Recipes are not always set in stone. Yes, baking is often more precise than cooking, but that doesn’t mean you can’t improvise. These Butterscotch Oaties are my desperate adaptation of Butterscotch Haystacks. I had the butterscotch chips and peanut butter on hand, but no crispy chow mein noodles.
I did have a lot of oats on hand. So, I improvised. And chances are, with a bit of guidance, you can two. Here’s how to swap each of the ingredients.
1. oatmeal Substitutions
In this version, oats provide the bulk and crunch normally delivered by chow mein noodles. Since these are no-bake cookies, your base needs to be edible going into the mix. With this in mind, I toasted the oats. If you don’t have oats, use crisp rice cereal, cornflakes, bran flakes or any other not-too-sweet cereal (and skip the toasting). Granola is also an option, but depending on the recipe, it might be too sweet — if that’s possible for a cookie.
2. Peanut butter substitutions
The peanut butter adds fat and a bit of sweetness. I use the cheapest commercial kind because it has been homogenized and doesn’t separate. But if peanut butter is a problem for you, use almond butter, cashew butter, seed butter or soy-based Wowbutter.
3. butterscotch chip substitutions
This recipe will work with almost any baking chip. As they harden, the chips act as the glue, holding the cookie together. With this in mind, you can use chocolate chips (milk, dark, or white), peanut butter chips (the oatie might be a little one-note) or salted caramel chips. If you don’t have enough of any one chip, you can mix and match — providing the flavours play well together. I wouldn’t use chocolate mint chips, for example.
Add-ons?
Sure. Add chopped peanuts, some toasted pumpkin seeds, or chopped dried fruit, if you like. I’m trying to keep it simple, but don’t restrict yourself. The adventurous might even drizzle these with chocolate. I’m not going to stop you.
So, even if your cupboard is looking a bit sparse, chances are you can make a batch of these in some form or other. If you do improvise, I’d love to hear the combinations you come up with.
These are what happen when you are out of chow mein noodles and want a butterscotch treat. I toasted oats but you can substitute almost any cereal if you have it on hand.
Scale
Ingredients
2 1/2 (225g) cups rolled oats 1 cup (190g) butterscotch chips 1/2 cup (130g) peanut butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Spread oats on a rimmed baking sheet (it doesn’t have to be lined) and toast in preheated oven until brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Place chips and peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Melt in microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between. Alternatively, melt them on the stovetop in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.
Once the chips and nut butter are smooth, add 2 cups (180g) toasted oats, stirring to coat well. (The oats shrink a tiny bit when toasted, so I toast a bit extra to be on the safe side. Leftover oats can be used in smoothies or added to granola.)
Using a spoon, scoop up 2-tablespoons (30 ml) of the oat mixture, pressing it against the side of the bowl to compact. Place mounds onto the lined baking sheet.
Let stand at room temperature until firm, about 20 minutes. The impatient can refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Notes
In place of toasted oats, you can use a plain crunchy cereal like rice crisps corn flakes.
In place of butterscotch chips, you can use chocolate chips (dark, milk, or white) or salted caramel chips.
In place of peanut butter, you can use any nut butter or soy butter.
Depending on the cereal and nut butter you use, this recipe can be gluten-free. For a dairy-free/vegan version, dark chocolate chips might do the trick.
