Twix-Style Cookies

Okay, so someone looked at a Twix bar and thought “this is good, but what if it was a COOKIE with all these layers?” And thus, these absolute weapons of mass deliciousness were born. Twix-Style Cookies are basically everything you love about the candy bar—buttery shortbread base, gooey caramel middle, chocolate drizzle on top—but in giant, chewy cookie form that you don’t have to share with anyone. We’re talking peanut butter cookie dough loaded with caramel bits, drizzled with both caramel and chocolate like some kind of dessert Jackson Pollock painting. They’re crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, and so ridiculously indulgent that eating one feels like a tiny rebellion against salad. I made these for a office party once and someone literally gasped when they bit into one. Another coworker hid three in her desk drawer “for later.” There was no later. She ate them within an hour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Candy bar in cookie form. All the Twix vibes without having to unwrap 47 mini bars.

That caramel situation. Caramel bits inside AND drizzled on top. We’re not messing around here.

Chocolate + caramel drizzle. The signature criss-cross pattern makes these look professional even if you have the hand-eye coordination of a toddler.

No complicated layers. Unlike actual Twix bars, you’re not assembling multiple components. Just mix, bake, drizzle, done.

Peanut butter base. Adds richness and that slight saltiness that makes the caramel pop even more.

Crowd obliterator. Bring these anywhere and watch them disappear faster than your self-control.

The Good Stuff You’ll Need

For the Cookie Dough:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural—you want the processed stuff here)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup caramel bits (like Kraft caramel bits—NOT unwrapped whole caramels)
• Optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips for extra chocolate throughout

For the Drizzles:

• 1/2 cup caramel sauce (store-bought is fine, or use melted caramel bits)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
• 1 tsp coconut oil or shortening (helps the chocolate drizzle smoothly)

Equipment:

• Cookie scoop (2 tablespoon size works great)
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Piping bag, zip-top bag, or just a spoon for drizzling
• Your willpower (you’ll need it)

Let’s Do This

Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat together softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and well combined.

Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated and the mixture looks smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Don’t overmix—stop as soon as you don’t see flour streaks anymore.

Fold in the caramel bits (and mini chocolate chips if using) with a spatula. Make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 2: Shape and Bake

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion out dough balls—about 2 tablespoons each. Roll them gently between your palms to make them round.

Place on prepared baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart. These spread a bit, so give them room.

Gently flatten each ball slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass. You want them about 1/2-inch thick. They’ll spread and puff during baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are set and just starting to turn golden. The centers will look slightly underdone—THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT.

Do NOT overbake these. They continue cooking on the pan after you remove them, and overbaked = dry cookies. We’re aiming for chewy, not crunchy.

Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they’re super soft when hot), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling.

Step 3: The Caramel Drizzle

If using store-bought caramel sauce: microwave it for 10-15 seconds so it’s nice and drippy.

If using caramel bits: microwave 1/2 cup caramel bits with 1 tablespoon heavy cream in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth and pourable.

Transfer to a piping bag, zip-top bag with the corner snipped off, or just use a spoon.

Drizzle back and forth across the cooled cookies in a zig-zag pattern. Don’t be shy—go full Jackson Pollock on these babies.

Let the caramel set for about 10-15 minutes at room temp.

Step 4: The Chocolate Drizzle

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil.

Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Don’t overheat or the chocolate will seize up and get grainy.

Transfer to another piping bag or zip-top bag (or use a spoon if you’re brave).

Drizzle over the cookies in the opposite direction from the caramel, creating that classic criss-cross pattern.

Let everything set at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes if you’re impatient.

Try not to eat them all before the chocolate hardens. This is a real challenge.

Serving Suggestions

These are basically perfect as-is, but if you want to get extra:

• Serve slightly warm with a glass of cold milk (the ultimate pairing)
• Top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt before the drizzles set for salted caramel vibes
• Sandwich vanilla ice cream between two cookies for an elite ice cream sandwich
• Serve alongside coffee or espresso for a fancy afternoon treat
• Package in clear bags tied with ribbon for gifts that will make you everyone’s favorite person
• Crumble over ice cream sundaes
• Stack on a platter with other cookies for a dessert spread

Switch It Up

Classic Chocolate Chip Base: Skip the peanut butter, use all butter (1 cup total), and make a regular chocolate chip cookie base with caramel bits.

