homemade peanut butter twix bars (one bowl easy)

Peanut butter twix, I love them, BUT (isn't there always a but with me?) their peanut butter is not peanut buttery enough, and their chocolate stinks.
So that's my challenge: make a better peanut butter flavor with better chocolate taste, AND make this easy so you all will do it and not just read the post.
Remember I hate hard recipes; love a good challenge but hate hard, thousand steps, and a thousand kitchen utensil recipes.

I did not make my own caramel for this, please don't call the caramel police on me; I used a can of dulce de leche.
I want to make this easy as pie for you, and you won't be tempted to click away.
Don't we all have a can or three of this sitting in the cupboard?
If you want to make your own caramel for this, please do!
I also used peanut butter powder; since Trader Joe's stopped carrying peanut flour, I've resorted to using this peanut butter powder which is almost like peanut butter flour but with sugar in it.
Baking with peanut butter is wonderful--they make the best peanut butter cookies!
I found the peanut butter powder at whole foods, but people have been saying that walmart carries another brand of pb powder too. And if you don't bake with it, you can use it as regular peanut butter!


Literally one bowl easy recipe, then all we do is transfer it to a cooling rack to coat with caramel and then chocolate.
Very easy.



Just before the chocolate glaze, add on a touch of sea salt.
Since the dulce de leche is very sweet; tiny amount of salt is needed.

I realize the chocolate glaze isn't that great.
I tried to do this by dipping each bar, but the caramel just falls off, so this is the easiest way.
If you want a more cleaner chocolate dip, then pour the chocolate over the top, let it set, then it should be hard enough to re-dip in chocolate again to cover up the sides and smooth out the top.



homemade peanut butter twix bars (one bowl easy)
recipe from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

peanut butter cookie base:
12 TB unsalted butter, room temp, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup peanut butter powder
1/2 cup flour + 2 TB
1 ts baking powder
¾ TB of sea salt

caramel layer:
1 – 13 ounce can of dulce de leche (or make your own caramel)
plus a bit of sea salt for decorating the tops of bars

chocolate layer:
1 bag of milk or dark chocolate (11 ounces) + might need more if you
double dip as stated in cook notes.

cook notes:
-I used an 8-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
-Brownie pan might work, just use parchment paper & non-stick spray
-Since I made this one bowl easy, I just dumped all the cookie base ingredients (in order of the ingredient list), then just used my hands to combine.
-I found the peanut butter powder at whole foods, but people have been saying that walmart carries another brand of pb powder too.
-Literally one bowl easy recipe, then all we do is transfer it to a cooling rack to coat with caramel and then chocolate.
-I realize the chocolate glaze isn't that great in the photos, I was in a hurry.
At first, I tried to dip each bar in chocolate, but the caramel just falls off; using a rack and pour chocolate over the bars, is the easiest way.
If you want a more cleaner chocolate dip, then pour the chocolate over the top, let it set, then it should be hard enough to re-dip in chocolate again to cover up the sides and smooth out the top.

Butter and/or spray up with non stick spray a 8-inch tart pan.
You can use a stand mixer—I mixed by hand.
In a large bowl add in: butter chunks, sugar, pb powder, flour, baking powder and salt.  Using a spatula or your clean hands, mix till just combined.  Lumps are good!
Turn the dough out onto the pan and spread it out, making sure to get into all the corners.
Chill in fridge for at least 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Halfway through baking, the edges might puff up a bit.  I used a spatula to push them back down and continued baking.
Bake the dough for 17-22 minutes, until it’s golden brown.  We want this crunchy so look for golden brown almost dark amber color.
You’ll know it’s done when edges are crisp, and the middle is no longer jiggly.
Please let this cool completely before adding on the caramel layer.
Remove the tart carefully from the pan, it will be thin and fairly fragile, and place over parchment paper.  Spread a nice even layer of the caramel sauce.  I used a spoon to smooth out.
Sprinkle just a little bit of sea salt on the top.
Use a sharp knife to slice into bars or squares.
Place bars on a wire rack. Make sure there is a pan underneath the wire rack to catch the chocolate drippings.  I used a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate until nice and smooth, and then pour it over the bars.
I used a chopstick to smooth out the chocolate and let it get some of the sides.
You should get about 20-25 sticks, all depending on how thin or thick you cut them.