Happy June, friends! I’m back to bring you one of the things I’ve always wanted to recreate, the classic ‘Twix’ bar. That shortbread base and gooey caramel layer coated in chocolate is a winning combination! I simply had to try and make it myself, with no dairy, refined sugar or gluten, just wholesome ingredients (and a little chocolate of course).
They’re rich and gooey, naturally sweet and slightly salty and really simple to make! Just 8 ingredients and no baking involved. A bit of blending, some chocolate melting and you’re a step away from a homemade sweet shop.
They keep well in the fridge but can also be wrapped in paper and taken in lunch boxes and picnic hampers. Perfect to take to a party too, if you care to share them. Or do what I’m doing and making another big batch just for me and labelling it ‘self care’. I mean, that’s what it is, right?!
It’s a really popular bar to make and there’s probably about a million recipes online already, but I’ve tried to keep this one as simple as possible. Simple is best, as it means a) I’m more likely to make it b) chances are I have the ingredients already. I’m a lazy foodie at heart.
There’s no added sugar in these but there are a LOT of dates, which make the best caramel flavour in the world. I also think it’s ALL about the caramel with these, so I went for a thick, luscious layer on top of that shortbread. Try and get medjool dates if you can, the squishier the better.
I really wanted these to have a uniform coating, so they look like a proper bar. I used a silicon mold to form the chocolate shell, it’s really inexpensive and makes the world of difference! You can find the one I use here. This isn’t sponsored in any way, just sharing the mold I bought. It’s a pretty useful one, which you could use again to make different chocolate, ice cream bars, muffins or cakes. If you don’t have the mold, don’t worry! You can still make them and they’ll be just as delicious. I’ve included the recipe for both options below.
The thing I love most about these is that they’re a much healthier version of the classic bar. There’s nothing processed, no refined sugar, animal ingredients, no additives, just nuts, dates and chocolate! They sound too good to be true, but one bite and you’ll fall in love. I happily munched my way through three in the space of an hour while shooting these. Hands down, my fave recipe of 2018 so far.
I hope you get to try these homemade Twix bars! I’d love to know if you have any other chocolate bars you’d like me to recreate, please drop me a comment below. If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes! You can take a snap and tag me on Instagram @bos.kitchen, or leave me a message here.
Love, Bo xoxo
- ½ cup cashews
- ¼ cup almonds
- Pinch sea salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1.5 cups pitted dates
- 3 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup water
- 200g sugar free dark chocolate
- Start by melting your chocolate in a bain marie (a bowl over a gently simmering pan of water). Once melted, line the inside of your mould with chocolate. You may need to do two layers of chocolate to cover it. Set aside to set.
- Make caramel by adding dates, coconut oil, vanilla and almond butter to a food processor and blending until smooth. If it's too thick, add water a tbsp at a time until gooey.
- Spoon dollops of caramel into chocolate moulds, filling half way up. Set aside in the fridge and wash out food processor.
- Add cashews, almonds and sea salt to food processor and blend until it resembles a fine crumb.
- Add the coconut oil a tbsp at a time, pulsing in between. The mixture should stick together when pressed between your fingers.
- Press the biscuit base on top of the caramel layers in the mould, filling up to the top. Cover the top of the bars with a final layer of chocolate and set aside in the fridge to set.
- Pop out the moulds and sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
- Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Make biscuit base by adding cashews, almonds and sea salt to food processor and blend until it resembles a fine crumb. Add the coconut oil a tbsp at a time, pulsing in between. The mixture should stick together when pressed between your fingers.
- Firmly press the mixture into a small loaf tin and set aside in the fridge.
- Make caramel by blending dates, coconut oil, vanilla and almond butter to a food processor and blending until smooth. If it's too thick, add water a tbsp at a time until gooey.
- Smooth caramel layer over the base and set aside in the fridge to set for an hour.
- Melt chocolate in a bain marie (a bowl over a gently simmering pan of water).
- Remove tin from freezer once firm and slice into bars. Cover in melted chocolate and refrigerate until set. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.
Notes
*If you don’t have almonds just sub with more cashews, or any other nut you have.
*If you don’t have almond butter, peanut butter would work too.
*If you don’t have sugar free chocolate, just use good quality dark chocolate.
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