Healthy Twix Bars (Gluten-Free)

homemade twix bars sliced on a cutting board.

Healthy Twix Bars (Gluten-Free)

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy twix bars

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Once you try these healthy Twix bars, you may never want the store-bought version again-- these taste 100% better! They are naturally sweetened, without relying on chocolate chips, and are gluten-free & dairy-free. When you serve these straight from the freezer, the caramel texture feels insanely authentic. (Without the effort of boiling sugar or blending dates.)

Print Recipe Add to Collection

Ingredients

Crisp Cookie Layer

1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Caramel Layer

⅓ cup cashew butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

Chocolate Layer

¼ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons cacao powder
flaky sea salt (optional topping)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Press a piece of parchment paper into the pan. The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, and this setup will make the candy bars super-easy to remove and slice later. (You'll thank yourself later!)
To prepare the cookie layer, combine the almond flour, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and salt in a large bowl. Stir well until the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers. Be patient; this can take a minute or so. Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan and flatten it evenly into the bottom of the pan. I like to flatten it with a rubber spatula. Bake at 350ºF for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top looks lightly golden.

Let this cookie layer cool for at least 20 minutes. If it's still warm when you add the next layer, it might cause the caramel layer to separate.

To make the caramel layer, add the cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a bowl. (I use the same bowl I used for step 1.) Stir well until it looks smooth and creamy. It should look like caramel! Once the cookie layer feels cool to the touch, you can spread this evenly over it. Transfer this to a flat shelf in your freezer while you make the next layer.
Wipe out the same bowl again, then use it to create the last layer. Add the melted coconut oil, maple syrup (at room temperature), and raw cacao powder to the bowl and stir vigorously. It will look runny at first, then start to emulsify and look like a pourable chocolate.
Remove the pan from the freezer and pour this chocolate layer over the top. Spread it out evenly over the caramel layer. Sprinkle flaky salt over the top if you want a sweet-and-salty treat. (The salt is optional.)
Then return the pan to the freezer to chill until firm. I like to wait at least 1 hour, but you can also leave it overnight! Once the caramel layer is firm, you can slice this into bars. I usually start by slicing 12 bars, but then I like to cut them in half to create 24 "fun-size" bars. Store & serve directly from the freezer for the best texture.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 24 "fun size" bars. This is automatically calculated using an online ingredient database, so it's just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Cashew Butter Note: The cashew butter I tested this recipe with was unsalted (Whole Foods 365 brand). If you're using a salted cashew butter (or another nut butter), then you probably won't need to add a pinch of salt.

Coconut Oil Note: If you don't want your candy bars to have a coconut flavor, use refined or expeller-pressed coconut oil. It has zero coconut taste! Or, you can use regular butter if you don't need a dairy-free recipe.

Nutrition