I wasn’t the best eater as a child. After school I’d typically head to the vending machine and pick out zebra cakes or a chocolate candy bar to chow down on until my stomach felt not so great.
My candy of choice? PEANUT BUTTER TWIX BARS.
They were my weakness. I couldn’t resist the chocolate coating, crunchy shortbread crust and of course, that deliciously sweet peanut butter middle. Anyone else?
Now that I’m an adult, I rarely find myself buying candy bars. Probably because I don’t crave the sweets of my childhood, and also because I love to bake at home and create my own better-for-you versions.
For example, remember my salted tahini caramel millionaire bars? Or how about those fabulous better for you peanut butter cups? SO GOOD.
Today’s recipe is all about my true love for peanut butter twix bars. The recipe is based off of my millionaire bars that you all fell in love with years ago, but instead of a tahini caramel middle, there’s a peanut butter filling that’s nice, thick and perfectly sweet. Oh and of course, I can’t fail to mention that these are both vegan and gluten free too! Can I get a yum?
Homemade peanut butter twix bars ingredients
Just like classic twix bars, this healthy, homemade version has three delicious layers: a shortbread layer, a peanut butter layer and a chocolate layer. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Almond flour: the gluten free shortbread base is made with fine blanched almond flour for the best texture.
- Coconut oil: you’ll need some coconut oil to give the base a little moisture and to help the peanut butter layer firm up nicely.
- Maple syrup: we’re naturally sweetening the bars with pure maple syrup.
- Peanut butter: remember to use a natural, drippy peanut butter for the “caramel” layer.
- Chocolate chips: you’ll melt some chocolate chips with a little coconut oil to create that perfect topping. Feel free to use dairy free chocolate chips!
- Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract and a little salt. Learn how to make your own vanilla here!
Optional ingredient swaps
I recommend sticking with the recipe as closely as possible so that you have perfect homemade peanut butter twix bars every time, but if you need to swap ingredients here’s what I can recommend:
- For the coconut oil: feel free to use melted butter or vegan butter instead.
- For the peanut butter: I think a natural, drippy almond butter or cashew butter would also work, but I highly suggest sticking with peanut butter for the best flavor. You can even use crunchy peanut butter if you’d like!
Can I use regular flour?
Unfortunately, no, I would not recommend using regular flour in place of the almond flour because the texture and flavor will be much different.
How to make healthy peanut butter twix bars
- Make the base. Start by mixing all of the shortbread cookie base ingredients together and pressing the mixture into an 8×8 inch square pan. Bake the base until slightly golden.
- Make the peanut butter layer. Once your shortbread base is done baking, mix the ingredients for the peanut butter layer together in a small pot over medium low heat for about 2 minutes until it’s nice and smooth.
- Layer the bars. Pour your peanut butter layer on top of the cooled shortbread cookie layer, and then place it in the fridge to solidify for about 30 minutes.
- Add the chocolate. When you’re about ready to take the shortbread + peanut butter layers out of the fridge, melt your chocolate chips with coconut oil in a microwave safe dish. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter and tilt the pan to make sure it’s evenly covered. Place it back in the fridge for 20 minutes until the chocolate has hardened.
- Slice & devour. Once the chocolate has hardened you can cut the bars and enjoy!
Help! The tops of my bars cracked
I’ve had a few people tell me that when they went to slice their peanut butter twix bars the chocolate part cracked in a few places. To avoid this, let the bars sit out for a few minutes at room temperature before cutting into them.
Tips for perfect peanut butter twix bars
- Use the right pan. Be sure to use an 8×8 inch pan in order to get the right shape and consistency. A larger pan will make the bars too flat.
- Pack your almond flour. You’ll want to use packed almond flour (and make sure it’s blanched, fine almond flour) just like you would with brown sugar.
- Don’t skip the chill time. I know it’s tempting to put all of the layers together without waiting on the chill time, but you really do need the peanut butter and chocolate layers to chill completely so that the bars hold together well.
How to store healthy twix bars
- To store: these healthy peanut butter twix bars should be kept covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. They will stay good in your fridge for about 1 week.
- To freeze: feel free to keep them in a freezer-safe container in your freezer for up to 1 month. If you do keep them in your freezer, be sure to leave them out on the counter for a few minutes before serving so that they soften up a bit.
More brownies and bars you’ll love
- Fudgy Flourless Almond Butter Brownies (gluten free + dairy free)
- Vegan Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Bars
- No Bake Superfood Brownies
- Ooey-Gooey Tahini S’mores Bars
- Paleo Chocolate Chip Tahini Blondies
Get all of my brownies and bars here!
I hope you love these homemade, healthy peanut butter twix bars! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Healthy Peanut Butter Twix Bars (vegan & gluten free)
Ingredients
- For the shortbread base:
- 1 ½ cups packed fine blanched almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
- 3 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the peanut butter layer:
- ⅔ cup drippy natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy works)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- For the chocolate layer:
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips, dairy free if desired
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper. It’s important to use an 8x8 inch as a 9x9 inch pan may be too big.
