These Vegan Twix Bars are just as delicious as the real thing: a crunchy shortbread base topped with fudgy caramel coated in silky chocolate! They're not too sweet, much healthier than the traditional version and easy to make. They're also refined sugar free and gluten-free.
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
Add the maple syrup, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well – add a splash of plant-based milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a loaf tin lined with greaseproof baking paper - I used a one-pound loaf tin.
Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges.
Use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
Bake in oven for 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch - be careful not to burn it, but you want to bake it for as long as possible for it to have a crunchy texture.
Leave to cool as you make the caramel, although it doesn’t matter if it hasn’t cooled completely before putting on the caramel.
For the caramel:
Drain the soaked cashew nuts.
Place into a food processor with all the other ingredients.
Whizz until completely smooth – you might need to mix it around a few times.
Transfer the caramel onto the shortbread base, pushing it all the way to the edges.
Use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
Place in the freezer for one hour to firm up completely.
For the chocolate:
Making sure the caramel has firmed up completely, slice it into 8 bars.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil (using a wide-bottomed bowl makes it easier to dip the bars into the melted chocolate).
Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir regularly until melted – make sure not to overheat it as the chocolate will ‘split’ if you heat it too much.
Use a small fork to carefully lift the bars one at a time into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to spoon the melted chocolate over the bar until it has been completely covered in melted chocolate.
Use the fork to lift the bar out of the melted chocolate and onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the bars to decorate, if desired.
Place in the fridge for a couple of hours until the chocolate has hardened completely.
Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
Notes
*You can alternatively use almond flour.**You MUST use brown rice flour – white rice flour won’t create a crunchy shortbread-like texture.***If your food processor isn’t very powerful, it may have trouble with the cacao butter. In this case, melt the cacao butter first using a bain-marie before adding to the food processor.****For a refined sugar free version, use a refined sugar free chocolate.