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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.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey for the shortbread?
Hi Jenn,
Sure, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Mine have been in a freezer an hour and they aren’t completely firm, they are soft to the touch? Any tips?
These look amazing! Could I use all almond flour instead of the coconut flour? I hate to buy special ingredients for recipes sometimes….
Thank you!!!!
Hi Kristin,
Yes, that should work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi Karisa,
I would keep in the freezer a bit longer. Please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Hi,
Can you replace almond flour with regular flour?
Thank you,
Lissi
Hi Lissi,
Yes, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I was a little skeptical, Im no vegan but have been trying to find alternatives to using butter in recipes. So, thought I’d give these a try. WOW, so yummy! Only thing I did differently was I used a loaf pan instead of the 8×8, since I only had a 9×9 and wanted them to be a little thicker. I used the dark chocolate bar from Trader Joes – perfect. And after I let the chocolate coating set, I drizzled on a little more. Make these today!
Hey Erin,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Think I could use a cookie cutter on these? Before dipping in chocolate
Hey Carina,
You could give it a try, I just don’t know how well it will work for you, I probably wouldn’t recommend it:) Please let me know how it goes! xTieghan
Just FYI, after it sets in the freezer, I did have a difficult time cutting them – some didn’t cut straight and broke off in shards. You may have to defrost and wait for it to soften before using cookie cutter!
Holy moly these are so good!!!! Great recipe!!! Thank you! 🙂
Hey Nina,
Awesome! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Really enjoyed this easy recipe. I had a lot chocolate leftover, so will melt less when I make again! I have my second batch chilling and ready to dip in chocolate soon!!
Hey Sue,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
The chocolate coating on top is enough which allows to cut in half the quantity of chocolate. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter and hazelnut butter in place of almond butter. Great result!
Hey Monique,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
I’m trying to “trick” my kids into healthier desserts and they never fall for it…until now! My kids LOVE these (and so do I!). So delicious. Mine didn’t turn out quite as pretty and I opted to just cover the tops and sides with chocolate to make it a little easier, but they are fantastic. Thank you for creating this recipe!
Hey Kelly,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Could you use only almond butter if you aren’t a huge peanut butter fan?
Hey Annelise,
Sure, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
We made these last week and they are mouth-wateringly good. Yep, that’s a word now! They are pretty calorie dense (but with healthy fats and sugars) so I cut them half the size as recommended. We keep them in the freezer and eat one before a big workout which helps us from bonking.
I also had to chill them a bit longer before dipping them into the chocolate.
Hi Brooklyn,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made these last weekend and they were AMAZING. I would definitely recommend this dish to bring for a party. I made everything to recipe but I did have to chill my shortbread for about an hour – when I tried to dip it after 30 minutes my shortbread broke apart in my chocolate. I also ended up drizzling the chocolate over the top vs dipping the whole thing to make it a little less sweet. Also I ran out of coconut oil before the last step of melting the chocolate but butter as a sub worked just fine 🙂 thank you for this great recipe!
Hi Monica,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT
These are DELICIOUS and super easy to make. I made it exactly as directed. I used 2 tooth picks and pushed them in at 45 degree angles to hold onto the bar as I dipped them in the melted chocolate. It made it very easy to dip without any mess at all. Then I used a piping bag to drizzle the extra chocolate on the top of each bar. Tieghan always comes up with delicious recipes that never disappoint.
Hi Melissa,
Fantastic! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:) xxT
Can’t wait to try these! Can a chocolate coating be made out of cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate or will it not harden? And if yes, do you have a recipe for that?
Hey Ann,
So sorry, I don’t think the cocoa powder will work well for you, I would stick with the melted chocolate. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
These came out AMAZING!! I used the chocolate coating as the recipe says. I cut the bars into bite size, but wow!! Definitely going on the make again list!
Hey Ann,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
Made these for my dad who is attempting to go GF. Slam. Dunk. So good. We made a mess but it was SO worth it.
Hi Andrea,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan