Healthy Twix Bars with Date Caramel. My healthy Twix bars are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. They are naturally healthy, vegan and gluten free.
I made my easy homemade Twix bars with dates and almond flour for the cookie base. Then I made a date caramel and topped them with extra dark chocolate.
My clean Twix bar recipe is super easy to make and you don't have to spend too much time dipping them in chocolate because they are layered right in the pan! But, if you want an authentic looking homemade Twix bar, I recently remade this healthy Twix bar recipe by dipping each bar in dark chocolate! It takes a bit more time but they're so so good!
My easy and delicious copycat twix bar recipe is:
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Grain free
- No added sugar
- Sweetened with dates
- Dairy free
Make sure to read my Ultimate Guide on Making Healthy Easy Dessert Recipes at Home featuring healthy cookie dough bars.
HEALTHY TWIX BAR INGREDIENTS
There are only 7 ingredients needed for my homemade Twix bars recipe !
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 1 ½ cup dates, divided
- ¼ cup cashew, almond, or peanut butter
- 1-2 tablespoons milk of choice
- ⅛ teaspoon pink sea salt
- 3.5 ounces 90% dark chocolate
WHAT ARE THE 3 MAIN INGREDIENTS IN TWIX?
Twix are made of 3 main ingredients: a crunchy shortbread cookie, caramel, and covered in milk chocolate.
I took one of the best candy bars of all time and made it into a gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free healthy dessert recipe you can even give your toddlers & kids!
WHY IS TWIX SO BAD FOR YOU?
Twix bars are loaded with sugar first of all which is going to spike your blood sugar and make you feeling like crap in a couple hours. On top of that massive amount of sugar, Twix bars have artificial flavors, enriched flour, and palm oil, which is no good for our bodies.. especially young kids!
I love to take candy bars and dessert recipes and turn them into something with much healthier ingredients while making them taste just as good! My thought process.. why eat that junk or give your kids that junk when you can replace it with almonds, dates, and healthy ingredients!
My 3 year old absolutely loves my homemade healthy Twix bars!
Let me show you a comparison of what's in a twix bar, and what's in my healthy twix. In bold are all of the ingredients that are no good for you.
Plus, not in bold but still not good for you is the skim milk and milk fat which probably comes from not organic milk.. And the cocoa butter is definitely not fair trade or organic. A lot of this kind of chocolate is found with high levels of heavy metals like lead.
Twix bars
Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Pgpr, Artificial Flavors), Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Palm Oil, Corn Syrup, Skim Milk, Dextrose, Less Than 2% - Salt, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin, Modified Corn Starch, Baking Soda, Artificial Flavor.
Nutrition information:
Per bar
Calories: 250
Carbs: 34g
Fat: 12g
Protein: 2g
Added sugar: 25g
Fiber: 1g
information taken from target.com website on twix candy bar
Homemade twix bars
Ingredients: Almond flour, Coconut oil, Dates, Peanut butter, Milk, Sea salt, 90% dark chocolate.
Nutrition information:
Per bar
Calories: 103
Carbs: 8g
Fat: 6.5g
Protein: 2g
Added sugar: 1g
Fiber: 2.5g
ARE TWIX BARS GLUTEN FREE?
Twix bars are not gluten free because the cookie in them has wheat flour. However, I made my healthy Twix bars with almond flour, which is naturally gluten free friendly.
TWIX RECIPE HEALTHY BENEFITS FOR YOU
Here are the ONLY ingredients I used in my healthy Twix bars:
- Almond flour-- made from just almonds! Almonds are a nutrition power house! They have fiber, protein, tons of vitamins & minerals, and those sought after HEALTHY FATS!
- Coconut oil comes from coconuts! It is a great source of medium chain fats, which, when eaten in moderation are quickly burned as energy!
- Dates-- these little scrumptious morsels actually pack a ton of vitamins & minerals inside. Why use sugar when these are just as sweet and makes the best Twix caramel recipe!
- Peanut butter-- naturally ground without any additives! A great source of vitamins & minerals plus protein! If you have a peanut allergy, you can sub almond butter or cashew butter in your homemade Twix bars.
- Nut milk-- more nutrients! I love using nut milks in place of diary. Did you know dairy can actually trigger acne in a lot of people??
- 90% dark chocolate-- the darker the better! Make sure you find CACAO and not cocoa on the label! Cacao is amazing for your health and has sooo many nutrients in it!
