I’m so happy—it’s spooky season! I may be a grown woman who runs her own business (with my sweet mom, of course), but I will never be too old for a little Halloween fun. And if I’m being honest, I live my life feeling like I’m still my teenage self, just with way more responsibility. But I try to let some of my adult self go for the month of October. This is the time of year to watch your favorite Halloween movies, bake frightfully delicious desserts, mix up spooky cocktails—and maybe even host a Halloween bash! It’s so fun!
Every Halloween season, I have so much fun creating at least a few new spooky-themed desserts and/or drinks for you guys. Even when life is busiest, we can all manage to find the time for at least a night or two of autumn Halloween baking. I LOVE to make homemade candy bars this time of year. And since I know we all love a good Twix Bar, I felt like these could be fun to recreate in a spooky way. It turns out they are fun, way easier than you’d guess to make, and so delicious. The apple cider caramel really is the best. We love it paired with dark chocolate!
Here are the Frightful Details
Ingredients
Step 1: make the shortbread dough In a bowl, beat together the brown sugar, the butter, and the vanilla. Add 1 egg at room temperature and then the flour. Beat until the dough holds onto the bowl. Press the dough into a square brownie pan lined with parchment paper. I like to use a 9×9-inch pan, but if you use an 8×8-inch pan, just note that your bars will turn out thicker than mine. Bake until the cookie is golden and just set on top.
Step 2: make the apple cider caramel This is my no-fail, no-fuss caramel. To make it, you just need to boil apple cider with brown sugar and butter. Boil for about 9 to 10 minutes for a soft, chewy caramel. The longer you boil the caramel, the harder it will become. Ideally, you want a soft, chewy caramel, so stick to around 10 minutes on the stove. The sauce will bubble and thicken. Then, add sea salt and pour the caramel over the baked cookie crust.
Step 3: let the caramel set Put the pan in the fridge for 2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes. I prefer to have the bars frozen as I find it makes cutting them much easier. Once the bars are cut, it’s time for dipping.
Step 4: dip and dunk in chocolate Dip each bar in melted chocolate. Again, it helps if the bars are frozen. The chocolate will set onto the bars quickly and be less of a mess. Place each bar onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 5: decorate The final step is the most fun: the googly candy eyes! Before the chocolate sets, decorate as desired with candy eyes. The awesome thing about this process is that you don’t have to have any skills at all. Just drop on some candy eyes and call it a day. The bars will look cute and spooky no matter what. It’s all about that messed up, spooky vibe, so embrace the imperfections here. No one spooky Twix should look like another. Keep these in fridge but pull them out a few minutes prior to serving. We find the caramel is yummiest when it’s soft and chewy! You can pack them up and take them to the school Halloween party. Or serve them up at your adult-filled Halloween bash. Whatever route you go, these ghostly spooky bars will be loved.
Looking for other Halloween cookies? Here are my favorites: Black Widow Peanut Butter Bars Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies Spooky Halloween Pretzels BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Milk Chocolate Stuffed Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies Black Cat Pumpkin Cupcakes Roly Poly Pumpkin Cookies Lastly, if you make these Spooky Homemade Twix Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
