Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Sharing a healthier, peanutty take on a Twix bar. Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars. Layered with dark chocolate, toasted almond “shortbread”, sweet peanut butter “caramel”, additional dark chocolate, and finished with flaky sea salt. Every last bite is sweet, nutty, extra chocolatey, and so DELICIOUS. These Twix bars are easy to make, have no processed sugars, and are gluten-free!
There are regular Twix Bars, and then there are these. And these are so much better. Kind of a cross between a Twix and a peanut butter cup…but better than both, and completely addicting too.
Some of you might remember the original Homemade Twix Bars I shared a couple of years ago. Well, the odd thing is, a Twix bars weren’t a candy I’d reach for as a kid. I mean, they were fine, just not my first choice. Especially for someone who’s never really enjoyed candy that much.
But I love the idea of making candy bars healthier and more delicious at home, so I tested out the Twix Bar. It turned out so good, better than a Twix in my opinion.
This year however, I wanted to do something different. If you google it, Twix has a discontinued Peanut Butter Twix Bar. Why it was discontinued I don’t know, but a peanutty Twix sounded so good.
So I made my own, and well, it’s so good. As I said above, it tastes like a Twix and a peanut butter cup combined. You get the best of each candy.
The details
These bars have two layers, the first layer is an almond, coconut shortbread. It’s nutty, perfectly sweet, and really the best base for these bars. The second layer is a creamy maple syrup based peanut butter “caramel”. This isn’t really anything like caramel, but more of a lightly sweetened peanut butter layer with vanilla.
Start with the cookie base. This is a very simple mix of almond flour, coconut flour, and coconut oil. It bakes in the oven until lightly golden and toasted. It’s simple, yet delicious. Once baked, this layer tastes sweet and “buttery”. A lot like a classic shortbread cookie.
The peanut butter layer, which is my favorite layer, is simply just peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil, boiled together to thicken the mix. I added some almond butter to give it a little more stiffness, and then vanilla too.
The secret to making this layer really delicious is to use a peanut butter with just peanuts and salt. Don’t use a no-stir peanut butter that contains oils and or sugar. You just want a natural peanut butter. This will give you the best flavor and texture.
Pour the peanut butter layer over the almond cookie base, then freeze the bars. You only need them to freeze 30 or so minutes, but you can leave them in the freezer overnight too. This step helps the bars set up quicker, cut cleaner, and makes them solid enough to dip into the chocolate.
Once the bars are cut and frozen, dip them into the chocolate. Then finish them with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for that salty-sweet combo we love so much.
Tips
Make sure the bars are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into the chocolate. If the bars are frozen, the chocolate will quickly set up on the bars and be easier to work with.
It’s also important to store the bars in the fridge. If you leave them out on the counter, they’ll get a little melty. But they are perfect right out of the fridge.
Looking for other healthier dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
5 Ingredient Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies
Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies
Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Salted Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 262 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup, plus 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (just peanuts and salt)
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper. 2. In a bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, 1/3 cup coconut oil, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and salt until combined. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden and toasted. 3. In a small pot, mix the peanut butter, almond butter, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour over the crust. Freeze 30 minutes, until firm. Cut bars into 16 bars.4. Melt the chocolate and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the microwave until melted. Let cool 10 minutes.5. Cover/dip each bar in chocolate, sprinkle with salt. Freeze 10 minutes, to set the chocolate. Eat or store in the fridge.
These are amazing!!!!! We keep them in the freezer which is great because they stay fresh and when you take one out to eat they are the perfect texture!!! (You won’t break a tooth taking a bite)
Hey Kaitlan,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Hi ! I want to try these to make as a present, but I need to know do these taste like coconut? Since they have coconut ingredients?
Hi Ariana,
They have a very very subtle hint of coconut, if you didn’t know it was in the recipe you probably wouldn’t even notice:) I hope this helps! xx
Thank you so much!
Coconut oil differs in the ingredients vs. In the directions
I am so excited to try this recipe! Question – I have extra Ghirardelli dark chocolate “melting wafers” from the holidays that I am wondering if I can use for this. Do you think it would turn out just as good? If not I am happy to buy regular dark chocolate bars. Thank you, your recipes are the best 🙂
Hi there! Yes, that should work perfect! 🙂 xT
Love love love this recipe!
We like to keep them in the freezer! Super delicious treat!
Thank you so so much Lindsey! xT
Love love this recipe!! I did have to let it freeze a little longer before cutting into it. But it’s easily become one of our favorite go-to desserts (:
Hey Destiny,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Delicious !!!
Hey Lilly,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
I wish these tasted more like a twix but I was disappointed. The almond flour layer was soft and I just wanted a crunch. The peanut butter layer tasted very strong and I was overall unimpressed. They didn’t taste bad, just not what I expected from a Twix copycat.
Hi Kayla,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. This recipe contains peanut butter which is not typical for a twix, you might like this recipe more:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-vegan-twix-bars/
I hope this helps! xx
Could I just use regular flour if I don’t care about the vegan? Happy to use the coconut oil, I’ve got that. But the flour… ? These look delish.
Hi Molly,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
They are delicious ! But can you use a different oil or less coconut oil?
Hey Lisa,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Sure, you could use butter, obviously it wouldn’t be vegan but the butter would work! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I was looking for a healthy sweet option to have a quick bite of dessert after dinner. These were perfect! After reading the reviews, I froze the bars longer, before cutting into them. I also chose to layer the chocolate on top, instead of dipping into the individual bars. The dough didn’t crumble this way. After freezing them again, they were ready to be cut into bars and stored in the fridge for the perfect after dinner sweet! Thanks, Tieghan!
Hey Kate,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx