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BOO! Weโve got Spooky Homemade Twix Bars today! And you donโt need to be a professional baker to make these deliciously easy homemade Halloween treats. These bars are made with delicious brown sugar shortbread cookie dough thatโs baked until flaky. Theyโre then layered with a sweet apple cider caramel with vanilla and flakes of sea salt. Cover each homemade Twix in chocolate, then have fun decorating each bar with googly candy eyes. Theyโll be spooktastically delicious and a favorite this Halloween.
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Iโm so happyโitโs spooky season! I may be a grown woman who runs her own business (with my sweet mom, of course), but I will never be too old for a little Halloween fun. And if Iโm being honest, I live my life feeling like Iโm still my teenage self, just with way more responsibility.
But I try to let some of my adult self go for the month of October. This is the time of year to watch your favorite Halloween movies, bake frightfully delicious desserts, mix up spooky cocktailsโand maybe even host a Halloween bash!
Itโs so fun!
Every Halloween season, I have so much fun creating at least a few new spooky-themed desserts and/or drinks for you guys. Even when life is busiest, we can all manage to find the time for at least a night or two of autumn Halloween baking.
I LOVE to make homemade candy bars this time of year. And since I know we all love a good Twix Bar, I felt like these could be fun to recreate in a spooky way.
It turns out they are fun, way easier than youโd guess to make, and so delicious. The apple cider caramel really is the best. We love it paired with dark chocolate!
Here are the Frightful Details
Ingredients
- brown sugar
- salted butter
- vanilla extract
- an egg
- all-purpose flour
- apple cider (not apple cider vinegar)
- flaky sea salt
- dark chocolate
- coconut oil
- candy eyes (you can find these on Amazon, Target, Walmart, and in most grocery stores)
Step 1: make the shortbread dough
In a bowl, beat together the brown sugar, the butter, and the vanilla. Add 1 egg at room temperature and then the flour. Beat until the dough holds onto the bowl.
Press the dough into a square brownie pan lined with parchment paper. I like to use a 9ร9-inch pan, but if you use an 8ร8-inch pan, just note that your bars will turn out thicker than mine.
Bake until the cookie is golden and just set on top.
Step 2: make the apple cider caramel
This is my no-fail, no-fuss caramel. To make it, you just need to boil apple cider with brown sugar and butter.
Boil for about 9 to 10 minutes for a soft, chewy caramel. The longer you boil the caramel, the harder it will become. Ideally, you want a soft, chewy caramel, so stick to around 10 minutes on the stove.
The sauce will bubble and thicken. Then, add sea salt and pour the caramel over the baked cookie crust.
Step 3: let the caramel set
Put the pan in the fridge for 2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes. I prefer to have the bars frozen as I find it makes cutting them much easier.
Once the bars are cut, itโs time for dipping.
Step 4: dip and dunk in chocolate
Dip each bar in melted chocolate. Again, it helps if the bars are frozen. The chocolate will set onto the bars quickly and be less of a mess.
Place each bar onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5: decorate
The final step is the most fun: the googly candy eyes! Before the chocolate sets, decorate as desired with candy eyes.
The awesome thing about this process is that you donโt have to have any skills at all. Just drop on some candy eyes and call it a day. The bars will look cute and spooky no matter what.
Itโs all about that messed up, spooky vibe, so embrace the imperfections here. No one spooky Twix should look like another.
Keep these in fridge but pull them out a few minutes prior to serving. We find the caramel is yummiest when itโs soft and chewy!
You can pack them up and take them to the school Halloween party. Or serve them up at your adult-filled Halloween bash.
Whatever route you go, these ghostly spooky bars will be loved.
