{DATE FREE} gingerbread Twix bars !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yes, all those exclamations points are 100% necessary and maybe just a few more!!!!!!!!!!!
I mean, did you hear me?!
Gingerbread Twix bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quite possibly one of my best recipe creations ever! And I mean EVER!
Fun little story for you, many, many years ago, when Eve was just a teeny, tiny baby (although I’m sure that was just last week?!) we were visiting friends and family in the USA for Thanksgiving/early Christmas, wandering around Walmart, as you do, and there they were limited edition gingerbread Twix bars . . . I was smitten!
Guys, these bars?! They were the holiday treat of my dreams!
Every year as Christmas approaches, my eyes scan the supermarket shelves (and I regularly stalk Amazon and target, and Mars websites) in search of my beloved gingerbread Twix bars but they never appear . . .
Finally, it hit me, why not just make my own?!
How have I never thought to do this before?!
You guys . . . I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything but *toot, toot* I totally nailed it!
Deliciously buttery, gingerbread base topped with a layer of (date free) salted caramel finished with a cool, crisp layer of espresso infused dark chocolate!!!
There are few moments in life where words are simply not required and I strongly believe that this may be one of them!
Plus the sooner I stop talking (or typing) the sooner you can start making and the sooner you start making the sooner you can be eating and hear me when I say, you need these in your life like, yesterday!
Made with just 5 ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and come together in 1 bowl with 1 spoon and can be ready to devour in about 45 minutes!!!!
The hardest part about making these bars is waiting for them to set.
Will waiting be difficult? Possibly, for some – some people being me.
But, will it be worth it?
Absolutely, 100% without question, totally worth it!
Hello – healthy {DATE FREE} gingerbread Twix bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The perfect make-ahead treat for Christmas, that’s if they last until then that is!
Gluten free – Dairy free – Grain Free – Refined sugar free – Low carb – Vegan – Keto and Paleo friendly.
All natural, quick and easy, deliciously buttery, perfectly spiced, secretly healthy (date free) gingerbread Twix bars!
From my heart to yours, enjoy xo
For my visual learners, click here for some extra tips & to cook along with me – I also share my hack for how to slice your bars without the chocolate layer cracking!
Date Free - Gingerbread Twix Bars
- Time: 40-60 mins
- Persons: 10+
- Difficulty: Easy
- Ingredients
- For the shortbread base –
- 1/4 cup (do not pack) coconut flour
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup (I use sugar free/monk fruit maple)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 pinch each of nutmeg, all spice, cardamom and cloves
- 1 pinch of salt
- For the salted caramel filling –
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (I use sugar free)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- A generous pinch of salt
- For the chocolate coating –
- 1/4 cup of good quality dark chocolate – double this if you want to completely coat your twix bars
- 1/2-1 teaspoon of instant espresso – optional – I use 1 x sachet of decaf mocha before you speak coffee – EMS10 = 10% off if you want to try it
- 1 teaspoon of coconut oil
- A pinch of salt + extra for serving
- Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 175’C/350’F.
- Line a small rimmed baking dish or loaf pan with non-stick parchment paper and set aside.
- Place all ingredients for the base into a small bowl and stir until well combined.
- Press shortbread base in to your prepared baking dish (or loaf pan) and press down into one nice smooth even layer.
- Bake for 10-12 mins til the edges are golden & base has set. NOTE – it will still be slightly soft to the touch, it firms up as it cools.
- Set aside to cool.
- Place all ingredients for your almond butter caramel in to a small bowl and stir until smooth, creamy and well combined.
- Pour your salted caramel almond butter filling over your shortbread base and smooth in to a nice, even layer.
- Place in the freezer to set – should be ready in 15-20 minutes.
- Melt together chocolate, coconut oil and espresso (if using) by your preferred method – I like to do mine double broiler style, by placing the chocolate in to a bowl then sitting it on a small sauce pan filled with about 2 cm of water, let the water simmer , without touching the bottom of the bowl, stir the chocolate occasionally until completed melted.
- Now – you have 2 options here -1 – which is the option I chose – I sliced the chilled/set twix bars then drizzled the tops of each bar with melted chocolate, repeating until all bars with crowned with chocolate, then drizzled the remaining melted chocolate over the top to make a pretty pattern.2 – You can simply pour your melted chocolate on to the base, then slice it as a whole. If you choose to take this option, be warned the chocolate layer can crack as you slice it. I suggest heating the blade of your knife with boiling water before slicing, the heat makes slicing easier (and the chocolate is less likely to crack as much) as the heated blade will melt the chocolate layers as you press to slice.Just make sure you wipe any excess water off the blade before slicing.
- Enjoy xo
Note – Bars are best stored in an air tight container in the fridge (can also be frozen)
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Question of the day –
What’s your favorite festive treat? Last minute requests? LMK . . .
Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these twix bars (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.
Do it, do it You know you want to ox
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