- Sea salt -- unlike processed salt which is usually bleached with anti-caking ingredients (can we say yuck), sea salt has its natural minerals in tact! Those minerals are essential for optimal sodium function in the body. And YES we do need salt to maintain fluid balance in the body!!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HEALTHY TWIX BAR RECIPE
Here are my top 4 tips for making the best date caramel Twix bars at home!
- MAKE SURE TO ADD PARCHMENT PAPER TO YOUR PAN. This will help immensely with getting your homemade Twix bars out without breaking.
- BAKE COOKIE CRUST FOR A CRUNCHY TEXTURE. These Twix bars can be made into easy no bake Twix bars, or you can bake the base for a crunchy more authentic Twix like texture.
- SOAK DATES BEFORE BLENDING. Before you make the date caramel filling, soak the dates in hot water for 30 minutes. This helps to get a super smooth and creamy healthy date caramel.
- STIR MICROWAVE MELTED CHOCOLATE EVERY 30 SECONDS. This will ensure the chocolate doesn't burn on your bowl.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY TWIX BARS HOMEMADE
These healthy Twix bars with date caramel are one of my all time favorite treats! Twix bars were my favorite candy growing up but since I don't really eat much refined sugar anymore and also try not to give it to my toddler, I came up with these!
STEP 1: MAKE THE HEALTHY TWIX COOKIE CRUST
Two ways to make this: either no bake or baked! They're great both way and I've included steps to both ways!
No bake Twix shortbread cookie crust ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups Almond flour
- 3 Tablespoons Coconut oil
- ¼ cup soaked pitted Dates
Start by food processing the ingredients for your shortbread cookie base (which are the 1 ½ cup almond flour, 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, and ¼ cup pitted dates). Process until the mixture has no big chunks of dates left.
You can also simply mash the softened dates with a fork in a bowl and fold in the coconut oil and almond flour if you don't have a food processor.
Now you might see that I don't have parchment paper underneath. This is totally a mistake and will make it so hard to get your bars out after cooling them! Make sure you add a bit of parchment paper under the bars!
Press the Twix cookie base onto the bottom of a 8x8 or 7x7 square pan.
Make sure you press it to all 4 corners.
You might see some pieces of dates still in mine... I don't mind this, I actually like it! But, if you want it TOTALLY UNIFORM, then just food process your mixture longer!
Set this aside while you make your healthy Twix date caramel sauce.
If you want a BAKED SHORTBREAD COOKIE CRUST:
Prepare exactly the same as above, but, bake the cookie crust in your oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Finish the rest of the steps below over top your baked cookie.
STEP 2: MAKE THE HEALTHY TWIX DATE CARAMEL SAUCE
All you need for Twix date caramel sauce is:
- 1 ¼ cup soaked pitted Dates
- ¼ cup Peanut butter, Cashew butter, or Almond butter
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk of choice
- ⅛ teaspoon pink Sea salt
Now to make the healthy Twix date caramel, you can use the same food processor. Just rinse it out so there are no bits of almond flour in your smooth and creamy date caramel.
Soak the dates for 30 minutes to an hour in warm water before you food process them, I find this helps to get them extra creamy. Drain the water out before adding them to the food processor.
Food process the 1 ¼ cup dates (pitted), ¼ cup peanut butter, 1-2 tablespoons of nut milk, and a pinch of salt. Keep your food processor running until the mixture is totally smooth and creamy. You might have to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
Spread your date caramel on top of your raw or baked cookie base:
Next, put your pan in the FREEZER for about 30 minutes to firm up!
Make sure the caramel is nice and firm before you add the dark chocolate topping.
STEP 3: DIP TWIX BARS IN CHOCOLATE
You will need:
- 3.5 ounces 90% Dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
In a microwave safe dish, add the 3.5 oz dark chocolate and the 1 tablespoon of coconut oil.
Heat it in the microwave at intervals of 30 seconds.
Every 30 seconds open the microwave and stir it around.
Stirring helps to prevent BURNING the chocolate to the bowl, which will taste nasty and waste chocolate.
Your chocolate topping should look smooth like this:
Pour that delicious chocolate over the top of the date caramel.
Rotate the pan around so that the chocolate totally covers the caramel.
Then, throw it in the FRIDGE for about 30 minutes or until the chocolate is hard.
Now, remember how I said to use parchment paper on the bottom? Yeah this is what happens when you don't:
But they were still DELICIOUS!
