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Year in, year out, during the holidays, The Best No Bake Haystack Cookies are the most popular cookie recipes on this site. And the Chocolate, Peanut, and Pretzel No-Bake Haystack Cookies are not far behind. And I was beyond pleased when I realized haystacks are an amazing way to make use of those boxes of peppermint bark that float into our homes (if we’re lucky!) during the holidays.
Chopped up and added to the melted chocolate and chow mein noodles, they add another layer of peppermint holiday flair to my favorite holiday cookies. But for even more pepperminty flavor and crunch, you’ll want to sprinkle some crushed candy canes on top before they set up.
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Peppermint Bark Holiday Haystack Cookies: Peppermint Bark adds holiday flavor and visual appeal to one of the best cookies of the season.
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What Are Haystack Cookies?
Haystacks are no-bake cookies made with melted chocolate and (this takes a moment to accept) crunchy chow mein noodles. It might sound strange at first, but it really really works. The melted chocolate basically binds together the noodles, which hold onto their crunch, and once the two are mixed, they are dropped onto baking sheets to cool and firm up. Lots of add-ins are possible.
Peppermint Bark Haystack Cookie Ingredients
- Milk chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips– The two types of chocolate chips are melted to mix with the other ingredients, and when they cool, the cookies will set up.
- Mini white chocolate chips – The white chocolate chips actually get stirred in rather than melted together with the rest of the chocolate. This gives you little pops of sweet white chocolate when you bite into the cookies. Try to find the mini chips.
- Peppermint bark – Should be readily available at your local grocery store around the holiday season. Break a couple of pieces into these cookies and keep the rest to eat on its own!
- Chow mein noodles – Give these cookies their signature crunch.
- Candy canes – Add crunch and make them look pretty! Plus, there’s nothing more festive than the flavor of candy canes.
How to Make Peppermint Bark Haystack Cookies
- Melt the chocolate: Use a double boiler or a microwave to melt together the milk chocolate chips and semisweet chocolate chips. Don’t add the white chocolate yet, as you don’t want them to fully melt.
- Combine: Stir together the melted chocolate, noodles, white chocolate chips, and crushed peppermint bark. It’s that easy!
- Finish: Use a spoon to create cookie-sized dollops of the mixture on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the top and set in the fridge. Once the chocolate has hardened, you’re ready to serve!
Peppermint Bark Haystack Cookie Tips and Variations
- I like to balance out the sweetness of the milk chocolate with a slightly darker chocolate, but you can use one or the other.
- To crush the peppermint bark, break it into pieces and put it between two pieces of parchment. Roll a rolling pin or a wine bottle over it and give it some gentle wacks until it is crushed but not pulverized. Repeat with the candy canes, keeping them separate.
FAQs
If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make one by nestling a metal or heatproof glass bowl over a pot with a bit of water in the bottom — bring the water to a boil, and stir the chips frequently until they melt.
If you can’t find peppermint bark at the store, don’t worry. Peppermint bark is just made of milk chocolate, white chocolate, and candy canes — ingredients that are already in the recipe! Just increase the amount of white chocolate chips and crush a few extra candy canes to stir into the mixture.
There are a few different elements that can cause your chocolate to not harden. If you’re trying to make your haystack cookies harden at room temperature, your house might be too warm, so try putting them in the fridge. ‘Don’t add any other liquid or fat to the chocolate when it melts; this could also get in the way of hardening. Stick to just chocolate or candy additions.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Kitchen Sink Cookies
Easy Shortbread Cookies
More Haystack Cookie Recipes
- The Best No-Bake Haystack Cookies
- Chocolate, Peanut and Pretzel No-Bake Haystack Cookies
- S’Mores Haystack Cookies
Also check out How to Host a Cookie Swap!
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Peppermint Bark Haystack Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini white chocolate chips
- ½ cup crushed peppermint bark (see Note 2)
- 1 (6-ounce) package chow mein noodles (3 ½ cups)
- ½ cup crushed candy canes (see Note 2)
Instructions
- Melt the milk and semisweet chips –not the white chocolate! — in a double boiler (see Note 1) or using the microwave, stopping the microwave and giving the chips a stir every 15 seconds until they are melted.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over and stir to combine. Add the white chocolate chips and the peppermint bark, and stir and toss until everything is evenly combined.
- Drop the mixture by tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the crushed candy canes. Allow to set (in warmer months this is best done in the fridge, though let them sit at room temperature for several minutes before serving).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
