Millionaire Bars (Homemade TWIX Bars) are rich in flavor with a shortbread cookie bottom, a sweet caramel center and topped with milk chocolate.
TWIX TRADEMARK: Just to be completely transparent I realize this is a copycat recipe of an existing trademarked product. TWIX is a proprietary brand and I acknowledge/gives credit to them for TWIX Bars. I do not claim to own, or have made up TWIX. This is simply a copycat recipe of TWIX Bars (Which are delicious by the way).
With their shortbread bottom, caramel center and chocolate topping these Millionaire Bars are exactly like a TWIX candy bar.
Make these TWIX Bars for parties, cookouts, potlucks, picnics, holiday and really any occasion! They are a decadent treat that everyone will love!
The Shortbread Cookie Bottom
These Millionaire Bars have the perfect shortbread cookie bottom.
To make the shortbread you will need flour, powdered sugar, cold butter cut into pieces, and vanilla extract.
In a medium sized bowl add your flour, powdered sugar and cold butter pieces.
Using a pastry blender, forks, a potato masher or your hands, start to mix the butter into the dry ingredients. I use a potato masher to start out and it works perfect!
Add the vanilla. It doesn’t matter when you add it, just make sure you add it before all of the ingredients are mixed together.
It takes a bit of work but keep at it.
The mixture will get to a point where it seems dry, but keep mixing. Get in there with your hands and make sure the butter is fully mixed in and there are no butter lumps. Below is how it will look when it is mixed enough. It will be crumbly but there shouldn’t be any big pieces of butter in the dough.
The crumbly dough will form a ball when squished in your hand, just like a thick cookie dough.
You will need a 9×13 pan for these TWIX Bars. I like to line my pan with parchment paper so I can easily lift out the bars to cut and serve them when they are ready.
You can spray the pan with cooking spray so the parchment paper will stick better to the pan and not move a lot.
Press the shortbread dough in to the pan.
Bake the shortbread for about 20 minutes. The top of the shortbread should be slightly golden brown.
Caramel Center for Homemade TWIX Bars
For the caramel center you will need butter, light brown sugar, light corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk.
NO CANDY THERMOMETER IS NEEDED!
In a saucepan over medium-high heat add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted and the ingredients are starting to combine.
Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring it the entire time. Once it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low. Keep stirring it until the caramel starts to thicken.
NOTE: A rubber scraper works better but I had a whisk nearby, that works too!
Once the mixture has thickened pour the caramel over the shortbread.
Spread the caramel over the shortbread making sure it is evenly spread on the shortbread.
The Chocolate Layer
The chocolate layer is simple to make. You just need chocolate chips and butter. I use milk chocolate chips but you can use semi-sweet if you prefer.
Add the chocolate chips and butter to another saucepan. (Or clean the caramel saucepan).
Melt the chocolate over medium heat. Stir it constantly. It will melt fast. Do not let it scorch (turn the heat down if it is melting too fast and hot.Do not let it heat too much.
I like to take the chocolate off of the heat when there are a few lumps of chocolate left that need to melt. Then I keep stirring it while it’s off the heat and the lumps will melt out.
Pour the chocolate over the caramel layer and smooth it out the best you can.
Chilling/Serving the Millionaire Bars
The Millionaire Bars need to set and chill before serving. Let the bars cool completely then place them in your fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. The layers just need to set and the chocoalte needs to harden for serving. You can also freeze the bars but they may be a bit hard to eat.
Once the bars are set you are ready to cut them into bars and enjoy.
Look at all of those perfect layers…YUM!
Store any leftovers in the fridge.
For some other tasty recipes try my Lemon Cheesecake Crumble Bars, my Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars or my Pecan Cheesecake Bars.
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Millionaire Bars (TWIX Bars)
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish/pan
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie Layer
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup COLD butter (salted), cut into pieces *if using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt, make sure it is cold
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel Layer
- 1 cup butter (salted) *if using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 28 oz. (2 small cans) sweetened condensed milk
Chocolate Topping Layer
- 1 bag (11.5 to 12 oz) milk chocolate chips semi-sweet work too
- 2 tbsp butter *I use salted
Instructions
Making the Shortbread Layer
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, or grease your pan. Preheat your oven to 325°F.TIP: I like to spray my dish with cooking spray so the parchment paper sticks a bit to the pan and doesn't move around a lot.
- In a medium to large bowl, add your dry ingredients and cold butter pieces. Mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, potato masher or forks. Mix it until the butter starts to mix in and break up. Add your vanilla extract and keep mixing. Once the butter starts to mix in, use your hands. Finish making sure the butter is fully mixed in and there are no large pieces of butter. The mixture will be crumbly, but if you squish some into a ball it will come together like cookie dough. See blog post above for photos.Press the shortbread dough into the 9×13 pan. Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes. The top will start to look a little golden brown. Mine cooks for 20 minutes exactly and is perfect. Take it out of the oven and set it aside when done.
Caramel Layer (I make this while the shortbread bakes)
- In a saucepan, add all of the caramel ingredients. Using a spoon, whisk or rubber scraper heat the ingredients over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the ingredients melt together. Once they are melted together start stirring it constantly until it starts to boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to low. Keep stirring it until it thickens. Once it is thickened spread it on top of the shortbread layer. It is okay if the shortbread is still warm.
Chocolate Topping Layer
- In another saucepan (or clean the caramel saucepan), melt the chocolate and butter on medium heat. Turn the heat down a bit if it is too hot- the chocolate should be melting slowly. Stir the chocolate while it starts to melt. Take it off the heat when there are a few lumps of chocolate chips that aren’t melted all of the way. Keep stirring it off of the heat until the chocolate is smooth and fully melted.Pour the chocolate on top of the caramel layer and smooth it out.Let the Millionaire Bars cool completely. (This can take an hour or more)
Chilling the TWIX Bars
- After the bars have cooled completely place them in your fridge for the layers to set. I chill mine for about 2 hours or overnight. You can put them in the freezer as well but it makes them harder to serve and eat.Once the bars have chilled, cut them into squares/bars and enjoy. (If they are too hard to cut at first, let them sit our for a bit before cutting and serving.)Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
