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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.
These were delicious and healthy however the dough is crumbly and it’s messy to eat. Anyway to make it stick together ?
Hi Erika,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! You could try adding more honey, but because of the more natural ingredients, the dough is going to be on the crumbly side:) xT
I tried making these for my vegan friends. I ran into trouble with cutting them – it was impossible to do it without the pieces crumbling! I ended up just pouring the chocolate on top, freezing, then taking them out and letting them get soft so I could cut them. Although they were difficult to cut into bars, the taste was very good.
Hi Riane,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear they were difficult to cut. Was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know! xx
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m exclusively breastfeeding my 9 mo and have had to cut out dairy, soy and wheat for the last 6 mo. This type of treat was something I’ve been craving. Followed recipe to a T and came out great. I cut the bars down before the chocolate step and placed them on a wire cooling rack and then spooned the melted chocolate over each piece. Excited to store these in freezer and enjoy over time.
Hey Carrie,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback!! Love to hear that it was a winner:) xxT
The recipe looks so good. I forwarded it onto my vegan daughter so she can make it.
This may have been asked before, but I did not see it, so I will ask! The recipe calls for salt only once, 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, which is added to the first layer of the bar. The last task in the directions is to sprinkle with salt. Do I use the full 1/2 teaspoon for the first layer or do I split it reserving enough to sprinkle on top of the bars?
Hey there,
Sorry for any confusion, you are going to use the 1/2 teaspoon of flaky sea salt in step 1 and then just use a sprinkle of your liking to top the bars with. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
What cookbook is this from?
Hi Rachel,
This recipe is only on the blog, the recipes in the cookbooks are exclusive to the books:) xTieghan
I have made these a few times because they are so good and (relatively) healthyish. My only challenge with them is dipping them in chocolate because it makes such a mess. I made them this week and instead of dipping, I poured the chocolate over the entire peanut butter mixture, let it freeze, and then I cut them. It was so much easier and less of a mess — and like others have noted, the more time you leave them in the freezer the easier they are to cut. I leave them in the freezer vs. the fridge, too!
Hi Lauren,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx
My boyfriend and I love this recipe!! I’m making it for the second time today and absolutely would not change anything about the recipe. The only small thing to note is: the last time I made it, I found it hard to cut the bars without some pieces falling apart after freezing for 30-40 minutes – some of my bars were less pretty because of it, but also they became more bite-sized and had a higher chocolate-to-bar ratio, so no complaints there 🙂
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
These are just AMAZING. That’s all.
Hey Maria,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
These are fantastic. I am not shy about my dislike of “healthified” treats but these are truly delicious. Make them and try not to eat them all!
Hey Michelle,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
Having some food restriction, I was so happy to find this recipe on instagram able to accommodate that. I made this with all almond butter and honey (reduce it accordingly) as that’s what I have in my pantry. It turns out really great and I have to stop eating all of it at once. It was important to not overcook the nut butter part on the stove. The recipe is so easy and I need to work on making the chocolate dip as smooth or nice as yours. Thanks for the easy healthy but most importantly, delicious snack!
Hey Kayla,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit. Have the best week:) xx
I can’t wait to make these bars but before I do, I wanted to know how long they keep for in the fridge? Can I make them a few days in advanced of my event and will they still be tasty? Thanks!
Hey Jackie,
Yes, totally, these are good for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
How long do these stay good in the fridge?
Hey Kelsey,
I would say up to 2 weeks. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I made these as our Valentine’s Day dessert and they were a big hit! I froze the cookie with the peanut butter topping for a few hours, then used the parchment paper as a sling to pull it out and put it on a cutting board. I used a large sharp knife to cut it up and had no problems with it breaking. I did feel like the chocolate layer was a bit overwhelming – I wonder if using more coconut oil when melting the chocolate might thin it out a little for a thinner coating? I loved how dipping the frozen bars made the chocolate set right away – brilliant!
Hey Jane,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! You could add more coconut oil to the chocolate or just be sure to use a chocolate bar, those work best for melting:) xTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and it is delicious! My kids love it as well. Love making your “healthier” desserts!
Hey Liz,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Loved these! On my 3rd batch now. Easy to follow and once cooked and in the freezer they sliced perfectly for gusting in chocolate! Love the sea salt added to the top, goes perfectly with the peanut butter.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
These are just okay. Followed everything to the T. Waited double the time to slice and dip to make sure firm. Bottom part is pretty crumbly and entire bar is VERY coconut flavored. Even omitted coconut oil to melt chocolate.
Hi Brittaney,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!! xTieghan