Gooey Caramel Twix Bars Recipe

Name: Gooey Caramel Twix Bars Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 275 min
Yield: 1 pan
Ingredients: 1 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon honey; 10 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, divided; 1/4 cup heavy cream; Table salt; 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar; 2/3 cup pecans, rough chopped; 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 6 Twix candy bars, cut into 3/4-inch lengths; 1/3 cup condensed milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Closeup of a stack of gooey caramel twix bars. — Serious Eats / Yvonne Ruperti

I couldn't resist the craving any longer. I was dying for a bar cookie that was unreasonably rich, chocolaty and caramel-gooey, and these bars hit the spot: oozy homemade caramel, crunchy pecans, bittersweet chocolate chunks, and crispy chopped Twix bars (one of my favorite candies)—all set over a shortbread crust. This is no ordinary bar cookie.

Start off with the hardest part first: the caramel. Trust me, once you get a taste of what homemade caramel tastes like, you won't go back to anything jarred. There's really nothing quite like the deep, slightly burnt flavor of caramelized sugar. If you're diligent about watching the pot and not wandering off somewhere, everything will go fine. Just remember to stop stirring after it comes to a boil, brush down the sides with water, and cook it to the color of maple syrup. Whisk in the cream and butter and let the caramel cool before using. You don't want to melt all of the other ingredients in your bar cookie.

While you wait for the caramel to cool, the crust is quickly pulsed in a food processor, pressed into a pan, and par-baked. After cooling (again, you don't want to melt your ingredients), scatter on the pecans, chocolate chunks, and chopped candy bar.

When ready to bake, the luscious caramel is added to the bars in two ways. A portion is stirred with condensed milk and poured into the crust. Then, to create the goo, more caramel is stirred into the filling. After a final bake in the oven until bubbly, drum up as much patience as possible to let the bars cool and firm before cutting. Be prepared for the whole pan to disappear a lot more faster than the time it took to make 'em.

August 2013

Gooey Caramel Twix Bars Recipe

Prep 15 mins

Cook 50 mins

Active 90 mins

Cooling Time 3 hrs 30 mins

Total 4 hrs 35 mins

Makes 1 pan

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1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
Table salt
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup pecans, rough chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 Twix candy bars, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
1/3 cup condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line bottom and two sides of an 8- by 8- by 2-inch baking pan with foil, allowing edges to hang over the side.
Make caramel: Heat sugar, 1/2 cup water, and honey in heavy duty saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Stop stirring and brush down sides of pan with water. Cook until color resembles maple syrup (see note).
Remove from heat and immediately add butter, heavy cream, and 1/8 teaspoon salt, whisking until combined (see note). Set aside to cool completely.
As the caramel is cooling, make the crust. Pulse flour, brown sugar, pinch salt, and butter until moist crumbs form. Press into bottom of prepared pan and bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
Scatter pecans, chocolate, and Twix bars over the crust. Measure out 1/2 caramel and reserve. Stir condensed milk and vanilla into remaining caramel. Pour over crust. Spoon 8 teaspoons of the reserved caramel into filling (use leftover caramel for another use).
Bake until mixture is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely, about 3 hours. If bars are not set at room temperature, chill to firm. Lift bars from pan and cut into 12 pieces.

Special Equipment

8- by 8- by 2-inch baking pan, aluminum foil

Notes

Brushing down the sides of the pan will help prevent the caramel from crystallizing. If one area of the pan begins to brown more quickly, gently swirl the pan to evenly distribute the caramel. Take care when adding the butter and cream to the caramel as it may sputter.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
4929	Calories
300g	Fat
519g	Carbs
59g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories	4929
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 300g	384%
Saturated Fat 161g	805%
Cholesterol 414mg	138%
Sodium 912mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate 519g	189%
Dietary Fiber 39g	141%
Total Sugars 348g
Protein 59g
Vitamin C 4mg	21%
Calcium 701mg	54%
Iron 39mg	218%
Potassium 2498mg	53%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.