The BEST EVER Twix Cheesecake Bars with an easy (two-ingredient) caramel sauce and chocolate ganache!
Twix® has always been one of my favorite candies. Since my family loves cheesecake so much, I thought Twix Cheesecake Bars would be the perfect mash-up dessert. And honestly, it is! This treat is unbelievable: creamy, flavorful, and has the perfect crust-to-filling ratio.
We’ve got an amazing shortbread crust and a classically sweet (and just tart enough) cheesecake filling with Twix bites folded in. We finish these off with a chocolate ganache and a caramel sauce. These Twix Cheesecake Bars are an absolute hit whenever I make them!
Quick Tip
Twix® is the registered trademark for a chocolate-covered layered caramel-shortbread cookie made by M&M Mars, Incorporated. It’s pretty hard to find a generic or store-brand product that you can swap out. We also refer to Lorna Doone® cookies, the sugar-topped shortbread cookies made by Nabisco and owned by Mondelez International. Many times you can swap other brands of products, but in this case, we recommend only using the real McCoys!
It might sound like a lot, but these Twix Cheesecake Bars aren’t too difficult to make at all. The crust and cheesecake are no more high maintenance than other cheesecake bars and I’ve kept the toppings as simple as possible. Both the ganache and the caramel sauce only require two ingredients!
Here are some tips to make the perfect Twix Cheesecake Bars:
- Use ROOM-TEMPERATURE cream cheese: Room-temperature cream cheese becomes creamier when it is mixed and it incorporates much better with the other ingredients in this recipe. If the cream cheese is too cold, it tends to stay lumpy in the batter and doesn’t fully mix. You’ll also likely be tempted to over-beat the batter (which is not good for a cheesecake!) to get rid of the lumps.
- DON’T OVER-MIX the batter: It’s important to mix the cream cheese enough to remove the lumps and to combine the ingredients sufficiently, without over-mixing the batter. Too much mixing introduces too much air into the mixture. And too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise too quickly in the oven and then fall. (That’s how you get cracks in your cheesecake.) Mix the cheesecake at low and consistent speeds to reduce the risk of beating in too much air.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool COMPLETELY at room temperature: It might not seem like a big deal to expedite the chilling process of a cheesecake by putting it in the fridge right out of the oven. If you do this, though, the cheesecake tends to get an ugly appearance on top. This appearance comes from condensation that forms on top of the too-quickly-chilled cheesecake. This can also create cracks on it.
- Slice the cheesecake with a very sharp and HOT knife: To get the perfect slices, you’ll want to use a large and very sharp knife. Run the knife under very hot water, quickly (but still completely) dry it off, and then make quick cuts to get a perfect slice.
Quick tip to get room temperature cream cheese: Remove the cream cheese from the packaging and microwave in bursts of 15-20 seconds until it is room temperature (not softened or melted at all). It’s also important when you are using room-temperature cream cheese that you also use room-temperature eggs. Quick Tip
More Delicious Desserts:
Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce
Twix Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1¼ cups crushed Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies (Can substitute crushed graham crackers)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Filling:
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (2 bricks)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1½ tablespoons white flour
- ¼ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup Twix minis
Toppings:
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips (or dark, or semi-sweet chocolate)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 14.5 ounces Werther's soft and chewy caramels, unwrapped (1 standard bag)
- 2½ tablespoons evaporated milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper (making sure you leave plenty of overhang so you can easily remove the bars) and spray the parchment paper lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the shortbread cookie crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Press into the bottom and barely up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove, and set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
- For the cheesecake batter: In a large bowl, (use a stand or hand mixer) beat the completely room-temperature cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed, just until smooth. Add in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low until combined. Be careful to not over-mix this batter and to keep the mixer at low, even speeds. Add in the eggs, mixing just until combined after each addition. Gently fold the Twix minis into the batter. (See Note 1.)
- Pour the batter into the cooled crust and smooth into an even layer. Press down any Twix that may have popped above the surface. Bake for 38-43 minutes, until the center is just set and the top is not shiny (the center might still be a little jiggly, and that's perfect). Remove the bars from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. After that, cover and chill in the fridge for 4-6 hours. (I always chill overnight and like that best!)
- Lift the cheesecake out of the pan (using the parchment paper overhang) and using a very hot knife, slice into even bars. (I like to run the knife under very hot water, wipe it off, and then make one slice. Repeat until the cheesecake is all sliced!) Serve with caramel and chocolate sauce as desired. (See directions below.) The cheesecake is best when served right out of the fridge, so store cut bars in the fridge while you make the sauces. These cheesecake bars are best when served within 3-4 days after making.
Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Ganache
- Chocolate Ganache: In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat and bring to a simmer; do not boil! Place the chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl. Pour the simmering heavy cream over the chocolate chips and cover the bowl with the lid of a saucepan. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and stir for 2-3 minutes or until completely smooth. Let stand for a bit to firm up and then spoon over the bars.
- Caramel Sauce: Place unwrapped caramels in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the evaporated milk and heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes and then spoon over the bars.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a fabulous treat! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
You did a great job at creating these treats Chelsea! Everything looks so good and looks like everyone enjoyed them! Love twix and cheesecake!
Ok, I am like totally in love with these. Please send them to <> in bulk. Yours truly, Kristi
🙂
Pinned.
You never cease to amaze me with your fantastic creations!
I’ll take one for each hand. You really can’t go wrong with chocolate, caramel, and cheesecake. Yum!
These are so awesome. I love Twix too!! Pinned!
I haven’t had a TWIX in AGES! These look awesome Chelsea!
Gosh I can eat a dozen of them in one sitting!
This is such a great idea! I am totally craving twix now!
how cute (and delicious!)!