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No Bake Chocolate Haystack Cookies

October 16, 2014 By Lori 66 Comments

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No time to bake? Try No Bake Chocolate Haystack Cookies!

This is my most popular recipe of all time… who knew?

These timeless kid-friendly gems are so easy. Just mix, let set and enjoy! The blend of coconut, chocolate and oats is a simple and easy treat for kids and the kids-at-heart. These babies are more like a cookie than a granola bar, but not as moist as a macaroon. The great part is they take just 10 minutes from start to eat, with no baking!

I love to make these as an addition to a cookie platter over the holidays. The colour and shape really adds great texture to the presentation. They arechewy and dense, when your other cookies may be crispy and light.

No-Bake-Chocolate-Haystacks

4.0 from 11 reviews
No Bake Chocolate Haystack Cookies
 
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Author: Lori
Serves: 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 5 Tbsp cocoa
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt. Heat to low boil, stirring often. When a low boil is reached, cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Remove pan from heat and quickly mix in vanilla, oats and coconut until incorporated.
  3. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheet (you will need to press a bit to hold each mound together). Let cool until set, about 5 minutes.
Notes
If you don't like coconut, you can substitute ½ cup butter + ½ cup nut butter. Stead of Haystacks, you now have No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies!
3.5.3251

UPDATE:

If your no bake cookies are sticky and gooey, then they were not boiled quite long enough. On the flip side, if your no bake cookies are dry and crumbly, they were boiled a tad too long.

Also, if they are a bit too dry for your liking, take the cocoa down to 4 tbsp.

If they are too sweet, you can try taking the sugar down to 1 cup.

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Filed Under: Baked, Cookies Tagged With: cocoa, coconut, cookies, hatstack, no-bake, oatmeal, oats

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Comments

  1. Melissa says

    July 26, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Im wondering how you can recommend these to your readers as healthy for kids when the first ingredient is 2 full cups of sugar? That’s not healthy at all. Even if using a natural sweetener such as agave, honey, or organic maple – two cups is a TON. The average cookie recipe calls for only 1 cup.

    Reply
    • Lori says

      July 26, 2015 at 2:34 pm

      Good point Melissa. I have changed my post from ‘healthy treat’ to read ‘easy treat’.

      Reply
      • Ronda says

        December 12, 2015 at 1:54 am

        Hi Lori,
        Just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe! It will be a great addition to my cookie platter gift to friends. It’s the holiday season, so a little indulgence, within reason, isn’t a bad thing! Happy holidays!

        Reply
        • Lori says

          December 12, 2015 at 2:25 am

          Thanks Ronda, have a wonderful holiday season!

          Reply
          • Joey says

            November 17, 2019 at 9:56 pm

            Love it

      • Anne says

        January 9, 2017 at 2:48 pm

        Hi , just wondering how long they last after making them?

        Reply
        • Lori says

          January 9, 2017 at 3:08 pm

          Hi Anne, these cookies are best the day they are made. With all that coconut, they tend to get a bit dry quite quickly. If you want your coconut cookies to be more moist, and to last a week or so, I recommend you try these CHEWY COCONUT MACAROONS

          Reply
          • Anne says

            January 10, 2017 at 1:49 am

            Thank you for your fast reply
            Much appreciated
            🙂

    • Meg says

      December 25, 2016 at 6:39 am

      I just spent the last three days baking and all common recipes I made called for 1.5-2 cups of sugar AND brown sugar in some (icing sugar in others). Although none at all healthy per say these would be a better alternative with having coconut and less sugar…also with cocoa rather than chocolate chips as well.

      Reply
    • Kim says

      April 15, 2017 at 2:20 am

      Hi there,
      Just a note to let you know I have cut the amount of sugar in half and they still taste delicious!
      Best, Kim

      Reply
      • Lori says

        April 15, 2017 at 3:32 am

        So glad to hear that Melissa, thanks so much for coming back to tell me! I’m working on a new recipe for Macaroons, you will love… coming soon

        Reply
    • Jc says

      October 6, 2018 at 6:42 am

      This is a classic recipe from early 1080 so I take the sugar and I use pure xane sugar which is better then granulated. I also have tried 1 cup granulated and the second cup I have used honey. That’s just y input

      Reply
  2. Stevie says

    September 1, 2015 at 4:29 am

    Hey Lori,

    How many haystacks does this recipe make? I’m going to a potluck for 80, and have no idea how many times to make the recipe. Thanks in advance!

    Stevie.

    Reply
    • Lori says

      September 1, 2015 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Steve, this recipe depends on the size of cookie. If dropped by heaping tablespoon you will make 24 cookies.

