Vegan Twix Cookies
Remember a few weeks back when I shared those vegan Snickers cheesecake bars? (If you don’t remember, take a minute and go check those out! They did not disappoint.) Those bars were inspired by my Dad’s yearly tradition of eating all of the fun-size Snickers bars that my mom buys for trick-or-treaters. Today’s recipe is inspired by my brother, who used to have his own yearly tradition: stealing all of the mini Twix bars that my mom bought for Halloween. I’ve had cookies on my brain recently—’tis (almost) the season!—, so inspired by my brother, the upcoming Halloween holiday, and the cookie monster husband I live with, I decided to try my hand at making vegan Twix cookies!
It’s pretty easy to re-imagine a Twix bar in cookie form. You’d have a shortbread cookie, a layer of caramel, and a chocolate coating. That’s sort of what I did here, but fun fact: I hate shortbread. So instead of going that route, I used a crispy sugar cookie as the base instead, with a layer of caramel, a layer of chocolate ganache, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt because these vegan Twix cookies are fancy AF.
If you glance at the recipe ingredients and instructions, you’ll notice that they’re longer than usual, but not to worry. Each component is simple and easy and the end result is 100% worth the extra bit of prep work. It’s also worth noting that Aaron and I are notorious for polishing off a batch of cookies in under two days and, magically, these cookies have lasted us all week. They’re so rich and over-the-top decadent, you really will be hard-pressed to enjoy more than two in one sitting (a very good thing for all of us cookie monsters).
P.S. You can easily make these into peanut butter Twix cookies! Simply swap the cashew butter in the caramel with creamy salted peanut butter and boom! Peanut butter chocolate caramel cookie bliss.
Vegan Twix Cookies
Vegan Twix Cookies
Serves: about 12 cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Crispy sugar cookies, chewy caramel filling, and rich chocolate ganache with flaky sea salt. These vegan Twix cookies are everything you love about Twix bars in cookie form!
Cuisine: Vegan Servings: about 12 cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Crispy sugar cookies, chewy caramel filling, and rich chocolate ganache with flaky sea salt. These vegan Twix cookies are everything you love about Twix bars in cookie form!
Instructions
- Make the sugar cookies: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter, sugar, vegan cream cheese, and vanilla on high speed for 1-2 minutes, or until fluffy. Mix in the flour, baking soda and salt until just combined. The dough should be very thick.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes in the refrigerator (it can also be refrigerated overnight). Once chilled, roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, lightly flouring the bottom piece of paper and top of the dough. The rolled dough should be about ¼-inch thick. Use a small cookie or biscuit cutter to cut it into 2 to 3 inch-sized circles, and arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to baking to help them retain their shape.
- While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they just begin to turn a light golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, make the caramel: Stir together the coconut nectar, cashew butter, and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Make the chocolate ganache: Add the chocolate chips, non-dairy creamer and maple syrup to a small microwavable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds intervals, then use a spatula to stir the mixture until the chocolate is fully melted. Let cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the twix cookies: Add a spoonful (about 1 heaping teaspoon) of caramel onto the center of the cookies. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of chocolate ganache on top of the caramel, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt (if using). Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes [4]
Bake times will vary depending on your oven; however, I found 12 minutes to be the ideal time for an all-around crisp cookie. Keep a close eye on them though because they bake up fast.
The caramel will be thinner at room temperature and thicker once refrigerated. If you’re having a tough time spreading it on the cookies, dip your spoon in water first, shake off the excess, and then scoop the caramel onto the cookies. Do this in between every scoop and the caramel won’t stick to the spoon.
Leftover cookies should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
If you’d like to make peanut butter Twix cookies, simply replace the cashew butter in the caramel with creamy salted peanut butter.
Copyright © 2023 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