- In a medium bowl add the almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt. Mix together with a fork until it forms a nice thick crumb texture. Add to pan and use your fingers to evenly press down into the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes before adding caramel.
- Next make the peanut butter caramel layer: Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and sea salt to a medium pot and place over medium-low heat for approximately 2 minutes until caramel starts to slightly bubble, stirring frequently. Pour over slightly cooled crust.
- Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes-1 hour to completely harden the peanut butter. It shouldn't take longer than this, but if you are impatient, just place in freezer for 15-20 minutes, this should speed up the process.
- After 30 minutes or so, make the chocolate layer: Add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted. If you prefer, you can also melt the chocolate and coconut oil in small saucepan over low heat.
- Pour over the caramel layer and tilt pan side-to-side to evenly distribute the melted chocolate. Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes until chocolate is completely hardened and bars are cooled.
- Remove bars from pan and cut into 16 bars (that resemble twix bars). To do this, cut entire pan of bars in half, and then cut each half into 8 (1-inch) bars (not squares!), so you’ll end up with 16 bars. Enjoy! Bars should be kept covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 26th, 2019, republished on March 8th, 2023, and republished on October 22nd, 2023.
I’ve made these before and LOVE them. Question-to double the recipe what size pan should I use?
So happy to hear that! You can try a 9×13 inch pan.
These were delicious but any idea why my “crust” is soft and not cookie like? I let them sit in the fridge overnight. I’m wondering if sticking them in the freezer would be better.
Gluten-free flours will give you a softer baked good / crust here, but yes, freezing will firm them up a bit more, too!
These are so addictive. I love these so much! I am planning on making them again! I love making treats with clean ingredients. Next time ill use a better chocolate to keep extra clean.
Amazing! Glad you loved them!
These are absolutely insanely DELICIOUS beyond what I could have imagined!
I used honey since I didn’t have maple syrup on hand, and sprinkled sea salt on the top of the chocolate layer. YUM.
Pretty sure my boyfriend and I will finish these within a few days. I think they count as breakfast??
So glad they were a hit! We’ll count them as breakfast, too 😉
I love these and make them a lot. Just wanted to let you know that I now substitute 1/3 cup of coconut sugar for the maple syrup in the peanut filling. I melt the filling in a pan, stirring continuously and heat until just barely starting to bubble. It works out perfectly. I also use runny honey in the base rather than maple syrup. For the top I use my favourite 85% dark chocolate and add a tablespoon plus one teaspoon of walnut oil which gives a perfectly cuttable chocolate top with a nice taste and crack when served from the fridge. Also, all of the cooling is done in the fridge, not freezer like I used to (chocolate always cracked from the freezer even when sat out for a while)
I’m glad those swaps work out well – great tips! Glad you love these!
These are insanely good! I have been making these on a regular basis for the last 3 years. My husband and I love to keep a batch in the fridge so we can always have a healthy sweet treat on hand when the craving strikes. Highly recommend!
So happy to hear that! One of our favs, too 🙂
Thanks for the measurements in grams! I moved to measuring in grams for baking a few years ago; I like the precision! Thank you for another great recipe.
Oopsy! I actually meant to add my previous comment for your new Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Muffin recipe (with measurements in grams), and not this Twix Bar recipe (although this one is a favorite of mine)!
No problem! I’m glad you enjoyed the muffins, too!
Bars are really wonderful & tasty! Only thing is the peanut butter mixture isn’t quite thick enough. The peanut butter oozes out the sides when I cut it. That is why I gave 4 stars.
Glad you enjoyed! Were the bars fully set when you cut them? The coconut oil in the peanut butter mixture should solidify it well when the bars are chilled.
Made a double batch of these for a outdoor gathering and they were gone so quickly. So many friends asked for this recipe. Easy to make and delicious!
Amazing! Glad they were a hit 🙂
For the peanut butter layer, is the 1/4 cup coconut oil supposed to be solid or melted?
Because you’ll melt everything for that layer in a small pot, use solid coconut oil (it will melt with everything else).
These are amazing. My only question is that my shortbread base does not get crunchy/firm. It’s delicious but more brownie texture than cookie. Am I using too much coconut oil or not enough almond flour?
Hi! Because the base is gluten-free, it won’t have the same crunchy texture as traditional shortbread (with gluten) does.
These were such a good sweet treat after dinner and very easy to make. Only problem I had was that peanut butter caramel split…not sure why. Thankfully still set up and tasted great.
So glad you enjoyed! Make sure you mix the caramel VERY well, and cut the bars after they warm up just a bit after chilling.
These are heaven on a plate! I have eaten a lot of peanut butter lately so I substituted crunchy roasted hazelnut butter. I used a 60% cocoa chocolate bar with added sea salt for the topping. From the fridge they are so decadent with the delicate snap of thin chocolate and that wonderful nutty, salty caramel layer. The almond base is soft rather than crunchy like a twix but still works well texture wise. Maybe I will experiment with a crisp cookie base. Definitely a recipe I shall make again and again!
That sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed!
These are so good! Do you have any ideas on how I can modify the base for someone with a tree nut allergy?
So glad you love them! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I can’t recommend a swap for the flour. Sorry!
These are fantastic. I was worried the base would be too thin when I was pressing it out, so I modified my cook time to 5 mins, but it was perfect. My oven does run a bit hot though too. It was surprisingly not over powering peanut flavour too. Very rich. Hits all the sweet spots 😄🙌🏼
So glad you loved them!
Simple and a people pleaser. Enjoyed my family and coworkers. I like to wrap individually in parchment paper and pass out to coworkers.
Love that!!
I made this recipe yesterday for dessert and of course everyone loved it. I had leftover caramel sauce (from your gf carrot cake recipe) and drizzled it on top for whoever wanted it. Ya I know, who has leftover caramel sauce. Another reason why I love this recipe is that it’s not too sweet like the actual chocolate bar.
LOVE that idea!! Such a great treat 🙂
So delicious thank you!
I make these on repeat and they’re delicious! My husband loves them and begs me to make these. The recipe is perfect and didn’t change a thing.
So happy to hear that!
I can’t describe how much this recipe is yummy. Thank u ambitious kitchen for this recipe more recipes to be tried.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
These are absolutely delicious. So easy to make!
The best recipe ever for twice bars.
I used date syrup instead of maple syrup and 1/2 cup chopped coconut flakes instead of the additional half cup almond flour and it tastes amazing 😍
Thank you so much for the recipe, I’ve done it 3 times already
I’m glad those swaps worked out well!!
Heaven on earth. I can keep eating these. For breakfast lunch and dinner. And start all over again. YUM.
So glad you love them!
I find the flavour of coconut oil to overpowering. Can I use regular butter instead?
Yes that should work!
I am giving these 2 stars because I don’t think they reflect the name of Twix bars. There is no gooey caramel like in a Twix bar. While they aren’t bad as chocolate peanut butter bars, I’m disappointed with every bite because I am expecting something else. Might make some caramel to drizzle on top and see if that makes them any better! Have made them twice (second time to see if maybe I missed a step), and my family has felt the same each time.
Sorry to hear that! This is just my take at making a more nourishing candy bar with similar components to twix, so that won’t be exactly the same in texture and flavor (but still delicious in my opinion!)
I’m allergic to almonds. Can I use GF flour?
Hi! I haven’t tested this using an all-purpose GF flour so I’m not 100% sure how the taste and texture will be affected. Sorry!
My whole family loved these!! These are so delicious and make for a wonderful, healthy dessert. I did run into two problems:
1) I packed the flour before mixing and packed tight before baking but the shortbread still crumbled a little and didn’t hold shape very well in the cutting process.
2) The peanut butter layer squished/squeezed outwards in the cutting process.
Suggestions on how to improve this the next time?
So glad everyone enjoyed! Hmmm you could try adding a little bit more coconut oil to the base, and then really make sure they’re super chilled before slicing!
I made these the other night and they are so good. The only swap I made was using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. My husband doesn’t like healthy desserts but he enjoyed these too. The salted peanut caramel is great. Thanks for the recipe!
I love these but how can I make the base firmer, it always just crumbles. I have no food allergies so no need to avoid anything..thx
Hmmm try adding a tiny bit more coconut oil, and then chill it for a little bit longer!
Can you do this with almond butter?
I used my own homemade sunflower seed butter for this recipe. I also used way less maple syrup (50g) in the “caramel” layer because I just tasted it as I went and I didn’t feel it really needed anything more than that. 🙂 also reduced the coconut oil a bit everywhere except in the crust, I kept that the same. It’s seriously incredible! Definitely not a low calorie thing but hey not everything needs to be macro friendly haha. Now that my physique show is over, I’m allowing myself to indulge!! Thank you for the recipe! I plan to share with my friends and my trainer!!
These bars are delicious. I followed the recipe except I used butter for the shortbread. Other than that….i stuck with the recipe and these Twix bars are outstanding! Grandkid approved! Thank you for this yummy recipe.
Perfect! So happy they were a hit!
Tried these healthy peanut butter twix bars and they turned out delicious, thanks so much for the recipes will be making them again, sure batch won’t last long being so scrumptious
So happy to hear that!
I’ve made these a dozen times so it’s about time I review them! Delicious each and every time. BETTER than Twix bars in my opinion while being full of delicious wholesome ingredients.
My only modification to these is I don’t add any maple syrup or coconut oil to the peanut butter layer. A little tip to make the layer still easily spreadable is to stick your measured out peanut butter in an oven safe bowl and put it in your still warm (but off!) oven for a couple minutes after the shortbread crust comes out.
I love using Lily’s dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips and use the double boiler method to melt and also omit the coconut oil in this layer too!
Amazing! So glad you love these!!
The whole family LOVED these! Will make again.
I’m so glad!!
have made these time and time again and they never dissapoint!
Best treat!