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Healthy Peanut Butter Twix Bars (vegan & gluten free)
Incredible, healthy peanut butter twix bars made with better-for-you ingredients like all natural peanut butter, almond flour, pure maple syrup, and chocolate. They're perfectly sweet with three delicious layers for a homemade take on your favorite candy bar!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 16 bars
Calories 255 kcal
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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, but you can also keep them in a freezer-safe container in your freezer for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Peanut Butter Twix Bars (vegan & gluten free)
Amount Per Serving (1 bar)
Calories 255
Calories from Fat 184
% Daily Value*
Fat 20.4g31%
Saturated Fat 8.8g55%
Carbohydrates 16.9g6%
Fiber 2.1g9%
Sugar 12.9g14%
Protein 4.9g10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.