Ultra soft and chewy sugar cookies topped with silky caramel and rich milk chocolate!
A crunchy cookie base, smooth caramel, and creamy milk chocolate–what’s NOT to love about the Twix candy bar?? Oh, and we can’t forget the all-important fact that each package contains TWO Twix bars! Seriously, why hasn’t Snickers or Butterfinger hopped onto the bandwagon and done the same? Better yet, why haven’t ALL candy bar companies done this??
Obviously, it’s no secret that I’m a bit of a candy bar fanatic, ESPECIALLY when it involves caramel. And I’m not alone in my candy bar obsession since the average American consumes a staggering 22 pounds of candy every year–and almost half of that is chocolate!
Twix has always been a favorite among most Americans. In fact, it’s ranked #5 on the list of America’s most popular candy bars. That’s not surprising though seeing as how 161 million Twix bars are sold every year.
Anyway, I know you didn’t come here for some boring candy bar trivia, so let’s get to the real reason you clicked on this recipe…
These Twix Sugar Cookies are beyond delectable. They’re like biting into the freshest Twix bar ever! Because instead of a crunchy biscuit-like cookie, you have a deliciously thick and buttery sugar cookie. I used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, which is soft, tender, and THICK. It’s not overly sweet, making it the perfect base to go under a generous slathering of vanilla buttercream, or in this case, caramel and chocolate.
One of the key ingredients for baking up such perfect pillowy cookies is cream cheese. It’s not the most common ingredient used in sugar cookie recipes, but it definitely should be. Not only does cream cheese yield a wonderfully soft and chewy texture, but it also heightens the overall butteriness of the cookie.
Speaking of butteriness, if you want that traditional bakery cookie flavor, vanilla extract and almond extract are a must–almond extract ESPECIALLY. While almond extract isn’t the most common ingredient to have in your pantry, it’s just as vital as vanilla in my opinion. It provides that indescribable sweetness that you can’t get from vanilla alone. It’s absolutely essential if you want to take your sugar cookie from average to amazing. The nice thing about almond extract is that it’s much more potent than vanilla, so a little really does go a long way.
Aside from flavor and texture, what I love about this sugar cookie is that the recipe requires no dough-chilling. Just beat everything together, and you’re ready to roll! These cookies also get a double dose of sugar since they’re rolled in sugar before being placed onto the baking sheet. Since they don’t really spread much while baking in the oven, I like to help them out by using the flat bottom of a glass to press them into discs.
Once the sugar cookies are baked and cooled, it’s time to “Twixify” them with some caramel and chocolate! First, you’ll make the shortcut caramel. Just get some store-bought caramel candies (like Kraft), unwrap them, place them in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of milk, and heat in the microwave until completely smooth and melted. Grab a spoon and top each cookie with a spoonful of caramel, gently spreading it toward the edges of the cookie. Since the caramel tends to stiffen up as it cools off, you might have to reheat it in the microwave from time to time to make it easier to work with.
The last piece of the Twix puzzle is the milk chocolate! To yield a softer bite to the chocolate, I melted the milk chocolate with a little coconut oil. I noticed a while back that when I added coconut oil to melted chocolate (usually for dipping), it prevented the chocolate from getting too hard to bite into. Plain melted chocolate (without oil) tends to result in a harder shell, which can make the treat a little messy when you’re biting into it. Vegetable/canola oil can also be used if you don’t have coconut oil.
To finish the cookie off, top the caramel with a spoonful of melted chocolate, using the back of the spoon to spread it around. At this point they’re ready to eat. However, if you’re planning on packing them up or serving them at a gathering, I’d suggest allowing the chocolate to set up first by chilling them in the freezer for a few minutes.
I brought these Twix Sugar Cookies to a birthday party last weekend, and needless to say, they were a hit. It’s definitely a good thing this recipe makes over 2 dozen cookies because they were GONE by the end of the party. Regardless of whether you’re a Twix fan or not, I have no doubt you’re gonna LOVE these cookies.
Twix Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies:
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup divided
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Caramel Layer:
- 12 ounces caramel candies unwrapped (like Kraft brand)
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Chocolate Layer:
- 9 ounces milk chocolate
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and powdered sugar, beating until smooth and creamy. Add the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Gradually mix flour mixture into wet ingredients until dough comes together.
- Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl. Roll dough into balls that are a little larger than golf balls. Coat ball in sugar and place on lined baking sheet. Repeat process with more dough until you have 6 or 7 balls spaced at least 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten each dough ball to about 1/2" thickness. It's okay if the cookies form a rim on the edges.
- Bake cookies for 8-11 minutes or until tops look dry. They should still be pale in color--no browning. Try not to overbake or you'll end up with hard, crispy cookies. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Caramel Layer:
- Place the caramels and milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until smooth and melted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Using a small spoon, drop about 3/4 tablespoon of caramel onto the center of each cookie. It should spread as it settles. Repeat with the remaining cookies and caramel.
For the Chocolate Layer:
- Place the milk chocolate and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until smooth and melted, about 1 minute. Spread a small spoonful of chocolate onto each cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate. Allow the chocolate layer to set up before serving.*