HOW TO MAKE TWIX BARS THAT LOOK LIKE REAL TWIX
I recently re made my healthy homemade Twix bar recipe, see my video below. The main difference was that I sliced the cookie with caramel before adding the chocolate into 24 small Twix bars. Then I dipped each one into melted dark chocolate. The look was more like a real Twix bar and my toddler absolutely loved them!
I hope you enjoy these healthy no bake twix bars as much as we did!
HOW TO STORE HEALTHY TWIX BARS
You can store these in the fridge covered, or in an airtight container, for about a week. They will last up to a month stored in an airtight container in the freezer! But they go too quickly in our house so they never make it back to the freezer!
FAQ'S
Frequently asked questions about my healthy Twix bars.
ARE TWIX BARS GLUTEN FREE?
Regular twix bars from the store are not gluten free, but my homemade twix bars are gluten free.
WHAT CAN I USE INSTEAD OF PEANUT BUTTER IN HOMEMADE HEALTHY TWIX BARS?
You can use either almond butter or cashew butter. I love cashew butter because it is one of the most creamy nut butters to make into a flavorful healthy caramel.
More Healthy Baked Dessert Recipes you're going to love!
- Surprise Carrot Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
- Blue Marble Donuts
- Pink Cinnamon Rolls
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Almond Flour Funfetti Cupcakes
- Healthy Strawberry Poptarts
- Healthy Zucchini Cake with Avocado Frosting
- Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Healthy Pumpkin Brownies
If you try my Healthy Twix Bar Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
See how to make healthy twix bars:
Healthy Twix Bars with Date Caramel
Equipment
- 8x8 stainless steel or glass pan
- Parchment paper
- Food processor
Ingredients
For the twix "cookie" base:
- 1 ½ cups almond flour super fine from blanched almonds
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted can sub butter or ghee
- ¼ cup dates, pitted ~2-3 medjool dates or 4-5 noor
For the date caramel filling:
- 1 ¼ cup dates, pitted & soaked in warm water for 30 minutes ~10 medjool
- ¼ cup peanut butter almond or cashew butter
- 1-2 tablespoon nut milk
- ⅛ teaspoon pink sea salt
For the dark chocolate topping:
- 3.5 oz 90% dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil can sub butter or ghee
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a 8x8 pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper will help A LOT in getting those bars out after you chill them!
For the shortbread cookie base:
- In a food processor, pulse the 1 ½ cups almond flour with the 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil and ¼ cup dates until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press this mixture into the bottom of your pan. Set aside.1 ½ cups almond flour, 3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, ¼ cup dates, pitted
- If you want a BAKED cookie base: prepare exactly as above, except: bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit after pressing into your pan. Finish the rest of the following steps exactly the same.
For the date caramel filling:
- Rinse out the food processor. Add the remaining 1 ¼ cup dates (soaked), ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon milk and a dash of salt. Food process until it is completely smooth and creamy. It should look just like caramel!Add more milk as needed.1 ¼ cup dates, pitted & soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, ¼ cup peanut butter, 1-2 tablespoon nut milk, ⅛ teaspoon pink sea salt
- Pour your date caramel over the shortbread cookie base and spread it evenly over the top. Place in the FREEZER for 30 minutes to firm up.
For the chocolate topping:
- Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Every 30 seconds, turn off the microwave and stir the chocolate. It should only take 1 minute to 1 ½ minutes.3.5 oz 90% dark chocolate, 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Pour the chocolate over the top of the date caramel and spread it out. You can also cut the twix bars and dip each bar individually for more of an authentic twix bar look!
- Place in the FRIDGE for at least 30 minutes for the chocolate to harden. Allow your healthy twix bars to stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before cutting them.
- These healthy twix bars store well in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure the pan is covered!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you made my healthy twix bar recipe and loved it, then make sure to pin it to share with all of your friends!
Sam
Oh my gosh I did your baked version and they came out soooo good!! That date caramel with cashew butter was to die for! Thank you for another amazing healthy dessert my whole family loved them!
Anne
These Twix bars are soooo good!! I love your date caramel on top it was easy to make and literally tastes like caramel!
Rosemary
I'm so happy the whole family loved them!
Rosemary
Doesn't it?! I was surprised the first time I made it how similar they taste!
Glenda
Absolutely amazing! Are 15-20 minutes is my kind of quick!!
Anonymous
Hello! I’m so excited to try your recipe! Would you say it’s okay to sub almond flour for oat flour? Thanks in advance!
Rosemary
Yes! You can put in 1 1/2 cups of oat flour instead just it may be a little bit more fragile than the almond flour. Let me know how it goes! <3