KitKat and Twix are the UK's two biggest bar-format chocolates, and while both give you a satisfying snap before you bite, the structure underneath that snap is built completely differently.
Nestle vs Mars: the UK's biggest bar rivalry
KitKat is made by Nestle, having started out as a Rowntree's product called Chocolate Crisp in 1935 before being renamed KitKat in 1937. Twix is a Mars product that reached the UK in 1967, more than three decades later. The two bars have effectively been competing for the same snap-and-share moment ever since, and they remain two of the best-selling bars in the country.
Layered wafer vs biscuit and caramel
- KitKat — several thin wafer layers separated by a light chocolate cream filling, the whole finger coated in milk chocolate. The crunch is airy and comes from breaking through multiple thin wafer layers.
- Twix — a single, denser biscuit finger topped with a layer of smooth caramel, coated in milk chocolate. The crunch is heavier and more concentrated, and the caramel adds a chew that KitKat does not have at all.
That structural gap explains why the two bars snap so differently, KitKat's wafer layers give a lighter, more brittle break, while Twix's solid biscuit needs more force and gives way to a chewier finish.
More than three decades apart
KitKat had already been on UK shelves for over 30 years, and through a full name change, by the time Twix arrived in 1967. That head start helped cement the wafer-finger format as a category of its own before Mars introduced the biscuit-and-caramel alternative that Twix still uses today.
Which one to pick
If you want a lighter, layered crunch you can snap into pieces, KitKat is the classic choice. If you want something denser with caramel chew built in, Twix is the better pick. Both work well stocked in a multipack or a sweet tub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the structural difference between KitKat and Twix?
KitKat is built from layered wafer fingers with thin chocolate cream between each layer, coated in chocolate, the crunch comes from the wafer. Twix is a single dense biscuit finger topped with a caramel layer, coated in chocolate, the crunch comes from the biscuit, and caramel adds the chew.
Are KitKat and Twix made by rival companies?
Yes. KitKat is made by Nestle, originally developed by Rowntree's, while Twix is made by Mars, two of the biggest confectionery rivals going head to head in the same wafer or biscuit bar category.
Which is older, KitKat or Twix?
KitKat by over 30 years. It launched in 1935 as Chocolate Crisp and was renamed KitKat in 1937. Twix did not reach the UK until 1967.