.
- Noodles – Chow mein noodles are crunchy and usually found on the Asian aisle.
- Peanuts – Salted cocktail peanuts.
- Flavoring – Vanilla extract balances the chocolate.
How to Make the BEST Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks
This sort of easy drop candy utilizes ingredients that are easy to find. From time to time, you may like to use a different ingredient to see what version you like best. They’re a tasty no-bake treat for any special occasion and are often requested by my kids for their birthdays. They’re quick and easy to make and there’s no oven time required.
- Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks: Milk chocolate chips, chow mein noodles, creamy peanut butter, peanuts and vanilla extract.
- Kitchen tools you’ll need: Double boiler or microwave safe bowl, measuring cups and spoons, sheet pan lined with a silicone mat or wax paper and a nut chopper or sharp knife and cutting board.
- Is There an Alternative to Chow Mein Noodles for Haystacks? Through the years, I’ve heard of some cooks making butterscotch haystacks using Fiber One cereal in place of the chow mein noodles. While I understand the thought behind that variation the old school chow mein noodle version is my absolute favorite.
- I’ve also seen recipes using potato sticks in place of chow mein noodles. Again, I highly recommend sticking with the noodles. That said, if someone has a gluten allergy the potato sticks might work perfectly.
- As mentioned above, you can use any flavor of chocolate chips that you enjoy to make these haystacks. You could also use butterscotch baking chips as used in the original butterscotch haystacks recipe. Haystacks have been served as a simple Christmas candy for eons and it all began with butterscotch.
- I recommend using creamy peanut butter for this recipe since we’re adding peanuts to the mixture, anyway. Creamy peanut butter combines with the melted chocolate more easily than crunchy peanut butter.
- Store Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They may keep even longer if kept airtight.
More Easy Candy and No Bake Desserts to Make
- You may also like to whip up a batch of these vintage No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with 1000 names. Each one spells delicious.
- Classic Southern Divinity Candy filled with pecans.
- Toffee Peanut Clusters are certain to become a family favorite.
- Enjoy these Bourbon Pecan Pralines as a decadent sweet Southern treat.
- You can tint these Easy Cream Cheese Mints in any color to suit the occasion.
- Sweet and Salty Potato Chip Clusters are impossible to resist.
- Always a fan favorite no bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars.
- Butterscotch Candy from Imperial Sugar.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks
Ingredients
- 24 oz chocolate chips [milk/semi-sweet/dark your preference]
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 3 cup chow mein noodles
- 1 3/4 cup cocktail peanuts divided
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Melt over simmering water until smooth then add the peanut butter and vanilla.
- Mix until the peanut butter is fully combined with the chocolate.
- Pour the chow mein noodles and 1 1/2 cup cocktail peanuts into a separate mixing bowl. Finely chop the remaining 1/4 cup cocktail peanuts, set aside.
- Pour the melted chocolate and peanut butter over the chow mein noodles and peanuts.
- Use a large non-stick spatula and mix until fully coated. Drop in clusters using a Tbsp onto wax or parchment paper.
- Immediately sprinkle each haystack with the reserved finely chopped peanuts while the chocolate is still wet.
- Chill until set. Store chilled.