Twix Thumbprint Cookies start with a simple, rich cookie dough made from butter, sugar, egg or egg yolks, flour, and vanilla—no leavening beyond a small amount of baking powder or none at all in some shortbread‑leaning recipes. The dough is rolled into balls, baked, and then indented in the center either before baking or immediately after, leaving a well that gets filled with melted, softened caramel candies mixed with cream.
Once the caramel sets slightly, melted milk chocolate is drizzled over the cookies, sometimes finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, creating a layered cookie that looks and tastes like a homemade Twix in thumbprint form.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl and hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment for creaming the dough.
- Medium bowl or small saucepan for melting caramels with cream.
- Small microwave‑safe bowl for melting chocolate (or another small saucepan).
- Baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Measuring spoon or the back of a wooden spoon to make the thumbprint/well in the cookies.
Ingredients
Cookie base
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 225 g) unsalted or lightly salted butter, softened to room temperature.
- ¾–1¼ cups sugar (some use powdered sugar, others granulated; powdered sugar yields a more shortbread‑like texture).
- 1 whole egg OR 1 egg plus 1–2 egg yolks, depending on the recipe (whole egg and yolk combinations give richer, more tender cookies).
- 1–3 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- 2–2½ cups flour (all‑purpose flour in most recipes; one uses cake flour for extra tenderness).
- ½–1 teaspoon baking powder (optional; some shortbread‑style doughs omit it).
- ½ teaspoon salt (if using salted butter, some recipes reduce or omit added salt).
Caramel layer
- About 24–35 soft caramel candies (Werther’s or Kraft style), unwrapped.
- 1–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, to soften and smooth the melted caramels.
Chocolate drizzle
- ½–1 cup milk chocolate melting wafers, chopped baking chocolate, or chocolate chips.
- 1–2 teaspoons oil (optional, for smoother drizzle if using regular chocolate chips).
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional but popular).
Instructions And Steps
Start by making the cookie dough. Place the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. If using powdered sugar, you’ll get a more tender, shortbread‑like cookie; granulated sugar yields a slightly crisper edge.
Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light, creamy, and slightly fluffy, usually 1–3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the egg or eggs (and yolks if using) and vanilla extract, then beat again just until everything is smoothly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder (if your recipe includes it), and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms; it should be smooth and thick, not sticky or crumbly.
Some recipes recommend letting the dough sit for a few minutes or chilling it briefly to make it easier to handle and help the cookies hold their shape during baking.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1–1½ inches in diameter (typically 1–1½ tablespoons of dough each).
Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them a couple of inches apart to allow for spreading. Using your thumb, the back of a measuring spoon, or the end of a wooden spoon, press a deep indentation in the center of each ball to create the “thumbprint.” Some bakers wait to deepen the indentation until immediately after baking; if you prefer that method, you can press only lightly before baking and then reinforce the well when the cookies are hot from the oven.
Bake the thumbprint cookies for about 8–12 minutes, depending on size and your oven, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set but still pale. These cookies shouldn’t brown heavily on top; you want them just baked through for a tender bite.
If the centers puff up during baking, gently press them back down with your spoon or measuring spoon as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before adding caramel and chocolate.
While the cookies cool, prepare the caramel layer. Place the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream (or milk) in a small microwave‑safe bowl or saucepan. Heat in the microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between each, or melt over low heat on the stove, stirring constantly, until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth and pourable but not too thin.
If it seems too thick, add a bit more cream; if it’s too thin, let it cool for a minute or two to thicken slightly. Spoon about ½–1 teaspoon of warm caramel into the center of each cooled cookie, filling the indentation but not overflowing. If the caramel starts to firm up in the bowl, warm it briefly again to loosen it. Let the caramel‑filled cookies sit until the caramel sets, which can be helped along by placing the cookies in the fridge for a few minutes.
Finally, make the chocolate drizzle. Add the chocolate melting wafers, chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips to a small microwave‑safe bowl. Heat in 20–30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth; if using regular chocolate chips, you can add a teaspoon or two of oil to help create a smoother, shinier drizzle.
Transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag or a small zip‑top bag with a tiny corner snipped off, or use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the tops of the caramel centers in a zigzag or random pattern.
If you’re using flaky sea salt, sprinkle a few flakes over each cookie while the chocolate and caramel are still soft so the salt adheres. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature or in the fridge before stacking or storing the cookies.
Tips And Tricks
Use softened butter—not melted—to get the proper shortbread or butter cookie structure; melted butter can lead to cookies spreading too much and losing their shape.
Cream the butter and sugar just until light and smooth; over‑creaming can incorporate too much air and cause the cookies to puff and then collapse. If your dough feels too soft or sticky to roll, chilling it for about 30 minutes will make it easier to handle and help maintain a defined thumbprint.
Make the wells deep enough. Several recipes emphasize pressing a fairly deep, narrow indentation so the cookies can hold a good amount of caramel without cracking or overflowing. If the centers puff up during baking, press them back down while the cookies are still warm so the caramel has somewhere to sit.
Let the cookies cool completely before adding caramel; adding caramel to very warm cookies can cause it to run and not set properly.
When melting caramel, low and slow is best. Overheating can scorch the caramel or make it too thick and grainy; stirring frequently and adding enough cream helps keep it smooth and spoonable.
For the chocolate, using melting wafers or chopped baking chocolate tends to give the smoothest, shiniest drizzle, whereas regular chocolate chips sometimes need a bit of oil to achieve the same consistency.
Variations
While classic Twix Thumbprint Cookies are made with plain buttery dough, soft caramel, and milk chocolate, there’s lots of room to play. You can switch the chocolate to dark or semi‑sweet for a more intense chocolate hit or to balance the sweetness of the caramel.
Adding a pinch of espresso powder to the cookie dough or chocolate drizzle subtly amplifies the chocolate flavor. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top gives them a salted‑caramel‑Twix vibe that many recipes recommend.
Some bakers flavor the base dough lightly with almond extract in addition to vanilla for a slightly different twist, or mix in a bit of brown sugar for a deeper, caramelized flavor like in some butter cookie recipes. You can also play with the cookie size: smaller, 1‑inch cookies make great bite‑sized treats for holiday platters, while slightly larger thumbprints give you more space for oozy caramel.
However you size or tweak them, Twix Thumbprint Cookies combine buttery cookie, gooey caramel, and chocolate into an irresistible, candy‑bar‑meets‑cookie treat that’s perfect for parties, holidays, or anytime you want something a little extra.
