Gluten Free No-Bake Haystack Cookies are one of my go-to easy gluten free cookies recipe. Salty pretzels covered in a Nutella and chocolate spread, coconut, and pecans. I love that you can make these without heating up the kitchen!
Haystacks are one recipe I have loved to make. If you love no-bake cookies, you will want to try these gluten free no-bake chocolate oat cookies too!
There is no gluten free substitute for chow mein noodles, so you have to think out of the box at times. When I need a crunchy ingredient, I often reach for our favorite gluten free pretzels.
What pretzel brands are gluten free?
There are several great gluten free pretzel brands out there! My favorites are:
- Synder's Gluten Free Pretzels - and they come in lots of flavors.
- Trader Joe's has a private label gluten free pretzel.
- Gratify - they have several varieties.
- Glutino - and they have yogurt and chocolate covered gluten free pretzels too!
You get that nice crunch and the salty pretzels paired with the Nutella, chocolate, and coconut it is perfect.
These cookies are great for playdates, packing in your kid's lunches, tossing in the freezer to have easy grab and go snacks on hand, and of course, the classic midnight snacking.
I have even whipped these up for potluck gatherings because nobody can tell they are gluten free! Even those who are not gluten free enjoyed this new version to haystack cookies.
Mix-in ideas:
Here is where it gets fun. You can honestly mix in so many different ingredients to add layers of flavors to your cookies. I will give you some ideas but feel free to play around with what I list and see what is your favorite combination.
- Make these into butterscotch haystacks with butterscotch chips
- Stir in mini marshmallows or even dehydrated mallow bits
- Use peanut butter in replace of Nutella - or another nut butter could work as well
- Toss in white chocolate chips
- Stir in a few rolled oats, don't do too many or it will dry out your cookie batter
- Dried fruit would be a great addition
Interested in more No-bake gluten-free recipes?
- No-Bake Gluten Free Cheesecake | A Nutella based gluten free cheesecake that is creamy, decadent, and will melt in your mouth.
- Gluten Free No-Bake Brownie Bites | Here is a great brownie recipe to try. You can get a fudgy brownie flavor with no need to turn that oven on and heat your home.
- No-Bake Greek Yogurt Tart | Here you have a yogurt tart that is full of protein, sweetness, and such an easy dish to whip up. This is one dessert that is great for entertaining or a weeknight dessert.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
I use the Enjoy Life brand, I have become a huge fan of them. They are free of the top 8 allergens. So it is great having that to know I am safe when I go to whip into a dessert recipe like this.
Nutella is gluten free! We enjoy Nutella a lot so we are pretty thankful :-).
You will want to keep them in a cool place because if not the chocolate coating can begin to melt.
You can toss in the fridge if you would like, it will make the pretzels softer over time. Or store on the counter in an airtight container.
You can make them dairy-free if you omit the Nutella and use a dairy-free chocolate chip brand.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free No-Bake Haystack Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Nutella
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup shredded coconut *see note
- 1 cup pecans *see note
- 1 cup chopped gluten free pretzels
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the Nutella and chocolate chips.
- Microwave for 40 seconds and stir. Microwave at 25-second intervals after this, stirring each time to prevent your chocolate from burning.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well to coat all of the ingredients in the chocolate mixture.
- Lay a piece of wax paper over a cookie sheet.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop the mixture into balls onto the wax paper.
- Place in the refrigerator or freezer to harden. About 60 minutes in the freezer or 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
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Christy
Could you substitute with coconut with something else?
Sandi Gaertner
Of course, just use any other mix-in listed :-).