      Reply
      • Lace Adele says

        December 21, 2017 at 10:39 am

        Hi Lori, would it be possible to use salted butter and just omit the dash of salt?

        Reply
        • Lori says

          December 21, 2017 at 2:44 pm

          Yes, but it will be a bit saltier than just a pinch would have been. That’s not a bad thing, it enhances the chocolate flavour.

          Reply
  3. Cj says

    December 17, 2015 at 7:55 am

    When you say let cool. Do you leave them out on the counter uncovered or put them in the fridge or freezer??

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 18, 2015 at 2:29 pm

      Just on the counter is fine.

      Reply
  4. Mandy says

    December 19, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Can these be put in the freezer ? To be eaten at a different date?

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 19, 2015 at 11:40 pm

      I have never tried that so I can’t say. Give it try and get back to me.

      Reply
      • Heather says

        December 20, 2015 at 3:29 pm

        Have been making these for years. They freeze exceptionally well.

        One word of caution…don’t try to double the recipe. It cools quickly and becomes too crumbly to make stacks with. The crumbles froze well and tasted great as a topping on yogurt and ice cream though 🙂

        Reply
        • Lori says

          December 20, 2015 at 4:28 pm

          Thanks Heather, good to know!

          Reply
        • John says

          November 28, 2017 at 2:14 pm

          I leave the quadruple batch on the stovetop. The warmth keeps them malleable. But must move quickly. So this should work for a double batch.

          Reply
    • Carol says

      November 30, 2016 at 9:00 pm

      I freeze these all the time! they even taste great frozen

      Reply
  5. Cindy says

    March 5, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    I make these but use unsweetened coconut you don’t need the extra sugar as they are already sweet enough without it.

    Reply
  6. anneliese says

    March 20, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    Hi, I made these and they ended up too crumbly. Wondering if I cooked them too much or on too high heat? I had to add some milk to the mixture at the end to make it not so crumbly so I could drop them onto wax paper. Any insights about what I did wrong would be much appreciated! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lori says

      March 21, 2016 at 1:14 am

      Not sure Anneliese, sounds like too much coconut.

      Reply
    • Rebecca says

      September 20, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      Anneliese, this is probably too late of a response but you are essentially making fudge with these cookies. Check out Serious Eats article on a cookie very similar. I believe if they were crumbly, it was cooked to long. I think you want to cook it until it registers 230F on a candy thermometer.

      Reply
  7. Lori says

    August 7, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    Hi everyone, I updated the recipe today by reducing the sugar by 1/2 cup… still just as good.

    Reply
  8. Victoria Holmes says

    September 18, 2016 at 10:47 pm

    Thanks for sharing this my boyfriend just made these. Going to enjoy eating cookies tonight.

    Reply
  9. Tara says

    October 29, 2016 at 3:20 am

    I followed the recipe exactly, instructions and ingredients amount with absolutely no modifications. But they came out dark and gooey. They actually stick to the parchment paper and I had to peel them off. They taste okay, maybe a little too sweet, but not at all what I was hoping for (more like my favourite store Zarkey’s haystack hookies which do have the exact same ingredients as in this recipe, I just don’t know the quantities). I tried putting them in the fridge, but they were still too soft and very shiny. Maybe I need to lower the butter amount? I used one of those sticks in a 4 pack that’s 450g for the whole box. I’m just so confused because I did make sure to follow your recipe.

    Reply
    • Lori says

      October 30, 2016 at 9:09 pm

      Hi Tara, you had me worried, so I re-made the recipe myself. It works just fine. I think however that my method may not have been clear enough. I hope it is clear now as I have revised the wording a bit.

      Reply
  10. Carol says

    November 14, 2016 at 12:11 am

    Please explain what a low boil is. Which boil time works best for you 3 mins. or 4?

    Reply
    • Lori says

      November 14, 2016 at 1:55 am

      Low boil means you see small bubbles popping the surface with less vigorous action than a true boil.

      Reply
      • Carol says

        November 14, 2016 at 11:25 am

        Yes I thought low boil meant small bubbles. My family and I know that as a simmer, bringing up to a full boil and reducing the heat to a simmer so bubbles break the surface. I think boiling might make a difference in the results for sure. I will give this a try soon. Thanks.

        Reply
  11. Sara B. says

    November 21, 2016 at 2:56 am

    I’m excited to find your recipe! My mom and I use to make these all the time when I was little, but she never wrote down the recipe. All the others I could find had peanut butter in them (which I’m 100% sure her’s didn’t have). My question is: can you make these without coconut? Do I need to modify any of the other ingredients to compensate for taking it out? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lori says

      November 21, 2016 at 3:03 am

      Hi Sara, there is no “haystack” without the coconut.