Pretzel Twix: Add 1/2 cup crushed pretzels to the dough for salty crunch.

Double Chocolate: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the dough and reduce flour by 1/4 cup for chocolate-chocolate-caramel cookies.

Shortbread Base: For more authentic Twix vibes, use a buttery shortbread cookie recipe as the base instead of peanut butter.

Toffee Twist: Replace half the caramel bits with Heath toffee bits for a different flavor profile.

White Chocolate Drizzle: Use white chocolate instead of semi-sweet for a sweeter, more dessert-like cookie.

Cookie Butter Base: Replace peanut butter with cookie butter (like Biscoff spread) for a completely different flavor that’s equally addictive.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

These keep beautifully, which is dangerous for your waistline.

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay chewy and delicious.

Freezer (baked): Freeze drizzled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Freezer (dough): Scoop cookie dough balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to bake time.

Refrigerate the dough: Make the dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Let it sit at room temp for 10 minutes before scooping and baking.

Drizzle before or after freezing? If freezing, drizzle AFTER thawing for best appearance. The drizzles can get a little wonky during freezing/thawing.

Pro tip: These actually taste BETTER on day 2-3 after the flavors have melded. If you can wait that long. (You probably can’t.)

Why This Works So Damn Well

These cookies hit every texture and flavor note perfectly.

Peanut butter adds richness and a slight saltiness that balances all that caramel sweetness. It also makes the cookies extra chewy and gives them that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Brown sugar creates chewiness while white sugar helps with spread and that slight crispy edge. The combo is cookie perfection.

Caramel bits stay gooey inside the cookie while creating pockets of molten caramel when you bite in. Unlike chopped caramels, the bits are formulated to stay soft and not burn.

Not overbaking is crucial. The difference between a chewy, fudgy cookie and a dry hockey puck is literally 2 minutes. Pull them when they look slightly underdone.

Double drizzle creates visual drama and ensures every bite has both chocolate and caramel. Plus it looks impressive even if your drizzling technique is… questionable.

Coconut oil in the chocolate keeps it smooth and pliable even after it sets, so the chocolate doesn’t crack when you bite the cookie.

Cooling completely before drizzling prevents the caramel and chocolate from melting into the cookie and losing that beautiful pattern.

When to Make These

Cookie Exchange: Bring these and prepare to be crowned cookie royalty.

Bake Sale Domination: Price these high. They’ll sell out instantly and fund the entire PTA budget.

Game Day Snacks: Way better than store-bought cookies and infinitely more impressive.

Care Packages: Ship these to college students, deployed family members, or anyone who needs a hug in cookie form.

Birthday Parties: Both kids and adults will lose their minds over these.

Just Because Tuesday: These don’t need an occasion. Make them whenever you need joy.

Bribing Purposes: Need a favor? Show up with these. Works every time.

Questions People Actually Ask

Q: Can I use natural peanut butter? A: Not recommended. Natural peanut butter is too oily and will make the cookies spread weird and get greasy. Stick with processed peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.

Q: My caramel bits melted into the cookie and disappeared. What happened? A: Your oven might be running hot, or you overbaked them. Caramel bits do soften, but they shouldn’t completely melt away. Check your oven temp with a thermometer.

Q: Can I use whole caramels instead of caramel bits? A: You can chop them up, but they won’t work as well. Caramel bits are formulated to stay soft in cookies. Whole caramels can get too hard or burn.

Q: The drizzles aren’t setting. Why? A: Your kitchen might be too warm, or you didn’t let the cookies cool completely. Pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes to speed up the setting process.

Q: My chocolate seized up and got clumpy. Help! A: You overheated it, or water got into it. Chocolate and water are enemies. Start over with fresh chocolate and be more careful with the heat.

Q: Can I skip the peanut butter? A: Sure, but then replace it with more butter (1 cup total butter) and you’ll have a different cookie. Still good, just not the same.

Q: These spread too much. What did I do wrong? A: Your butter was too soft, your dough was too warm, or your oven temp is too low. Make sure butter is softened but not melted, and chill the dough if it feels too soft.

Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes! Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.

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