Vegan Haystack Cookies
These vegan haystack cookies are the perfect combo of crunchy, sweet, and salty. They’re a quick and easy little cookie to make from melted chocolate and chow mein noodles or pretzels mixed together and formed into a haystack shape. You can even toss in nuts, raisins, or mini marshmallows and top them with sprinkles for endless variations.
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Why make haystack cookies
If you are looking for a no-bake holiday cookie that you can make in minutes, this is it! They are very similar to the vegan bird nest cookies that I make at Easter, but they are shaped differently. Kids love making them and you can decorate them with fun holiday sprinkles to make them festive.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – any type of dairy-free chocolate chip that you like will work well for this recipe. Be aware that dark chocolate chips will not be as sweet.
- Peanut Butter – or any nut butter that you want will work well in this recipe. I like creamy peanut butter, but you can use any type. If you want them to be nut-free you can also use refined coconut oil or tahini instead.
- Chow Mein Noodles – these are the hard crunchy noodles that usually come in a bag in the Asian section of the grocery store. You can also use pretzel sticks or cornflakes instead.
- Add-Ins – if you want to add in some raisins, craisins, crushed nuts, or mini marshmallows, all will work. I also like to decorate them with some vegan sprinkles to make them prettier. Mini marshmallows are my favorite add-in. You can also use my homemade marshmallow recipe and cut them into small pieces.
Helpful tools
One of the great things about this recipe is that you don’t need much to make it. It is helpful to have parchment paper to set the cookies on until they harden. You will also need a microwave or a double boiler to melt the chocolate chips.
How to make vegan haystack cookies
Step 1 – Melt 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then stir the chocolate and heat again in 20-second increments until melty if needed. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
Step 2 – Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and stir well until combined.
Step 3 – Add 2 1/2 cups of chow mein noodles to the melted chocolate and stir well until the noodles are completely coated in chocolate. (If adding marshmallows, nuts, or other add-ins, reduce the noodles to 2 cups and add 1/2 cup of add-ins.)
Step 4 – Spoon into little haystack shapes on a piece of parchment paper.
Step 5 – Decorate with some sprinkles before the chocolate hardens if desired.
Step 6 – Allow hardening completely before storing. You can put them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to help them firm up faster if needed.
Pro Tips
- Don’t melt the chocolate chips directly over a heat source. You must melt them in a microwave or in a double boiler.
- Be careful not to overheat your chocolate in the microwave. You can burn the chocolate if you microwave it too long.
How to make them gluten-free
Make these vegan haystacks gluten-free by using gluten-free pretzels or cornflakes instead of chow mein noodles.
Storage
These vegan haystack cookies will stay good for about 1 week in a sealed container on the countertop or up to 3 months in the freezer. If your home is warm, you may want to store them in the fridge to keep them firmer, they will get soft over 76° F.
Vegan haystack cookie recipe
Vegan Haystack Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter, (or any nut butter or coconut oil)
- 2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles , (or small pretzel sticks or cornflakes for GF)
Instructions
- Melt 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then stir the chocolate and heat again in 20-second increments until melty if needed. (You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler.)
- Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and stir well until combined.
- Add 2 1/2 cups of chow mein noodles to the melted chocolate and stir well until the noodles are completely coated in chocolate. (If adding marshmallow, nuts, or other add-ins, reduce the noodles to 2 cups and add 1/2 cup of add-ins.)
- Spoon into little haystack shapes on a piece of parchment paper.
- Decorate with some sprinkles before the chocolate hardens if desired.
- Allow hardening completely before storing. You can put them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to help them firm up faster if needed.
Notes
- Don’t melt the chocolate chips directly over a heat source. You must melt them in a microwave or in a double boiler.
- Be careful not to overheat your chocolate in the microwave. You can burn the chocolate if you microwave it too long.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
What brand of chow mein noodles do you use? I can only find ones that contain egg
Thank you
Hi Lisa, I use La Choy brand chow mein noodles. These are the ingredients… Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Palm Oil, Corn Starch, Water, Less than 2% of: Salt, Yeast, Sugar. I hope that you can find them.
These came out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you like the recipe. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe. I made them with my kids and we had so much fun. The mini marshmallows were a great addition too!
I’m so happy that you and your kids liked them, Laura.
Thank you Very much for the info
at the time of adding the chow mein noodles are the pre cooked or arethey to be added in raw
Chow mein noodles are cooked and crunchy. They are similar to the texture of a pretzel and are ready to eat out of the package. They aren’t like traditional noodles.