Gluten-free Haystack Cookies are one of my go-to easy gluten-free cookie recipes. They consist of salty pretzels covered in Nutella, chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. I love that you can make these during the hot summer months without heating up the kitchen!
I love this gluten-free haystack cookie recipe. I have not found a gluten-free substitute for chow mein noodles, so I used a fun alternative. When I need a crunchy ingredient, I often reach for our favorite gluten-free pretzels.
These coconut haystack cookies are so easy to make; all you need are just a few simple ingredients. If you love no-bake cookies, you will want to try these gluten free no-bake chocolate oat cookies too!
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 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 it is perfect for salty pretzels paired with Nutella, chocolate, and coconut.
Why I love This Recipe:
- These haystack cookies without chow mein noodles are great for playdates, packing in your kid’s lunches, tossing in the freezer to have easy grab-and-go snacks, 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 of haystack cookies.
- They are the perfect combination of sweet and salty!
- These are the ultimate summer cookies because you don’t heat your house up using the oven!
Ingredient Notes:
- Chocolate – Use milk or dark chocolate.
- Gluten Free Pretzels – Any brand is fine. I used Snyder’s Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks.
- Nutella – Use the brand or an organic version without additives.
- Coconut- I recommend unsweetened coconut.
- Nuts – I used pecans, but any nuts will taste great.
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 your favorite combination.
- Make these into butterscotch haystacks with butterscotch chips.
- Stir in mini marshmallows or even dehydrated mallow bits.
- Use peanut butter to replace Nutella – or another nut butter could also work.
- Toss in white chocolate chips or M&Ms.
- Stir in a few rolled oats; don’t use too many; it will dry out your cookie batter.
- Dried fruit would be a great addition.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Recipe FAQ:
There are several brands of chocolate chips that are gluten free. Enjoy Life brand is also dairy-free. So it is great knowing 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 should keep them in a cool place, as otherwise the chocolate coating may begin to melt.
You can toss it in the fridge if you would like. It will make the pretzels softer over time. Or store it on the counter in an airtight container.
You can make them dairy-free without omitting the Nutella and using a dairy-free chocolate chip brand.
More Gluten Free Cookie Recipes:
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Easy Gluten Free Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- Gluten Free Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Gluten Free M&M Cookies
Gluten Free No-Bake Haystack Cookies
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
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
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an old June 2020 post with more recipe details.
Could you substitute with coconut with something else?
Of course, just use any other mix-in listed :-).