You’ll strike it rich with this Millionaire Shortbread recipe with a buttery shortbread base, chewy caramel center, and a layer of chocolate on top.
Caramel Shortbread
Our Millionaire Shortbread bars are the best triple-layered treat, with a crisp shortbread crust that sits below thick homemade caramel and a chocolate ganache topping. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, creating a billionaire shortbread that won’t break the bank!
Millionaire Bars takes the classic 3-ingredient shortbread cookie from dull to decadent by adding an egg yolk, some brown sugar, and vanilla to the crust to make it more flavorful and slightly softer than the standard.
Biting into these caramel shortbread bars tastes like a cross between my homemade Twix bars and Twix cookies, but because this recipe makes its rich, sticky, creamy caramel from scratch, it’s prepared without any added thickeners, food coloring, or preservatives.
Why We Love Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Recipes
- Easy to make with simple steps.
- Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
- Smooth, thick, and creamy caramel topping tastes delicious with anything it touches.
- Thick, chewy, chocolatey sweet treat that’s better than your favorite Twix candy bar.
- Perfect for potlucks, parties, and dessert platters.
Millionaire Shortbread Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: You can use a gluten-free flour blend to make this a GF recipe.
- Salted butter – I like to have my butter warmed to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar & Light brown sugar – Combining granulated white sugar and brown sugar creates a rich caramel and molasses flavor in the dish.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Sweetened condensed milk, made by reducing fresh milk and adding sugar, is essential for creating rich, creamy, and delicious caramel. Be sure not to use evaporated milk.
- Light corn syrup: You can also use golden syrup.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I used Toll House brand, but feel free to use your favorite.
- Coarse sea salt (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can substitute dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet chips.
- Create Your Caramel: If pressed for time, you can make a caramel mixture by melting together individually wrapped caramels and heavy cream instead of making homemade caramel.
How to Make Millionaire Shortbread
- Make The Flour Mixture: Whisk together the flour and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Create The Crust: Beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars, lower the mixer speed, and add the egg yolk. Mix in the vanilla followed by the flour mixture.
- Bake The Base: Press the crust into the baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. (Image 1)
- Cook The Caramel: Stir together the butter pats, sweetened condensed milk, light brown sugar, corn syrup, and kosher salt on the stovetop until the butter and sugar melt and the caramel reaches 235°F. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Cover The Crust: Spread the caramel over the shortbread crust. Allow the caramel-covered shortbread to rest for 30-35 minutes. (Image 2)
- Make The Chocolate Mixture: Microwave the heavy cream for 40-45 seconds on high. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Allow the milk and chocolate chips to sit to let the cream melt the chocolate. Stir until completely melted and has a shiny appearance.
Pro Tip: Keep a close eye on the heavy cream when microwaving. You want the cream to bubble but not bubble over. - Cover The Caramel: Top the caramel layer with chocolate ganache. Garnish with sea salt, if desired, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (Image 3)
- Slice And Serve: Slice and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy! (Image 4)
Tips For Making The Best Millionaire Shortbread
- It is very important to use a candy thermometer when making the caramel layer. Caramel can be tricky due to how quickly it can go from light caramel color to almost burnt amber in color.
- I highly recommend that you line your baking dish with parchment and leave an overhang so it’s easy to remove.
- Make sure your butter has softened to room temperature when preparing the shortbread base.
How to Store Millionaire Shortbread
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the millionaire shortbread for up to 3 months. Allow the millionaire shortbread to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Other Easy Dessert Recipes
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
- Cinnamon Roll Blondies
- Birthday Pie
- Fireball Cookies
Millionaire Shortbread
Serves — 24
Millionaire Shortbread is a multi-layered treat made with a crisp shortbread crust, chewy caramel middle, and creamy chocolate ganache on top.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Rest and Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (16 tablespoons) salted butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 extra large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Layer
- 1 cup (16 tablespoons) salted butter sliced into pats
- 14 ounces (or 396-gram) can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips I used Toll House Brand
- Coarse Sea Salt optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 (or 13×9) baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the flour and kosher salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl (2-3 quarts). Whisk to combine. Set aside.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Using a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl (2-3 quarts) and a handheld mixer on high speed, beat the softened butter for 1-1½ minutes until smooth.1 cup (16 tablespoons) salted butter
- Add the sugars and continue beating for another 1-1½ minutes or until well combined.⅓ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar
- Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the egg yolk. Continue mixing just until no yellow streaks are visible. Add the vanilla and mix until no brown streaks remain.1 extra large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Add ½ of the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix just until incorporated, do not overmix.
- Press the shortbread crust into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Be sure that the crust is evenly spread, or you will have a very lumpy base. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Allow the crust to rest while you prepare the caramel layer.
- Add the sliced butter pats, sweetened condensed milk, light brown sugar, corn syrup, and kosher salt to a 2 to 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously while the butter and sugar melt. (The color will be a very light caramel color)1 cup (16 tablespoons) salted butter, 14 ounces (or 396-gram) can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup light corn syrup, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Continue stirring over medium heat until the caramel reaches 235°F (On a candy thermometer) and the caramel turns a golden color. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Continue stirring until a uniform color is reached. Evenly spread the caramel over the shortbread crust. Use a silicone spatula or an offset spatula to evenly spread the caramel over the shortbread. Allow the caramel-covered shortbread to rest for 30-35 minutes before making the chocolate topping.1¼ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the heavy cream to a small microwave-safe bowl or a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave for 40-45 seconds on high. (Depending on your microwave, keep a close eye on the heavy cream. You want the cream to bubble but not bubble over) You can also use a small saucepan to heat the heavy cream until small bubbles appear and the cream is steaming. (The microwave is just much quicker)½ cup heavy cream
- Add the chocolate chips to a medium-sized heat-safe bowl (2-3 quarts). Pour the hot heavy cream over the chips. Allow the milk and chocolate chips to sit for 1-2 minutes to let the cream melt the chocolate. (Allow the hot cream to do most of the heavy lifting for you) Stir the cream and chocolate mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and has a shiny appearance.1¾ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Top the caramel layer with chocolate ganache. Use a silicone spatula, or an offset spatula, to smooth the ganache. Garnish with sea salt, if desired. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Use a large sharp knife to slice 4 slices x 6 slices. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.Coarse Sea Salt
Jenn’s Notes
Servings: 24 – 4 x 6 slices
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the millionaire shortbread for up to 3 months. Allow the millionaire shortbread to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- It is very important to use a candy thermometer when making the caramel layer. Caramel can be tricky due to how quickly it can go from light caramel color to almost burnt amber in color.
- I highly recommend that you line your baking dish with parchment and leave an overhang so it’s easy to remove.
- Make sure your butter has softened to room temperature when preparing the shortbread base.
- The ganache will turn out grainy when put directly in the refrigerator. To avoid grainy ganache, leave the millionaire shortbread on the counter for about 2 ½ hours before putting in the fridge and then refrigerate it for another 2 ½ hours. It takes about 5 hours total for the ganache to get firm enough so that it won’t leave a fingerprint when lightly touched. Leave the shortbread on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften before serving.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 174mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 607IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 2mg
