These Vegan Paleo Twix Bars are made with only 8 wholesome ingredients and are free from dairy, gluten, soy, and refined sugar. You can either make a no-bake version by freezing the layers or bake the shortbread for a crunchier texture that resembles the original version more.
Growing up Twix Bars were my absolute favorite candy. The combination of a buttery shortbread crust, a soft caramel layer and chocolate is pure heaven in my world. However, I can no longer stand commercially produced candy bars since all I taste now when I have a bite is SUGAR! Once you make your own much healthier version with just 8 simple ingredients, there’s no going back. Trust me!
These vegan Paleo Twix bars require a bit more time to prepare than most recipes I post, because there are 3 layers involved. They are 100% worth the effort though and still take you less than 30 minutes to put together. I tried to simplify the recipe as much as possible and avoided using a food processer or blender for faster clean up.
To make the process easier, you can skip making your own chocolate and use store-bought dark chocolate. Just read the ingredient list and try to choose products that are free from soy and dairy and are lower in sugar with a higher cacao percentage (Some of my favorites are 1, 2, 3). You can melt the chocolate over a pot of boiling water and use for coating the bars.
If choosing to make your own–like I did here–you can either use cacao butter (my favorite) or coconut oil. Coconut oil is more accessible to most people, but the downsides are that it melts at room temperature and will lend a slight coconut-y flavor to your chocolate. If you don’t mind these, feel free to use coconut oil as explained in the recipe notes.
I made a no-bake version first, where I let the shortbread and caramel firm up in the freezer before coating them in dark chocolate. I loved how they turned out, but they were further from the original Twix bars since the shortbread layer was quite soft.
So on my next attempt, I baked the shortbread crust for about 15 minutes until it got golden brown around the edges. Let it cool down completely and then slathered it with the caramel layer and placed in the freezer to firm up. This version certainly resembled the traditional version more closely. But I still can’t decide which one I love more! It’s a tie for sure!
Feel free to make whichever version you prefer and let me know what your favorite was by leaving a comment below. If you take photos, don’t forget to tag me @nutriholist #nutriholist on Instagram and Facebook so I can see and share them. If you’re a fellow chocolate-lover, you might also want to check out my healthy copycat Snickers Bars, these heavenly Salted Chocolate Caramels, and these lush PB&J Chocolate Cups. Enjoy!
Vegan Paleo Twix Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water (optional)
Caramel Layer
- 1/2 cup dates , pitted and soaked
- 1/2 cup almond butter (or other nut/seed butter)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Coating
- 1/2 cup raw cacao butter or cocoa butter {See Notes}
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- For a baked version: Preheat oven to 350 F.
- For the Shortbread Crust: Line a 5x7 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Add all crust ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add a bit of water if the dough is not sticking together. Press the dough down onto the lined container and smooth it out with a spatula. Place in the freezer while you prepare the caramel (for a no-bake version) or bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes until golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let it cool down for at least 20 minutes.
- For the Caramel Layer: Soak pitted dates in hot water for 15 minutes or longer to help them soften. Discard the soaking water, add dates to the mixing bowl, and mash with a fork. Add almond butter and mix in with the fork. Pour in coconut milk and stir to get an even mixture. Pour on top of the cooled crust, sprinkle with sea salt, and place in the freezer to firm up for about 1 hour.
- For the Chocolate Coating: Chop cacao butter into small chunks and place in a clean bowl secured on top of a pot of boiling water. Once melted, stir in the cacao powder and mix until there are no lumps left. Add maple syrup (to taste) and sea salt and stir to combine. Let it cool down for 10 minutes.
- Assemble: Remove the dish from the freezer, lift out the parchment paper, and cut the batch into 16 slices. Either drizzle chocolate on top or dip each bar into the liquid chocolate, flipping over to coat all side. Set aside on a cooling rack or parchment paper-lined container. Place bars into the freezer for about 15 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour to set. Enjoy and store the remainder in the fridge for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for months.
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