With Halloween right around the corner all I can think about is candy. It’s everywhere. The end caps at the grocery store. The opening display at Target. The checkout line. Blogs. Pinterest. Facebook. EVERYWHERE. And there’s not one piece of it I can it. {Ok that’s a totally lie- I may or may not have eaten an entire bag of candy corn by myself in 2 days; HFCS and all.}
What I really mean is that I can’t eat my favorites: Twix Bars & Snickers. Now, I’m not a chocolate fan, but when you use it to wrap up caramel-y deliciousness, I’m all in.
The husband cringes every Halloween because I’m that neighbor. The one that gives out pretzels. But I’m not a total party pooper- I compromise and hand out fun size candy bars along with the pretzels. If I’m being honest, the candy is really so the husband and I can eat the leftovers, not because I think the kids need it. And yes, I by the variety pack and then hide all my favorites on the bottom of the bowl in hopes that those will be what’s left at the end of the night. Don’t lie, you do it too.
{If you’re trying to be healthy and still want to give out candy, try buying something you don’t like. We did that last year and there are still remnants of Jolly Rancher chews sitting around in random corners.}
If you can’t tell, I’m totally in the camp that it’s ok to partake in the Halloween treats and not just the tricks, as long as you’re smart about it. So what’s a girl to do when she can’t eat her beloved Twix and they’re taunting her everywhere she looks?
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Dig into the old favorite recipe archive and bring back an oldie but a goody. Technically it’s millionaire’s shortbread, but how is that really any different than a Twix bar? {Except for the sea salt on top which only makes it that much better.}
You can certainly use a dairy-free, soy-free spread like Earth Balance {the red container}, but this time around I went with coconut oil. Holy deliciousness. Makes a bit of a mess in the warmer non-fall weather surge we’re having, but they taste great chilled right out of the fridge or freezer.
It’s vegan. Dairy free. Soy free. Woohoooo! Don’t go fooling yourself, it’s still full of sugar- I’m not a miracle worker.
Homemade Twix-Inspired Bars
Ingredients
For the Cookie
- 1/2 cup non-dairy butter, cold
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the Caramel
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup non dairy creamer {I used So Delicious coconut creamer}
- 1/2 cup golden syrup {I used Lyle’s}
- 1 Tbsp non dairy butter
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Coating
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips {non-dairy, such as Enjoy Life}
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp high quality sea salt {fleur de sel}
Instructions
For the Cookie
Put the non-dairy butter, flour, brown sugar, and salt for the cookie in food processor and chop until blended.
Press mixture into 11×7 or 9×9 baking dish lined with foil & greased, packing firmly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let cool thoroughly before moving on. {Can place in fridge.}
For the Caramel
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix granulated sugar, creamer, and golden syrup. Stir consistently until sugar dissolves. If you have a thermometer, use it.
When sugar dissolves, stir in butter. Continue stirring until mixture boils; hands off- don’t touch now!
Let mixture boil until it reaches 245 degrees.
Stir in vanilla, then pour on top of shortbread and spread evenly. Let cool completely.
For the Chocolate Coating
Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil over double boiler, stirring until smooth.
Poor over caramel layer and spread evenly.
Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle generously with fleur de sel.
Let cool. May need to refrigerate or even freeze.
Slice into bite sized pieces.
To make more Twix-like, slice cookie & caramel layer into long strips before drizzling with chocolate and let chocolate spill over the sides. Omit salt. Mmmm.
What’s your favorite Halloween candy? Have you tried making a homemade version of you favorite candy bar before?
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{ 18 comments… read them below or chime in }
That’s impressive homemade halloween candy! Looks delicious and way better than a Twix. I’m a reeses pieces and raisinettes girl! And I have also been avoiding the candy corn bag…that’s my gateway candy. If I have that then I want to taste all the rest! LOL
Patty Just blogged…Weekly Check-In #2
Mmmm Reeses!
“…not a miracle worker.” Ha ha ha ha ha!
These look amazing!
Elizabeth @ The Bare Midriff Just blogged…Pumpkin Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffles
Anytime you combine chocolate and caramel, I am all in!
Twix, 3 Musketeers, and Peanut Butter M&M’s are my current favorites!
Sabrina Just blogged…Season of Change and Life Plans II
Oh PB M&M’s- I forgot about those delicious things!
For seasonal/holiday treats my favorite doesn’t come out until Valentine’s day – Brach’s JuJu Hearts! Otherwise my favorite is anything with ph and chocolate, but no caramel.
Is the cookie part on these crunchy like in “real” Twix?
Crunchy but not super crunchy- probably less crunch than the real deal. Although I usually eat them frozen so they’re definitely crunchy then.
I’ve tried making reeses PB cups
Kierston Just blogged…Happy With Myself…
Wow, those look good. Good thing I can’t gain weight by reading it
Richard taub Just blogged…Tapout XT | Review complete workout
I am a widow with no kids of my own and no Trick-or-Treat age kids close enough to cater to… will that stop me from making this recipe – mwahahahah! My main reason for delving into vegan cooking is a vicious allergy to anything based on cow milk – I remain a stubborn omnivore, at least for now – and vegan gives me such wonderful ways to get around that problem, unlike vegetarian where it seems every other recipe is loaded with butter or cheese
. This looks delicious!
Agh I know what you mean, vegetarian recipes tend to be loaded with cheese- always makes me so sad!
Have you used anything other than all purpose flour? I’m gluten/almond intolerant.
I’ve made them with a gluten free mix and they turned out fine! I think any gluten free flour would work though, I’ll have to experiment with some of the other flours!
Pretty pics! Pinned- can’t wait to try!
Ali Just blogged…Healthy Mushroom and Asparagus Casserole
How long would you boil the caramel if you don’t have a candy thermometer?
You’d have to check the caramel periodically by dropping some in cold water- here’s a description of what you’re looking for from http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4779209_making-candy-thermometer.html:
Firm-Ball Stage
Candy that forms into a ball upon entering the water and is able to support its weight after being removed from the water is in the firm-ball stage. The temperature of the mixture is between 245 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit. The candy will feel firm, yet chewy and a bit sticky, and will flatten out if you pinch it. Caramel is cooked to the firm-ball stage.
Look good! And we actually don’t pass out candy since literally NO kids come to our house for trick or treating. We even have to drive to a different neighborhood to trick or treat with our kids. We have a Scrooge like neighborhood apparently. That’s okay, though. I get to steal from my kids’ buckets. All in the name of them not having too much, right?
Tina @ Best Body Fitness Just blogged…#RWHalf: RACE RECAP
That happened in my old neighborhood! I was so surprised the first year we lived here that I ran out of candy in an hour!