Vegan Twix Bars

Before going vegan, I always thought I was this expert level baker who could bake just about anything and have it be the sweetest treat on the party table. Turns out, my skills were just a result of closely following recipes and that I could barely make anything from scratch. I found that out the hard way. Once I ditched dairy, I couldn’t make a chocolate chip cookie to save my life. All of the alternatives seemed so complicated. Well, not anymore! Quarantine has given me a lot of time to learn and grow in my passions, thus giving me the ability to make these super sweet Vegan Twix Bars! 

Twix was one of my favorite candies growing up… Mostly due to the caramel, because I had always loved caramel. Then when it was mixed with the chocolate and the shortbread, it was the best combination. However, unfortunately Twix brand chocolate bars are not vegan, so I haven’t eaten one since. No sweat though! If you’ve ditched dairy like me, and you’re looking for a similarly sweet treat to indulge in, look no further. 

The vegan version is made with simpler ingredients for a healthier outcome. Notice I said healthiER, because everyone knows candy is still candy! It’s just better to know what you’re putting into your body. 

Tips to make your Twix Bars the Best they Can Be: 

• Double the shortbread ingredients for a full layer of shortbread 

• Use an 8x8 pan or smaller

• Once you put the caramel filling on, you have to let it set in the fridge for a bit. You don’t want to put melted chocolate on top of melted almond butter, etc. 

Ingredients

Shortbread: 

• 1/2 cup coconut flour 

• 2 tbsp maple syrup 

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted) 

(Double the shortbread) 

Caramel Filling:

• ½ cup almond butter 

• ⅓  maple syrup 

• ⅓ cup coconut oil 

Chocolate Topping: 

• 2 cups melted chocolate chips 

Instructions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees 

• In a bowl, mix all of the shortbread ingredients together, but make sure the coconut oil is melted first. Mix until you get the crumbly shortbread feel. Add more coconut oil to create a dough-like substance. 

• Line the pan with parchment paper and add the dough, spreading it to the edges with your hands. 

• Put in the oven for 10-12 minutes 

• While that’s in the oven, prepare the caramel filling by putting those ingredients into a small pot (almond butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil) and put it on the stove on low heat. Stir until all ingredients are mixed together and in liquid form or until about 8 minutes have passed. 

• Take the pan out of the oven, and pour the caramel filling on top of the baked shortbread, spread out evenly. 

• Put the pan in the fridge to let the caramel set and harden. I waited an hour for it so that it wouldn’t be liquidy when I put the chocolate on. 

• Take the pan out once the filling is set, and prepare the melted chocolate. You can microwave it or put it on the stove top. 

• Microwave one cup of the chocolate first, so that the whole thing doesn't harden quickly. Pour that onto the twix bars. Then microwave the rest of the chocolate and pour it on.

• Put back in fridge for as long as it takes for the chocolate to harden and set, probably about 15 minutes

See? No need to say goodbye to your favorite candies from before you went vegan! You can store these in the fridge to enjoy frozen, or serve them immediately. I hope you like them!