      Reply
    • Carrie says

      May 29, 2020 at 2:11 am

      Yes, if I don’t have coconut on hand I sometimes sub in an extra cup of oats. Not quite the same, but still very tasty.

      Reply
  12. leah says

    November 28, 2016 at 6:48 am

    mine turned out runny is there anyway to recover them

    Reply
    • Lori says

      November 28, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      They should be perfect, however add a bit more coconut.

      Reply
  13. Cori says

    December 9, 2016 at 12:15 am

    Are these gluten free?

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 9, 2016 at 1:42 am

      Pure oatmeal is gluten-free, however most comman grocery store brands have been cross contaminated with wheat. See if you can find gluten-free oats just to make sure.

      Reply
  14. Sian says

    December 20, 2016 at 4:25 am

    Just so you know, these do freeze well. My mom always made these when I was growing up. She froze them because she made them in advance and hoped they would not get eaten so there would be some for guests. To her dismay, we still stole out of the frozen tupperware containers! This is the closest i have found to my mom’s original recipe, which she lost. She was born in Wales and they called them Out of this World Cookies.

    Reply
  15. Sandy D says

    February 17, 2017 at 2:38 am

    Is the coconut organic?

    Reply
    • Lori says

      February 17, 2017 at 2:23 pm

      It can be, if you like, but not a must.

      Reply
  16. Squeaky says

    September 25, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    My mom used to make the ones with cornflakes when I was a kid. We are having some really hot weather so I googled no bake haystacks and found this recipe which I think is much healthier and better! I also cut the sugar (i slightly heaping cup) by a little bit and used unsweetened coconut as it was all I had. Mine are very soft but not fall apart soft and the kids are loving them. They are basically a non bake version of the granola bar recipe I make that they really like! So this will be an easy add to the school lunch treat rotation. I may add in the extras that they like in the granola bars like sunflower, pumpkin, or hemp seeds!

    Reply
    • Lori says

      September 25, 2017 at 8:38 pm

      Thanks for coming back to comment. It’s great to hear how you are enjoying my recipe with your own twist!

      Reply
  17. Laurie Whitby says

    December 11, 2017 at 1:24 am

    I seem to recall this recipe but also with peanut butter. Have you heard of that? Next question would be how much peanut butter? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 12, 2017 at 3:20 pm

      No I have not heard of it with peanut butter. I’m not sure it would some together as solidly as you need.

      Reply
  18. Skyla says

    December 13, 2017 at 6:11 pm

    Hi,

    Just wondering, how would I do this recipe differently if I were to use regular old fashioned oats instead of quick oats??

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 14, 2017 at 7:17 pm

      I think it will be fine. Try it, and please report back!

      Reply
  19. Lauretta says

    December 21, 2017 at 7:20 pm

    I found there was not enough moisture or too many oats and they totally fell apart

    Reply
  20. Amy says

    December 26, 2017 at 1:51 am

    I follow the recipe, but every time I make them, they are too moist they fall apart. What do you think I’m doing wrong? Are they supposed to be very chewy, or should they bit a bit dry?

    Reply
    • Lori says

      January 1, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      They are usually a bit of both, but more on the dry side.

      Reply
  21. Lana says

    July 5, 2018 at 9:51 pm

    I made these for me and my fiancé as we were both craving some chocolate. I love how easy this recipe whips together. I used lactose free margarine instead of butter and they came out perfect.
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Lori says

      July 6, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Hi Lana, so glad you liked them!

      Reply
  22. Dale says

    January 2, 2019 at 1:54 am

    My wife made these for the holidays, OMG im so hooked and now my Fav Chocolate snack.. Out of this world yummy

    Reply
    • Lori says

      January 2, 2019 at 3:00 pm

      So glad you came back to comment, glad you loved them!!

      Reply
  23. Tiffany says

    December 15, 2019 at 3:39 am

    We grew up with these. Family favorite for the holidays. I triple batch them the family eats so many. They freeze well so great when you need a quick treat over the holidays to take to friends or work.

    Reply
  24. Val says

    December 17, 2019 at 6:02 pm

    I have been making these for a bit now. We add a scoop of peanut butter when you add the oats and coconut!
    After they are on the cookie sheet we also put a maraschino cherry on top

    Reply
    • Lori says

      December 17, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      Sounds great Val!

      Reply
  25. Sarah says

    April 27, 2020 at 11:07 pm

    made you recipe to the T and it came our so crumbly, any thoughts what Im doing wrong?

    Reply
    • Lori says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:28 pm

      Hi Sarah, not sure, they work great for me. If yours were too dry, you could take the cocoa down to 4 Tbsp and reduce the sugar by up to 1/4 cup.

      Reply

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