Haystacks

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Don’t feel like you have to miss out on those traditional holiday treats when you’ve got this Haystacks recipe waiting for you!

Keto-friendly, easily made dairy-free, and few ingredients, this recipe is a breeze. Rich, dark chocolate covers every inch of this treat, with delicious coconut beneath. 

My favorite part of the holidays are all the amazing treats you get to dig into.

When you’re following a keto lifestyle, there’s not as many choices to choose from. This can make the holidays a little disappointing because, let’s face it, the holidays are largely about family and food.

The best way to avoid let-down is to bring your own treats. This also provides a treat for others following a stricter eating lifestyle as well. 

These keto haystacks are one of my favorites to whip up for the holidays. They’re seriously so good, even for those who aren’t following keto guidelines. They only take three ingredients and a few minutes to make. The longest part is simply letting them harden.

I enjoy making These Keto Peanut Butter Cookies and Gingerbread Fat Bombs for the holidays as well. They both make great keto dessert options! 

How to Make Haystacks

1. Prep - Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. 
2. Melt the chocolate - Place your chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 15-30-second increments until smooth. Add the coconut oil and stir well.
3. Add the coconut - Add the unsweetened coconut to the melted chocolate and stir well to coat all the coconut. 
4. Pile on the pan - Make little haystacks (piles) on the prepared baking sheet. Do this until the mixture is gone.
5. Chill - Place in the fridge for about half an hour to harden and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Storage - You’ll want to store this haystacks recipe in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. If stored outside of these two places, they will melt and be no good. Keep in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month.
• Reheating - You do not want to reheat this haystacks candy. They will melt and turn into a mess. If pulling from the freezer, you’ll want to let them come to a normal eating temperature on their own. If pulling from the fridge, they should be ok to eat right away.
• Use other chocolate options - If preferred, you can use other flavored chips such as white chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, etc. You’ll want to make sure they’re keto-friendly before doing so as not all flavored chips follow keto guidelines. 
• Coconut replacement - If you can get your hands on keto-friendly chow mein noodles, you can replace them with the coconut. This will allow you to closer match the traditional haystacks recipe. If not, you can use keto-friendly cereal, granola, etc. 
• My haystacks won’t stay together - If your haystacks won’t stick together, let them dry and they will. The chocolate is the binding agent, but it doesn’t bind well until solidified. You can also try adding more coconut to the mixture to help thicken it up if desired. 

Common Questions About Haystacks

What Are Haystacks Made of?

Traditional haystacks normally use butterscotch chips with chow mein noodles. However, these ingredients aren’t normally keto-friendly, so unsweetened coconut takes the place of chow mein noodles.

Further, chocolate is easier to find keto-friendly than butterscotch, so it becomes the coating instead of butterscotch. Either recipe is absolutely delicious. 

Do Haystacks Need to Be Refrigerated?

This specific keto haystacks recipe needs to be refrigerated. However, other traditional haystacks may not need to be refrigerated, depending on the ingredients used. You’ll still want to store other recipes in a cool, dry place, though.

Just as a reminder, this recipe will definitely need the coldness of a fridge because they will easily melt otherwise. They can sit out for a couple of hours, though, if being taken to a party or get together. They won’t melt super quickly. 

If you enjoyed this Haystacks recipe or have questions about it, please feel free to post below in the comment section or contact me on social media! 

Keto Haystacks

Makes about 8 Haystacks

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Cups Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
•  ½ Cup Keto-Friendly Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

Directions:

Place your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds before stirring them. Keep heating them in 15-second increments until there are no lumps. 

Add your coconut oil to the chocolate and stir thoroughly. Add your coconut flakes to the chocolate and stir thoroughly again.

Add about 1 ½-inch piles of the coconut mixture to a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until hardened.

Notes:

• I used Lily’s chocolate chips for keto-friendly chocolate. However, you can use your favorite option.
• It will feel like your coconut and chocolate won’t hold together, don’t worry, once it dries, the coconut and chocolate will hold together just fine.
• You can leave them sitting on the counter to harden as well, it just may take longer than the fridge.
• Store in the fridge or a cool, dry area in a covered container.

More Keto Dessert Recipes You Might Like:

• Cheesy Cauliflower Bake
• Keto Everything Bagel Deviled Eggs
• Keto Maple Pecan Ice Cream
• Homemade Keto Pesto

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