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I vividly remember this delicious sweet and crunchy butterscotch chow mein noodle candy at my Great Grandma’s holiday parties when I was a child. I would go back to that candy dish over and over when my parents weren’t looking!
Some call these butterscotch candies Easter Haystacks since the butterscotch-covered chow mein noodles stack up to look like little mounds of golden hay. But as candy haystacks, this homemade butterscotch candy recipe can be used for any holiday or event. My grandma served them in a candy dish at her Christmas party. But, they would be perfect as adorable treats at a kids farm-themed Birthday party or baby shower.
Make Easter Haystacks or Butterscotch Bird Nest Candy!
But I think they look like little golden birds nests, don’t you? With the addition of some pretty pastel Easter egg candies, we turned our butterscotch haystack candies into cute Easter Bird Nest Candy!
And, with only a few ingredients and simple steps, this butterscotch candy recipe is easy enough for kids. If your child knows how to use a microwave, they can make these Easter bird nest candies!
Ingredients for Easter Haystacks & Butterscotch Candy Birds Nests
You only need 4 simple ingredients for this easy butterscotch candy recipe…
Chow mein noodles give this Easter treat its signature haystack or bird’s nest look. Plus, the chow mein noodles provide that satisfying crunch we all love so much.
Now, no need to make your own butterscotch. Butterscotch chips are the magic ingredient for the sweet flavor of this butterscotch candy recipe. With just a little time in the microwave, butterscotch chips turn into smooth butterscotch for coating your chow mein noodles.
Finally, pastel Easter egg candies turn typical butterscotch haystacks into adorable Easter birds nest candy! We used pretty pastel Cadbury Mini Eggs, but if you can’t get your hands on them, you can use any candy eggs, little chocolate eggs or even jelly beans.
Make No-Bake Butterscotch Chow Mein Noodle Candy Mixture
It doesn’t get much easier than this easy butterscotch candy recipe! You simply melt butterscotch morsels
, in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, at 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Then mix the melted butterscotch with chow mein noodles and stir until they’re evenly coated.
Now, what you do next with your butterscotch chow mein noodle mixture depends on which butterscotch Easter treat you want to make: Easter Haystacks or Bird Nest Candy.
Butterscotch Easter Haystacks Instructions
To make simple butterscotch Easter haystacks, you simply scoop spoonfuls of the butterscotch chow mein noodle candy mixture onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or tray.
Then, pop your Easter haystack candies into the fridge to cool and harden before serving. Easy peasy!
Easter Bird Nest Candy Instructions
To make cute butterscotch birds nest candy for Easter, skip the wax paper and drop spoonfuls of butterscotch chow mein noodles into muffin pan cups instead. If it isn’t a silicone muffin pan, use cupcake liners to keep them from sticking to the pan.
Then, use two forks to form the still-warm butterscotch chow mein noodle candy into little candy birds nests. This is where the muffin pan helps, since you can pull the chow mein noodle candy mixture apart in the center and the sides of the muffin cup support the candy nest shape.
Finally, add a few candy Easter eggs to each Easter candy nest, then allow them to cool and harden before removing from the pan.
Variations & Substitutions for Your Butterscotch Chow Mein Noodle Candy
Now, there are so many ways you can change up this simple butterscotch candy recipe. Here are some of our favorite haystack candy variations and substitutions…
Chocolate Peanut Butter Birds Nest Candy — Skip the butterscotch and use a combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter baking chips instead. Then, top your chocolate peanut butter birds nests with Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Eggs.
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Bird Nests — Use white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Then top each candy birds nest with one or two Reese’s White Creme & Peanut Butter Eggs.
Butterscotch Birds Nest Cookies — Drop your chow mein noodle candy mixture on top of some soft Scott’s Cakes Butterscotch Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies. Then flatten a bit in the center to turn them into birds nest cookies, and add a few mini candy eggs. Or skip the egg candies altogether for some simple Easter haystack cookies!
Dark Chocolate Easter Haystacks Candy — Use Hershey’s SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips instead of butterscotch baking chips to make rich chocolate Easter haystacks.
Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Easter Nest Candy — Or, try using thin pretzel sticks instead of chow mein noodles for your Easter nest candy! Then swap out the butterscotch chips for milk chocolate chips and top with M&M Eggs.
Easter Haystacks & Butterscotch Birds Nest Candy Recipe:
Easter Haystacks & Butterscotch Bird Nest Candy Recipe
With 1 simple butterscotch chow mein noodle candy recipe, kids can make 2 homemade treats: Easter Haystacks and Butterscotch Bird Nest Candy!
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Prep: 12 minutes mins
Cook: 3 minutes mins
Resting Time1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Servings: 12 candies
Cost: $7.50
Equipment
sheet pan (optional)
parchment paper (optional)
muffin pan (optional)
cupcake liners (optional)
2 fork (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch morsels
- 1 (5 ounce) package chow mein noodles
- 36 Cadbury Mini Eggs (or other small egg candies)
Instructions
To Make Butterscotch Candy Mixture:
Pour 1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch morsels into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth.
Combine melted butterscotch and 1 (5 ounce) package chow mein noodles in a large mixing bowl and stir gently until noodles are fully coated in butterscotch.
To Make Butterscotch Haystacks:
Drop 1/2-cup portions of butterscotch candy mixture onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Allow to sit at room temperature for around 1 hour, or until butterscotch candy is fully hardened.
To Make Butterscotch Bird Nest Candy:
Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, then add about 1/2 cup of butterscotch candy mixture to each cup.
Use two forks to form the butterscotch candy mixture in each cup into a nest-like shape.
Add 3 36 Cadbury Mini Eggs to the center of each butterscotch candy nest.
Allow the butterscotch candy nests to sit at room temperature for around 1 hour, or until fully hardened, before removing from muffin pan and/or cupcake liners.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Holiday · Kid-Friendly · Semi-Homemade
Easter Haystacks Candy Ingredients & Tools on Amazon:
Now, get everything you need to make your own Easter Haystacks or Birds Nest Candy right on Amazon…
Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Baking Morsels
Cadbury Candy Coated Mini Eggs
La Choy Chow Mein Noodles
Cozihom Silicone Muffin Pan, Cupcake Pan Set
Milk Chocolate Candy Coated Mini Eggs Variety Pack
Pyrex Smart Essentials 3-Piece Prepware Mixing Bowl Set
Reynolds Kitchens Cookie Baking Sheets
HOTEC Silicone Spatula Set
casaWare 3pc Multi-Size Cookie Sheet Set
And, find all of our favorite kitchen tools for kids inB-Inspired Mama’s Amazon Shop:Fun Finds for Kids in the Kitchen
Then, don’t forget to save this bird’s nest recipe to come back to. And, share it with friends! Simply use the buttons at the top or bottom of this post. Or, click here:Share on Facebook|Tweet It|Pin It|Email to a Friend
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