These Twix cookies have a buttery shortbread cookie base with creamy caramel and chocolate on top! I’m not even kidding when I say they are addictive!
I’ve also created these easy Twix Cookie Bars if you prefer to skip the individual cookie baking. Plus, they resemble a candy bar right? If you love these, try our copycat Reeses Peanut Butter Cups!
Why this Recipe is Best
Today’s twix cookie recipe is seriously amazing.
Some people refer to these as millionaire bars, millionaire shortbread, and even billionaire bars. We think they taste just like a twix candy bar!
- Shortbread cookie crust
- Creamy Caramel Topping
- Covered in smooth chocolate
- Freezer friendly
FAVORITE COOKIES: Chocolate Chip Cookies | Peanut Butter Cookies
If you love making copycat recipes, be sure to try our honey bun cake. For a savory soup, our panera broccoli cheese soup is incredible!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter- We bake with unsalted butter (unless noted). This allows us to control the amount of kosher salt in the recipe, as all salted butters are not created equal. Use our guide on how to soften butter quickly.
- Powdered Sugar- We use powdered sugar in our shortbread cookie crust, to keep them tender and melt in your mouth.
- Vanilla Extract- use PURE vanilla, or our homemade vanilla extract will work great too.
- Caramel– using the caramel bits, or unwrapped caramels is perfect. For even more flavor, use our homemade caramels recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
The cookie base.
Make your shortbread dough ahead of time. Roll it into a tube shape (the size of a paper towel roll). Wrap it up in plastic wrap.
PRO TIP: I actually will cut an empty paper towel roll lengthwise, and place my plastic wrapped dough inside the tube. Then refrigerate. The paper towel tube helps the dough keep it’s rounded shape.
Slice and bake your cookies. I usually cut the dough in half. Return half to the fridge until ready to use (so it doesn’t come to room temperature). Baking the dough while cold is KEY to a delicious, flaky crunch.
Caramel layer.
I used caramel bits for this layer. They are easy to pour into a bowl and melt in the microwave.
If you can’t find them, you can unwrap caramels, that works too. I used a small metal cookie scoop to place caramel onto the cookie.
The Chocolate.
Use a good quality chocolate on these cookies. I tend to buy Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips for these, as they taste delicious! They also melt smooth in the microwave.
You could also use Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers. Delicious and smooth melting, and they don’t melt in your hands when you pick up the cookie!
Allow your cookies to set up at room temperature. If you place them in the fridge, the caramel will harden too much, and the chocolate may become discolored.
Recipe FAQs
Instead of making twix cookies, try our twix cookie bars instead! Same great flavor, easy to assemble.
You can freeze twix cookies. Just know that the chocolate may change colors when it defrosts. You can also freeze the cookies without the chocolate and add that before serving.
The shortbread cookie in a Twix candy bar should be chilled before slicing for best results.
More Cookie Recipes
- No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
- Soft Molasses Cookies
- Butterscotch Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
More Easy Cookie Recipes
See all Cookies recipes
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Twix Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 package Kraft caramel bits 11 ounce
- 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 package Ghirardelli milk chocolate morsels 11.5 ounce
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar for several minutes until well blended. Add in flour, salt and vanilla. Beat for 2-3 minutes until dough starts to form a ball.
- Drop dough onto a light floured surface. Using your hands, shape into a log, about the size of a paper towel tube. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Slice dough (about 1/5 inch thick) and bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 11-13 minutes, until edges set and begin lightly browning. Do not overbake.
- While cookies are cooling, add caramel and whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minutes. Stir and heat again for 15-30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Using a small metal scoop, drop about 3/4 Tbsp of caramel into the center of each cookie. It will spread on it own.
- Melt milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir and heat an additional 15-30 seconds if needed. Frost the tops of each cookie and allow chocolate to set (about 30 minutes). Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
- Store cookies in airtight container for up to one week.
- Use regular kraft caramels if you can’t find the “bits.” Our homemade caramels are also delicious!
Absolutely delicious! These are a great cookie to share because they look and taste so good.
Gonna try this this soon. heading to the market to get the above mentioned ingredients.
Do you know if they freeze well?
I made these twix cookies for my work on Sunday and they came out perfectly! I went to go make some for my family today and I noticed that when I made them on Sunday, I only added 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), instead of 1 cup (2 sticks), but they still came out right. So today I did the 2 sticks of butter and the shortbread dough was super “runny” almost. When I only used 1 stick of butter on Sunday, the dough was perfect and came together like a ball. But 2 sticks made the dough thinner and really sticky and hard to work with. Did using 2 sticks of butter mess up the dough, or did I just do something wrong? I ended up throwing out the dough and remaking it with 1 stick and it came out perfectly again! Also, is there a way to make the caramel a little smoother. Every time I make these cookies, it’s super hard to spread the caramel on. Any tips?
Hmm, this is my basic shortbread cookie recipe and it turns out awesome every time. Not sure why you had an issue 🙁
As for the caramel, you can add extra heavy whipping cream to make it thinner. Or microwave it halfway through to melt it again. Good luck
Can I use homemade caramel on these? do you think they will harden properly?
thanks!
It depends on the caramel recipe. Some homemade caramel makes more of a sauce. But if you have one that sets up like caramels that you wrap, then definitely it would work!
This recipe is so similar to a cookie my Grandmother has always made. She called them diamond cookies and cut them in the shape of a diamond. She always puts a m&m, pecan or walnut on top. My preference is the walnut. It helps to cut some of the sweetness since they are so rich. It’s one of my very favorite cookies. I made some at Thanksgiving and I should be embarrassed to say this, but I think I ate most of them.
Oooh I love the idea of walnuts on top 🙂
These look amazing! You might also be able to add a few peanuts between the layer of caramel and chocolate….and then they’d be Snickers cookies??
Mmmm, Snickers! 🙂
Do these freeze ok?
I wouldn’t free them with the caramel and chocolate on them.
Can you substitute the heavy whipping cream with something?
Can you bake the shortbread cookies ahead of time and freeze them then add the caramel and chocolate later?
You sure can 🙂
Well now I feel silly about my tweet because I thought this was new recipe 🙂
I still love it!
haha, no worries!!! Thanks for tweeting!
Aimee, these look so yummy!! I have a question, tho. I don’t bake, from scratch, very much and was wondering if this recipe can be used with the refrigerated sugar cookie mix from the store?
The base of these cookies is more of a buttery shortbread, not sugar cookie dough. You won’t have the crispness like you do in a twix bar 🙂
Could a thick salted caramel sauce substitute the Kraft caramels?
The melted caramels harden slightly back up after spreading on cookies, not sure a caramel sauce would do the same? Unless it were homemade, maybe?
By Kraft bits, do you mean the caramels or is this a product I
m not familiar with?
Want to make but I am confused by this ingredient!
Kraft bits are little caramel balls, unwrapped in a package (found near the chocolate chips). You can substitute caramels if you can’t find them 🙂
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