Millionaire’s Shortbread

Decadent, indulgent, and super RICH, millionaire’s shortbread sure does live up to its name! Crisp, simple shortbread beneath a pool of chewy homemade caramel and a blanket of thick ganache. Sprinkle everything with a bit of flaky sea salt and you have an irresistible dessert that lives up to every penny of its name!

Millionaire’s Shortbread: The Richest Dessert of Your LIFE

A personal favorite on my website for over 8 years now, I thought my millionaire’s shortbread deserved a photo refresh, though the recipe needed no alteration. It’s gourmet, irresistible, and, yes, super rich!

Why This Recipe Works:

• A shortbread that’s crisp, but not crumbly. The addition of an egg yolk, a blend of granulated and brown sugar, and a splash of vanilla keep the crust from being a true shortbread in the strictest sense, but makes the bars cut cleanly without crumbling and adds to the rich factor.
• Approachable caramel that doesn’t take all day. Unlike my homemade caramel that takes an hour on the stovetop, today’s version is much faster and less fussy.
• Salty-sweet balance. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt over the ganache keeps things from being too sweet, and makes them absolutely irresistible.
• Like a Twix candy bar, but better. Think MORE shortbread crust, MORE caramel, and MORE chocolate. It’s the adult, gourmet version of a Twix candy bar that you can make completely from scratch.

What You Need

Here’s everything you need to make the best millionaire’s shortbread:

• Condensed milk. This is a key ingredient for making the caramel and provides a bit of a shortcut from traditional caramel. This ingredient cannot be substituted (and please don’t mistakenly use evaporated milk — they look similar and are often sold side by side!).
• Light corn syrup. Light corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup, I think this is important to note (as I personally avoid high fructose corn syrup). Corn syrup is my recommendation, but I suspect glucose syrup could work otherwise.
• Butter. There’s a lot of butter up there, yes, but millionaire’s shortbread is rich and buttery, so it’s on par. Some of that goes into the shortbread crust, while the rest is used for the caramel layer. Important tips below on how to handle your butter properly to prevent a caramel that separates.
• Egg yolk. You’ll need just the yolk — save the white for candied pecans or put it toward a batch of French macarons. This helps keep the shortbread tender and sliceable, and keeps it from just crumbling into pieces when you take a bite.

How to Make Millionaire’s Shortbread

1. Step 1: Make the shortbread by beating the sugars and butter until they’re well creamed, then stir in the yolk and vanilla. Slowly add the flour, stirring until just combined. You want the mixture to be dry and crumbly (but all flour incorporated), this makes spreading it into the pan much easier!

2. Step 2: Press the shortbread into the pan. The easiest way to do this is to sprinkle your crumbly shortbread dough into the pan, cover it with a piece of wax paper, and then use the back of a spoon to smooth the dough into an even layer. If you accidentally went a bit further than recommended with your dough, this will be more difficult to do, but it’s still completely possible!

3. Step 3: Make the caramel. Combine all the caramel ingredients (make sure your butter is cut into pieces!) and stir gently but constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture bubbles and is thickened and golden in color (look for 225F on your thermometer). Once you hit this point, remove it from heat immediately, stir in your vanilla, and pour over your shortbread layer.

4. Step 4: Make the ganache/finish. Heat chocolate and cream until it’s silky smooth, then spread over the cooled caramel. It’ll be glossy, smooth, and beautiful! Once the ganache has firmed up, add a sprinkle of sea salt on top for good measure (non-negotiable!).

SAM’S TIP: I recommend using a metal pan for cooking your shortbread. A glass pan will take longer to bake and the shortbread may not be as crisp.

Caramel Troubleshooting Tips:

While this is a shortcut caramel that I definitely consider to be an easier version, it’s still possible for things to go wrong. The most common issue people run into is their butter separating while the caramel is cooking, or the caramel looking oily. Here’s how to prevent this:

• Watch the heat! Heating the ingredients too quickly is the quickest way to break your caramel, which is when you’ll notice a separation of the butter. Cutting your butter into pieces so it melts evenly can also help the ingredients heat evenly.
• Stir consistently, but gently. Not stirring enough can cause the caramel to scorch (burn) and can make the caramel lumpy or cause it to separate. Don’t whisk too vigorously or use an electric mixer, though, as you can also break the caramel that way!
• Choose a quality saucepan. Use a heavy-bottomed, quality pan (nothing thin/flimsy) to avoid hot spots that can cause the caramel to cook too fast (which causes the emulsion to break).

Can I save my caramel if it separates?

Sometimes you can still save your caramel. If it looks separated or broken, you can try to fix it. To do this, immediately remove from heat, then whisk in a splash (1-2 Tablespoons) of warm milk or warm water. Do this just a little at a time, whisking gently but quickly to try to bring things back together. If the caramel is scorched or has gone too far, you may not be able to salvage it and will just have to start over.

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