Homemade Twix Bars (Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free)
When you have food allergies, it can be difficult to find sweets that aren't filled with chemicals, bad ingredients or the foods that you can't have anymore. Finding a recipe that looks and tastes like actual TWIX candy bars that doesn't have sugar, wheat, gluten, dairy, etc. is pretty amazing! Right?
If you don't have cashew butter, or if you don't like cashew butter, then feel free to use almond butter. However, using almond butter will taste different than using cashew butter. I have tried both, and there is something about the taste and creaminess of cashew butter that really makes it better. I strongly prefer this cashew butter. I also prefer cashew butter because I have family members who cannot eat almonds, so cashew butter to the rescue!
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INGREDIENTS
Shortbread (Bottom)
2/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut oil (solid)
Caramel (Middle)
1/2 cup creamy cashew butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 Tablespoon vanilla
1/3 tsp sea salt
Chocolate (Top)
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon maple syrup*
*You can add up to 2 TB maple syrup in the Chocolate Topping depending on how sweet you'd like it to be.
Directions:
- Set your oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the solid coconut oil with the maple syrup. Add in your coconut flour and sea salt and mix until a ball forms. Make sure to press out any of the coconut clumps along the way. You can use your hands, a fork or whatever is easiest for you. I like to use one of my electric mixer beaters (by itself by hand) to get it going and then use my hands after. (This photo is before I formed it into a ball.)
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper (if you do it criss-cross as shown in the photo below, you can easily lift out the final product at the end). Press the dough into the pan until it is pretty even. If you are OCD and super TYPE A like I am, you can roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper and then fit it in the square pan. I have done this both ways - pressing the dough in with my hands and rolling it out. I like to roll it out but both work and both taste delicious.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes until it is barely golden around the edges. Allow to cool.
- Mix the cashew butter with the maple syrup and vanilla and sea salt until you are left with a bowl of creamy filling that is so good you will keep on tasting it and tasting it. It will be thick but spreadable.
- When the shortbread has cooled completely, pour and spread the filling on the shortbread. Place it in the refrigerator for about 25 minutes.
- Mix the melted coconut oil with the cocoa powder and maple syrup. Pour the chocolate over the cooled caramel and make sure it covers the whole thing. Place back in the refrigerator for another 25 minutes or until the chocolate has set
- Once cooled, cut down the middle and then slice the Twix sized slices in each half. Store your Twix bars the refrigerator.
