Scotcheroo haystacks are crunchy, coated in peanut butter sauce, and absolutely delicious. If you grew up loving Scotcheroos and butterscotch haystacks you’ll love these!
You might also like our haystack cookies, our no-bake peanut butter cookies, or our homemade Twix bites!
Watch our step by step video!
How much do I love Scotcheroos? Let me count the ways:
- Grandma’s Scotcheroos Recipe
- Scotcheroo Birdsnest Treats
- Scotcheroo Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Scotcheroo Truffles
- Scotcheroo Bites
- Chex Scotcheroo Clusters
- Scotcheroo Creme Egg Cookies
I might have a problem, but it’s a good problem to have. There’s just something about the combination of peanut butter, butterscotch, and chocolate. It’s my absolute favorite and today I’m back with yet another delicious combination. I blended two recipes from my grandma to create the ultimate scotcheroo haystack treat.
Scotcheroo Haystacks
Haystacks are typically made from crunchy chow main noodles, melted butterscotch chips, and peanuts. Scotcheroos are made with Rice Krispies cereal, peanut butter, corn syrup, and sugar and are topped with melted butterscotch and chocolate chips.
I ditched the Rice Krispies and sugar and mixed everything else up to create a new treat that I think you’ll love as much as we do!
The crunchiness that we all know and love from haystacks with the chewy peanut butter coating found in scotcheroos. Melted butterscotch and chocolate chips are melted and spooned over each cookie before they are chilled.
Scotcheroo Haystacks Ingredients
- 1 (5 oz.) can of dried chow mein noodles: sounds strange, but trust me—these are delicious and perfect for sweet and salty treats.
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts: unsalted or lightly salted is best.
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips: I like adding a handful to the mixture. Adds a little flavor boost.
- 1 cup peanut butter: creamy or crunchy
- 1 cup corn syrup: I haven’t tried making these with honey, syrup, or any sort of substitute so I don’t know how they would be. I always make mine with corn syrup.
- 1 cup chocolate chips: you can use milk chocolate chips if you’d like, but I think the semi-sweet cuts a bit of the sweetness out. Trust me, these are VERY sweet already.
- 1 cup butterscotch chips: If you don’t like butterscotch you can use peanut butter chips, but Scotcheroos get their name from the butterscotch flavoring!
How To Make Scotcheroo Haystacks
Combine chow mein noodles, peanuts, and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl.
Combine corn syrup and peanut butter in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. You do NOT need to bring the mixture to a simmer. It just needs to be warm, smooth, and easily pourable.
Pour peanut butter sauce over dry ingredients. Stir to coat evenly.
Drop mixture onto parchment paper (or wax paper) lined baking sheets using two spoons or a 2 Tbsp. sized cookie scoop (medium scoop).
Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave. I usually use my microwave and heat the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for 30 seconds, then I stir and heat them for an additional 15-20 seconds. Every microwave is different, my advice is to go low and slow. Short intervals, stirring until smooth and creamy. DO NOT OVERHEAT CHOCOLATE.
Spoon chocolate mixture over clusters.
Allow the haystacks to stand at room temperature until the chocolate hardens. You can speed up this process by chilling the trays in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
The haystacks will seem slightly sticky at first but will set up beautifully. Just be patient.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature or freeze for 2 months.
Scotcheroo Haystacks
Scotcheroo Haystacks
Ingredients
- 1 (5 oz.) container crunchy chow mein noodles
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
- Combine chow mein noodles, peanuts, and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl.
- Combine corn syrup and peanut butter in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until melted and smooth. You do NOT need to bring the mixture to a simmer. It just needs to be warm, smooth, and easily pourable.
- Pour mixture over chow mein noodle mixture. Stir to coat evenly.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 Tbsp. size), scoop haystacks and place on parchment paper or wax paper-lined baking sheets.
- Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup of butterscotch chips in a double boiler or microwave. I usually use my microwave and heat the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for 30 seconds, then I stir and heat them for an additional 15-20 seconds. Every microwave is different, my advice is to go low and slow. Short intervals, stirring until smooth and creamy. DO NOT OVERHEAT CHOCOLATE.
- Spoon chocolate mixture over haystacks.Allow the haystacks to stand at room temperature until the chocolate hardens or place them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!
It says to add sugar but it is not on the ingredient list?
That was a type-o (this is similar to another recipe that I use). No sugar! Sorry!
Can a person use chopped or crushed pretzels in place of the chow mein noodles?!
I don’t see why not!