Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Copycat Recipe)

CRUMBL CARAMEL SHORTBREAD TWIX COOKIES (Copycat Recipe)

6/14/2022

Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Better than Crumbl Copycat Recipe)

You are going to love this copycat recipe for Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies that combine the best parts of your favorite candy bar into a decadent cookie! Super soft, chewy and buttery shortbread cookies are stuffed with chocolate covered English toffee bits, filled with a thick layer of soft caramel, silky smooth chocolate, and topped with a sweet little miniature Twix candy bar for good measure. So fast and easy to make, with a no-chill dough, it’s easy to see why these are always a favorite at our house. As my family always says, these are “Better than Crumbl Cookies!

Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Better than Crumbl Copycat Recipe)

FOR PERFECT COOKIES EVERY TIME, USE THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS:

For gourmet cookies, only the best ingredients will give you the texture, richness and depth of flavor we all crave. Make sure to use fresh ingredients for the best results!

Butter: I recommend using a good quality unsalted butter for this recipe. I use Kerrygold or Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter and avoid generic/bargain brands of butter, which often contain water. Make sure that the butter is softened for your cookie dough, and icy cold for the streusel.
Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: This recipe uses a mixture of sugars in both the cookie dough, as well as in the streusel topping. I recommend Domino Pure Cane Sugar and Domino Pure Cane Dark Sugar. For caramel-like sweetness, I use dark brown sugar, but you can use light brown sugar as well!
Eggs: For the best cookie dough, always use large eggs, and at room temperature.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Always use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor in cookies. For something different you can also use Vanilla Bean Paste for an extra depth of flavor in this recipe.
Flour: King Arthur All Purpose Unbleached Flour is my favorite for cookies (it contains more gluten than other brands). Pillsbury All Purpose is my back-up, but weighs differently – make sure to adjust as necessary. (For reference, King Arthur is 120g per cup, Pillsbury is 129g per cup.)
Milk Powder: The secret ingredient in these cookies!
Baking Powder: Make sure that you use “aluminum-free” baking powder to avoid a tinny flavor. Rumford is one of the oldest and trusted brands.
Baking Soda: Make sure to use fresh baking soda when baking for the best leavening.
Salt: To avoid a tinny flavor, never use iodized salt in cookies, cakes or brownies. Morten Non-Iodized Table Salt is my preferred brand for cooking and baking. For sea salt flakes, I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.

MILK POWDER IS THE KEY TO BETTER COOKIES, BROWNIES & CAKES:

The best thing about baking homemade treats is that you can make hundreds of different delicious things using the same few ingredients. Cakes, cookies, pastries and brownies all start more or less the same way – with flour, sugar, eggs and butter.
Making perfectly textured cakes or crisp and chewy cookies is usually more about baking technique than about ingredients, but there is a secret ingredient that can make almost every baked good taste better – Milk Powder!
Milk powder, which is also called powdered milk (and should not be confused with malted milk powder) is essentially milk in its most concentrated form. It adds fat, protein and flavor in a way that doesn’t mess with the liquid portion of your baking, and adds a bonus layer of richness, sweetness and creaminess to pretty much anything you bake. It’s the “secret weapon ingredient” that works magic when it’s added to a recipe – it makes frostings and ice creams creamier, denser and silkier, and cookies and brownies chewier. It helps breads rise higher, and flatbreads and pastry more tender.
Adding just a tablespoon of nonfat milk powder to your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, before you combine them with softened butter, sugar and eggs, adds depth to baked goods. If you are using cocoa powder or chocolate chips in your recipe, it intensifies the flavor of chocolate – making regular chocolate taste more luxurious and vanilla flavor more magical. It is the secret ingredient in these Better Than Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies!

Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Better than Crumbl Copycat Recipe)

CRAVING MORE CRUMBL COOKIES? YOU'LL LOVE THESE CRUMBL COPYCAT RECIPES!

Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Better than Crumbl Copycat Recipe)

CRUMBL CARAMEL SHORTBREAD TWIX COOKIES (Copycat Recipe)

Crumbl Caramel Shortbread Twix Cookies (Better than Crumbl Copycat Recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
CARAMEL SHORTBREAD COOKIE BASE:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 large eggs (room temperature)
4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (80g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
½ cup(108g) vegetable or canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Heath Milk Chocolate English Toffee Bits

CARAMEL FILLING:
14 ounces Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels
½ cup heavy whipping cream

CHOCOLATE ICING:
1-1/2 cups quality chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
18 fun sized Twix candy bars

HOW I MAKE THESE:

Set butter and eggs out to come to room temperature (this helps them incorporate into the cookie dough better).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
PREPARE COOKIES: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, milk powder, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until completely creamy and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Scrape down the sides and add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each is fully mixed in.
Add vanilla extract and beat until mixed.
Scrape down the sides and add in the flour mixture, ½ at a time, mixing just until blended; add remaining flour mixture and again mix just until blended. This cookie dough will be really soft and creamy!
Using a large cookie scoop (3 Tablespoon size), scoop out cookie dough and roll into a ball with your hands. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place six cookie dough balls on each baking sheet, leaving room between each cookie as the cookies will spread when they bake.
Flatten the cookie dough by gently pressing the bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup into the center of each, and press down gently to create a small indentation. To keep your glass from sticking to the cookie dough, it works best to dip the bottom in flour before pressing each cookie. Any flour left behind will “melt” into the cookie as it bakes – not to worry!
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the centers of the cookies have puffed up and are no longer glossy. Every oven is a little bit different, so watch your first batch when baking and time accordingly. DO NOT OVERBAKE, as these will lose their softness.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets.
PREPARE CARAMEL FILLING: In a microwave-safe bowl, pour heavy whipping cream and add unwrapped caramels, stirring occasionally to evenly coat caramels.
Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, remove and stir with a silicone spatula. Continue cooking at 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the caramels are melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
Spoon melted caramel over the cooled cookies, spreading the caramel over the surface of each cookie.
PREPARE CHOCOLATE ICING: In a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, remove and stir with a silicone spatula. Continue cooking at 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth.
FROST & DECORATE: Spoon 2 tablespoons of melted chocolate onto the top of each cookie and spread on top of the caramel. Immediately place a mini Twix candy bar in the center of each cookie.
Once the cookies have completely cooled, chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Allow decorated cookies to set and dry completely before storing – keep parchment paper between each layer or place cookies in individual self-sealing bags for easy freezing and serving.
These cookies are best served chilled.

YIELD: Makes 18 (four-inch) cookies

RECIPE NOTES:

WEIGH INGREDIENTS CAREFULLY FOR BEST RESULTS: If I can only share one baking secret with you, always use a DIGITAL KITCHEN SCALE. You can use measuring cups and spoons for most recipes, but using a digital scale makes for the more consistent and efficient baking. Take this from someone that bakes A LOT!

CAN I USE CARAMEL SAUCE? Caramel ice cream toppings and dessert sauces have too much liquid for these cookies, and will soften them too much for serving.

WHAT KIND OF CARAMELS ARE BEST? For this recipe, I recommend Werther’s Original Chew Caramels for the best flavor and creamy texture. We prefer the flavor of Werthers rather than Kraft Caramels, but you can use those in a pinch. Werther’s Original Soft Caramels are a little too soft for this filling.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE THE HEATH MILK CHOCOLATE ENGLISH TOFFEE BITS? You can substitute Heath English Toffee Bits (without the chocolate coating), or if you can’t find the packaged bits, you can chop 4 Heath English Toffee Bars into bits to use.

TO KEEP THESE COOKIES SOFT: These cookies will stay soft and fresh in an air-tight container refrigerated for up to 7 days, and are best served chilled.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Baked and frosted cookies freeze well for up to 1 month, although the chocolate icing ma bloom if frozen. You can also bake the cookies and freeze UNFROSTED for up to 2 months – simply defrost and then add caramel filling and chocolate icing before you plan on serving.

BEFORE FREEZING: With frosted cookies, it’s important to freeze the cookie prior to placing them into a container so that the caramel filling and chocolate icing remains intact. Place all frosted cookies on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. Once the icing is set and hard (usually an hour) or the cookies are frozen solid, the cookies can be frozen in containers with parchment paper between layers.

FOR PARTIES: I package cookies individually in self-sealing clear cellophane cello bags (Pack It Chic are my favorite brand). Make sure cookies are completely dry after decorating before packaging. To make ahead, place individually wrapped and sealed cookies in a larger airtight container and refrigerate or freeze. Thaw frozen cookies in the refrigerator or on your countertop before serving - you are trying to minimize moisture during defrosting.

Original recipe created by Snowflakes & Coffeecakes; published June 2022.

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