No bake pretzel cookies are a sweet and salty treat perfect for snacking or dessert! These butterscotch pretzel haystack cookies are made with delicious ingredients and come together so fast, they're a breeze to make!
When you want a sweet and salty treat that's ready in a snap, that's when you reach for this recipe. These delicious no bake pretzel cookies are super easy to make, absolutely delicious, and ready in just minutes.
They're a favorite of mine because I can whip them up any time I feel like it. Whether I want an afternoon snack for the family or a batch for a party or potluck, it takes no time at all to throw these together, and they're always a hit.
No bake cookies like this have always been a favorite of mine. They're just so good and so easy. It's hard to find anything wrong with a combination like that. I've been making cookies like these for years.
They were always a favorite of my son and his friends when they got home after school. My husband can't say no to them, either. Neither can I!
In fact, we've been known to finish off our fair share while watching movies. I've also been known to serve these up for birthdays, too. There are just so many times when these cookies are the perfect snack.
The Story Behind No Bake Pretzel Cookies
These butterscotch pretzel haystack cookies are a variation of haystack cookies, which are, themselves, a variation of preacher cookies. Without both cookies and the preacher cookie variation, I would never have come up with these delicious no bake pretzel cookies.
It's amazing how food changes and evolves over time, and these cookies are the perfect example of that. That's what makes the history of food so much fun! That's why I want to take a look at the history of both cookies and preacher cookies before we get into making these pretzel cookies. It's an interesting read, I think, so if you like history and you like food, you'll love this.
History of Cookies
The predecessors of cookies were small, hard wafers, and they’ve been around for as long as baking has been documented. This was due largely in part to their ability to travel without spoiling. However, these first wafers weren’t sweet enough to be cookies by modern standards.
Most food historians agree that cookies have their origin in 7th century Persia. They first appeared not long after sugar became common in the region. From there, cookies spread to Europe via the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they could be found everywhere in Europe from high-end royal confections to basic street vendor fair.
As global travel became more widespread, so too did cookies. Again, their ability to be carried long distances without spoilage was a major reason for this. The first cookie to see great popularity from travelers and those who lived in the places to which travelers ventured were made from nuts, sweeteners, and water.
Around the late 1620s, the Dutch brought cookies to America. The word cookie is actually a derivative of the Dutch word koekje. The earliest mention of cookies in America actually references both the Dutch and the word cookie, where it was written that the Dutch in New York provided 800 cookies at a funeral.
It wasn’t until the 18th century that the modern element of creaming together butter and sugar for the cookie base became commonplace. Fast forward to the present, and cookies are available in a vast array of shapes, sizes, and flavors, one of which is the preacher cookie, which we’ll talk about next.
History of Preacher Cookies
It’s tough to say exactly when preacher cookies first came on the scene, but we know that they arrived well before cars and mass transit. According to popular legend, preacher cookies got their name from how easy they were to make.
Long before cars and the like, preachers would frequently visit their parishioners. Housewives in the mountains could look out of their windows and see their preacher riding his horse toward their home from a relatively far distance.
The simple ingredients and ease of making these cookies made them easy for the wives to whip up a batch of these no bake cookies and greet the preacher with them when he arrived.
We'll never know exactly how accurate this origin of preacher cookies is. Like many foods, the history of preacher cookies is still up for debate. What we do know, however, is that haystack cookies are a variation of preacher cookies, and this butterscotch pretzel variation of haystack cookies is delicious.
No Bake Pretzel Cookies
What I love the most about these butterscotch pretzel haystack cookies is their flavor, and not just because it's delicious. Butterscotch is a classic flavor that's perfect for any occasion.
That means these cookies are perfect for afterschool snacks, weeknight desserts, potlucks, parties, and holiday get-togethers. There's never really a wrong time to serve them!
Rich, sweet butterscotch envelops salty pretzels and then it's topped with a final garnish of salt to make a deliciously sweet and salty treat that's absolutely fantastic.
The best part is that these little bites are so simple to make, you can whip them up whenever the mood strikes you! It only takes one bite to make you a life long fan!
Ingredients
It only takes a few ingredients to make these delicious cookies. Five ingredients. That's it! You most likely have almost all of them in your kitchen already, especially if you do any amount of baking at all. These are simple ingredients, and if you don't have them all in your kitchen, they're readily available at any grocery store.
- 11 ounce bag butterscotch chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups itty bitty mini pretzels (or roughly crushed pretzels)
- Maldon flake sea salt for garnish, optional
Making No Bake Pretzel Cookies
Making these delicious butterscotch pretzel haystack cookies is just as easy as getting the ingredients together. It only takes about twenty minutes to make an entire batch of these cookies. That's how fast and easy it is to make them. The entire process is simply melting the chips, mixing them with the pretzels, and letting them set. That's all there is to it!