Looking for other Halloween cookies? Here are my favorites:ย
Black Widow Peanut Butter Bars
Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies
BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-Oโ-Lantern Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Spooky Homemade 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, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spooky Homemade Twix Bars
Ingredientsย
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon flaky salt
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- candy eyeballs
Instructionsย
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350ยฐ F. Line a 9ร9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.ย 2. To make the cookie dough. In a bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the egg and then the flour. Beat until just combined, adding 1-2 tablespoons water as needed until the dough forms a ball.3. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden, and set on top. 4. Meanwhile, make the caramel. To make the caramel. Add the butter and brown sugar to a large pot set over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then add the cider. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture is dark, bubbling, and thickened, about 9 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt. Pour the caramel over the cookie crust. Chill for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes until firm. Cut into 16 bars.5. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave until melted. Let cool for 10 minutes.6. Cover/dip each bar in chocolate and decorate as desired with googly candy eyes. Freeze for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Eat or store in the fridge. Let the bars sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
My caramel was rock hard. There was no temperature note so I was not sure if I was supposed to cook it on medium heat the whole time or turn it up to boil?! In any event, waiting for the chocolate to harden but may be inedible due to the caramel. We’ll see.
Hi Alex,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! Yes, the caramel should just be on medium high heat the whole time until it comes to a boil. It sounds like it was cooked for too long. So sorry about that! If you want to try again, I would cook for less time. I hope this helps!
Can I use gluten-free flour and if so, what kind do you recommend
Hi Pam,
Sure, I would recommend Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. I hope you love this recipe!
I love the idea, but have to say itโs not the best recipe at least for myself. The caramel was not thickening up. I think if you stick to a traditional caramel or use less apple cider it may work out. I also had to extend time on baking the cookie.
Hi Sara,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t love these. xx
I am in the process of making these. I stirred and boiled the caramel for well over 10 minutes and it never really got very thick. It is sitting in the freezer now, so I guess we will see how it turns out. I added 4 minutes of baking time to the cookie crust, but my oven has been having issues getting up to temperature. I am going to use semi-sweet chocolate. This is for my sonโs case for Halloween, hopefully they turn out. I do have a backup plan just in case though!
Hi Christina,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I hope they turn out nicely for you, I think your caramel will be just fine! Happy Halloween! xx
Twix bars were my favorite for years so I could not wait to try this recipe. It turned out so delicious! My 1st time making caramel was finger licking good, I used heavy cream instead of the cider. The crunch on the cookie portion is perfect, I had to add 3 minutes to my baking time, for 18 mins total. Will be making these often and decorating differently for each holiday. Thank you!
Hey Veronica,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Happy Halloween! ๐
Made these with my kids- they were SO delicious and fun to make together! Way easier than I thought they would be, too!
Hey Bethany,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Have a great Monday! XxT
Sorry this recipe is a dud. I usually love her recipes. Made this following the directions. Crust very hard to spread out in thin layer – Parchment continues to move. Taste seemed off. Caramel – UGH no temperature noted and it was so hard to know when it is done and 9-10 minutes means nothing. I boiled mine longer as it was not getting thick and never did even though I cooked it longer. The apple cider is way too much – overpowering flavor. The dark chocolate does not seem to go well with the whole thing. I threw away half the recipe and I never throw away dessert. No one seemed to like it.
Hi Julie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! x
Could not wait to make these. The caramel is out of this world delicious! I think I cut my bars too soon out of the freezer and they broke so not as pretty but dang they are good! Thanks Tieghan for another great recipe <3
Thanks so much, Danielle! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it turned out well! Xx
I always use a thermometer for caramel, just because I’ve ruined enough batches! What temp should we cook the caramel to?
Hey Chrissy,
I am so sorry, I honestly don’t know, I didn’t use a thermometer to check the temp of the caramel. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Oh, okay. You said in your Instagram stories that we could use a thermometer, so I assumed you did that as a part of recipe testing since you mentioned it. Never mind, off to find another option! Thanks anyway.
Would I be able to use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Hey Katie,
Of course, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe:) xT
These are just the kind of sweet and spooky treats I love for October ๐xx
Thanks so much, Kelly-Jane! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
The cookie part of the “Twix” was a little lack luster – the butter was overpowering and the cookie missed the mark on the crunch factor. Perhaps less butter in recipe would improve the taste and texture.
They look fantastic! Your recipes and photographs are so inspiring. What can I use in place of apple cider? Would cream work?
Thanks so much, Carol!! Yes, heavy cream will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Can you switch butter for coconut oil?
Hi Lynda,
Yes, that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT