If I’m going to eat candy, I’d much rather make it myself than buy it at a store, like these homemade Twix bars. That way, I know what’s in the food and it tastes a hundred times better! Of course, my kids love it too. Around Halloween, I enjoy pulling out the double boiler, melting some chocolate, whipping up a caramel and creating homemade treats.
A friend recently sent me a box of Yummy Earth lollipops. My girls were thrilled! They enjoyed the little GMO-free, soy-free, artificial dye-free certified organic pops. They do have a little bit of brown rice syrup, so were very much a treat since we still don’t consume grains. I’m thinking about passing them out for Halloween. My kids also want to try a bag of their jelly beans.
I also read Lisa’s post, “20 Ways to Do Halloween without Candy” and I plan to grab some glow sticks to add to the mix. What are some of your favorite healthier or non-candy ideas for Halloween?
PrintHomemade Twix Bars (Grain-Free, Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups almond flour
- 4 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (this provides structure for the crust. I prefer Bernard Jensen’s or Great Lakes)
- 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 tablespoons ghee, cold, cut into tablespoons
For the Caramel:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter or 6 tablespoons ghee
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat, canned coconut milk
For the Chocolate:
- 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I prefer Equal Exchange or Trader Joe’s because they are soy-free)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Cut two long 8-inch wide pieces of unbleached parchment paper. Fit one piece of parchment into an 8×8-inch baking pan, pushing it into the corners and up the sides of the pan; allow the excess to overhang the pan edges. Fit the other piece of parchment into the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet (this keeps the bars from sticking and will give you the ability to lift the bars out of the pan after they’ve baked, for even cutting).
- Place almond flour, coconut flour, gelatin, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add honey and butter to the flour mixture and pulse for eight 1-second pulses and then leave the processor on until the dough forms into a ball. Press the dough onto the bottom of the lined baking pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Cool completely.
- Melt ½ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in maple syrup and bring to a boil. Whisk constantly for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in cream. Bring to a boil, whisking often. Boil until sauce reaches 240ºF, about 10 minutes. Pour caramel over the cooled crust and place in the refrigerator. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Pour chocolate in a double boiler (or as an alternative, place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of boiling water) and melt the chocolate. Stir in coconut oil. Let cool 10 minutes. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer then chill for 4 hours. Serve.
- Update: Some of you have asked how I cut the bars so evenly, so here’s the explanation – I dipped a knife into hot water, used the tip of the knife to cut into the top of the chocolate and then moved the knife down to slice a straight line. I repeated this each time I cut into the chocolate.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Makes 9 bars
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