Millionaire’s Shortstuff: The real-food treat when you’re craving something sweet

I don’t know about you, but my Halloween nights as a kid always ended the same way 🎃:

Swapping candy with the neighbors.

And for me, it was alllll about the Twix.

I’d happily trade every Snickers, Milky Way, and most definitely those weird little Laffy Taffys for a mountain of Twix.

It’s that sweet-and-salty caramel combo, right?! You just can’t beat it.

My beloved Michael Pollan says we should strive to:

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

And that first part — eat FOOD — isn’t exactly satisfied by the super-processed Twix bar.

(And, hey. I'm all for indulging when the moment hits. So if you're seriously craving that Twix bar, close out of this blog post and sink your teeth into that crispety caramely crunch, bud. Enjoy it!)

But if you want something a little healthier, I've got you covered, too.

*And when I say “healthier,” I don’t mean fewer calories or lower fat, necessarily. It probably is but I'm not one to measure so I can’t say for sure.

What I mean is it’s a recipe for a delicious and satisfyingly Twix-like treat that just so happens to:

• Use 100% natural ingredients

• Be gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan

• NOT send you into a sugar coma afterwards

My friend, if you love a Twix bar, you’re going to LOVE this Millionaire’s Shortstuff.

A healthier twist on an indulgent favorite

This recipe started out as a homemade Twix bar…

But honestly, it took forever to shape and layer each individual cookie. So I made it sheet-pan style and cut it into square pieces more like Millionaire’s Shortbread.

And of course, it needed its own name to differentiate it from actual Millionaire’s Shortbread — the super treat-y stuff.

This Millionaire’s Shortstuff hits all the same flavor notes — goldeny sweetness, salty richness, chocolatey goodness — but it’s made from natural, good-for-you ingredients.

So when you’re craving a satisfying sweet treat, you can whip these up and feel really GOOD about what you’re putting in your body. 🤗

Healthy millionaire’s shortbread (aka “millionaire’s shortstuff” 😜)

This recipe is based on one from Eating Bird Food, though I make my own chocolate topping via this recipe from Bakerita.

Two things to note:

1. The recipe is easy to make but takes a bit of time. It’s about an hour from start to finish but don’t let that put you off — you’re only actively working for like 15 minutes of that time. The rest is baking and cooling.

2. When blending up the caramel filling, you may be tempted to taste some straight from the food processor…which is fine…but you MAY taste so much of it that you don’t have enough left for a hearty layer of caramel on your finished product.

I mean, I don’t know, that’s just what I’ve heard. 😏

INGREDIENTS

SHORTSTUFF BASE:

• 1 cup (96g) almond flour

• 2 Tablespoons (40g) maple syrup

• 1 ½ Tablespoons (20g) coconut oil, melted

• 1 ½ teaspoons (6g) vanilla extract

•  ⅛ teaspoon (1g) sea salt

•  ⅛ teaspoon (½g) baking soda
  

CARAMEL LAYER:

• 1 cup pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained

• 3 Tablespoons (48g) almond butter (peanut butter’s okay in a pinch but I way prefer the flavor with almond butter)

• 2 teaspoons (9g) coconut oil

•  ⅛ teaspoon (1g) salt

• 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
  

CHOCOLATE TOPPING):

• ¾ cup (108g) coconut oil

• ¾ cup (75g) cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

• ⅓ cup (115g) maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract

• Optional: Flaky sea salt to top

• (Alternatively, you can use 1 cup chocolate chips (dark or milk) + 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil if you don’t want to make your own.)
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. MAKE THE SHORTSTUFF BASE: In a bowl, mix all the shortstuff ingredients together, using your hands to form it if needed. Chill the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes. (Chilling firms up the dough so you can spread it in the next step. 👍)
   

2. Press the chilled dough into a parchment-lined baking sheet. The original recipe calls for an 8x8” pan but I honestly don’t have one of those. I just use a regular baking sheet and shape it out to something resembling an 8x8” square. Gently poke a few holes in the dough using a fork.
   

3. Bake at 160°C (325°F) for 15-20 minutes. (Longer will make for a crispier base.) Remove from the oven and let your base cool in the pan. While it’s cooling…
   

4. MAKE THE CARAMEL LAYER: Cover your dates in hot water for 20 minutes to soften them up. Drain and add to a food processor (or just use an immersion blender like I did) with the rest of the caramel ingredients. Blend until super smooth.
   

5. MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING: Melt coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. (Make sure to melt the oil on its own first! If you mix everything together then heat it all up, the chocolate will break — I speak from experience.) When coconut oil is melted, stir in the cacao (or cocoa) powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix until completely smooth.

   • If you don’t want to make your own chocolate, you can just mix 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil until melted.
     

6. When your shoftstuff base is cool, spread the caramel mixture over the top. Then pour on the melted chocolate, sprinkling with flaky sea salt if you so desire. (Highly recommended!)
   

7. Pop in the fridge to cool. When the chocolate is softly set on top (about an hour), cut into squares and enjoy! Store in the fridge or freezer.

And there you have it: a crazy delicious Halloween treat that satisfies Michael Pollan’s #1 requirement: you’ll be eating REAL FOOD instead of a highly processed sugar bomb.

I hope you love it as much as we do!

And if you do make the recipe, I’d be tickled if you tag it with #westwindjournal and @whitneyprend on Instagram so I can see your creation. 🤗

P.S. Pro tip: make a big batch and keep 'em in the freezer. They last for a while — at least in theory 😉 — and are so perfect when you want a lil' somethin-somethin sweet.