- Place the butterscotch chips and peanut butter into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir together. Continue to microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract until combined. Add the pretzels and stir until fully coated.
- Line sheet trays with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or you can eyeball it, place 1-2 tablespoon-sized mounds of the mixture, not touching.
- As soon as you place one cookie down, sprinkle with the flake sea salt and repeat.
- Place the sheet tray into the fridge until set, about 10-15 minutes.
Look at that. Could there be an easier cookie recipe? I don't think so. The only way to make cookies easier is to buy them, and who wants to do that?
Tips
These cookies are incredibly easy to make. They're so easy, in fact, I don't have any tips for making them. I do, however, have a couple of tips for storing them. Like all haystack cookies, these pretzel cookies can be a bit fragile, so it's important that you store them flat.
Don't just throw them in a tin and call it a day. You'll most likely end up with a tin full of butterscotch pretzel bits rather than cookies. They'll be delicious, but they definitely won't be cookies.
You don't have to be quite as careful when you freeze these cookies, but it is important to freeze them flat first and then transfer them to your container of choice so they don't break apart.
Variations
This no bake pretzel cookies recipe is one of those recipes that is really fun to play with. Because it's basically melting and coating, you can get creative with these cookies in a couple of fun ways.
They're so easy to change up, you can take this recipe and turn it into a double handful of new recipes just by changing up a few things!
Different Baking Chips
This recipe calls for butterscotch chips, but you can use any kind of baking chips you like. If it will melt, you can use it to make these pretzel haystack cookies! Some great options include:
- Milk chocolate chips
- Semi sweet chocolate chips
- Butterscotch chips
- White chocolate chips
- Caramel Chips
Different Mix Ins
I used min pretzels in this recipe, but there are several things that you can use as a base for these cookies. Of course, the classic base of choice is chow mein noodles, but that's just one of a few options you have to make these fun cookies. Consider:
- Chow mein noodles
- Mini pretzels
- Slightly crushed regular pretzels
- Thin spaghetti noodles
- Shoestring potatoes
You can use a combination of any of these variations to create all kinds of new and interesting haystack cookies out of this recipe for no bake pretzel cookies. The only limit is your imagination!
Storing No Bake Pretzel Cookies
These tasty cookies will keep well in an air-tight container on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage, you can freeze these cookies for up to three months.
To freeze these cookies, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen. Then, transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bags. Enjoy them frozen (they're good), or leave the in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, then take them out and leave them on the counter to warm up.
Try These Easy No Bake Pretzel Cookies for Yourself
These delicious butterscotch pretzel haystack cookies are loaded with sweet and salty flavors, and they're incredibly easy to make. That's a fantastic combination, in my opinion!
Whether you're making up a batch for an afternoon snack or a truckload for a potluck or party, these no bake pretzel cookies are always a welcome addition to any occasion, small or large.
Give them a try, and I know you'll love them as much as we do. You'll be in and out of the kitchen in not time, and everyone will come back for more - assuming you have any left!
No Bake Pretzel Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups itty bitty mini pretzels or roughly crushed pretzels
- Maldon flake sea salt for garnish optional
Instructions
- These are the pretzels I use to make this easy recipe.
- Get out and measure all of your ingredients.
- Place the butterscotch chips and peanut butter into a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir together. Continue to microwave on 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the pretzels.
- Stir until fully coated.
- Line sheet trays with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop or you can eyeball it, place 1-2 tablespoon-sized mounds of the mixture, not touching.
- As soon as you place one cookie down, sprinkle with the flake sea salt and repeat.
- Place the sheet tray into the fridge until set, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy every bite!
- These are the pretzels I always use but bigger pretzels will work if you break them up into smaller pieces.
Notes
- These cookies are crunchy, sweet, salty. I love that you can mix up the chip flavors and make different versions of these cookies.
- The flake sea salt adds an extra kick of salt but it’s not overwhelming. The butterscotch chips and peanut butter are plenty sweet to offset the saltiness from the pretzels and additional salt.
- You can also use any salt you prefer to sprinkle the tops.
- While they set up nicely, these cookies like most cookies of this style can be a little delicate so I do not recommend stacking a bunch in a container. Instead, layer them with parchment paper while storing.
- The itty bitty mini pretzels make these cookies extra cute, however, they can be made with any pretzels. I do suggest crushing them up a bit if they are any bigger so it makes the cookies easier to eat.
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