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.
Jump to:
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.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: Butter that’s just slightly cool still works best for making a shortbread crust that stays crumbly and easy to spread into the pan!
How to Make Millionaire’s Shortbread
- 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!
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s called millionaire’s shortbread because it’s shortbread… only rich! The name is just a fun nod to the super indulgent layers: a buttery crust, a chewy, soft caramel, and that glossy luxe chocolate ganache. Classic shortbread is simple and humble, but this version is upgraded to millionaire status.
Not exactly, but they’re definitely related. Think of my millionaire’s shortbread recipe as a homemade, grown up version of a Twix bar. Both have crisp shortbread bases, a layer of caramel, and a chocolate coating, but millionaire’s shortbread is far more indulgent and more satisfying.
Related Recipes
I’d love to know what you think if you try this recipe! It’s a personal favorite of mine and if you have a sweet tooth like I do, I’m sure you’ll love it too!
Enjoy!
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Millionaire’s Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened (but not melty, a little cool still is good)
- ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
Caramel
- 2 14-oz cans (792 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 14 Tablespoons (198 g) unsalted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar packed
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line a 13×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light, fluffy, and well-creamed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, ⅓ cup (70 g) granulated sugar, ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.1 large egg yolk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gradually, with mixer on low-speed, add flour, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Halfway through the addition of the flour, sprinkle in the salt with the beater still running. Don't over-beat the dough, you want it to be slightly crumbly to make it easier to press into the pan.½ teaspoon table salt, 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- Distribute dough evenly into prepared pan and gently, firmly, evenly, press dough into the bottom of the pan. To make this easier, I usually lay a piece of wax paper over the dough and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface (and then remove/discard wax paper).
- Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, until edges are light golden brown. Allow to cool while you prepare your caramel topping.
For the Caramel Layer
- Combine condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat.2 14-oz cans (792 g) sweetened condensed milk, 14 Tablespoons (198 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, ⅓ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Stir frequently until butter is melted and ingredients are well-combined. Continue to stir constantly until mixture has thickened, turned caramel in color, and begins to bubble (do not turn up the heat too high or the mixture could separate). Temperature on an instant-read thermometer should reach 225F (107C). Note this could take 15 minutes or even longer — depends on the specific heat of your stove!
- Remove caramel from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour evenly over prepared shortbread.
- Allow to cool at room temperature for several hours or in the refrigerator for 1 hour before topping with chocolate.
Chocolate Topping
- Combine chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat.½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Stir frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Remove from heat and allow chocolate to cool just slightly for about 5 minutes, and then evenly spread over prepared caramel layer. Wait several minutes/until chocolate begins to set and then sprinkle with sea salt.flaky sea salt
- Allow chocolate to firm up (I recommend placing in refrigerator for about 30 minutes — my family prefers these treats refrigerated anyway) before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Marie
Hello. This seems like an amazing recipe. I was just wondering what I could replace the corn syrup with as I can’t find any where I live. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Marie! I believe golden syrup or glucose syrup will work here, but I haven’t tried these other methods. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂
Magali
I have used maple syrup and it was fantastic!
Jen
You can also use honey, maple syrup or agave syrup. I used honey as a substitution in this recipe!
Henry O Ault
I have made this recipe multiple times, and each time the butter separated from the caramel and I did exactly what the recipe asked and uses the proper amount of ingredients, (Nonetheless the shortbreads were heavenly), so how does one prevent butter separation from happening?
Sam
Hi Henry! There’s a few things that can cause this. The most likely culprit is cooking it too quickly. I know it can be a pain, but patience is key here. Secondly, if you aren’t using a great quality pot it could also cause issues here. I hope this helps. 🙂
Synthia
Halved the recipe made in 8×8 square pan, used gram measurements. Amazing. Appropriate temp for chewy caramel is 234-240. Cooked to 234 and perfection. Used milk chocolate for the ganache. Caramel is tricky in general but I had no issues with this recipe.
Pam Owen
Thank you for this tip, will try this next time.
Teresa
The metric conversion for sweetened condensed milk is incorrect. The US uses weight not fluid ounces for condensed milk while Canada and possibly elsewhere use ml so the correct volume would be 600ml
Sam
Thank you for clarifying!
Pam Owen
That’s a huge difference! 14 ounces per can x 2=840?
Susan
Thanks so much! This recipe is great – I used honey instead of corn syrup & carnation milk instead of condensed milk…and it still is super yummy!
Magali
I have been making millionaire bars for a few years and they are always special for Christmas. They make great gifts in cute little paper cups. I must say your recipe is better than other ones I have used and my own little touch is twice the amount of chocolate and I used creme fraîche instead of the canned stuff. Thank you for posting this recipe it turned out amazing for me! The salt sprinkle on top was new to me and I think it makes it even better! Merry Christmas! Magali
Plasko
It amuses me that you use unsalted butter….then dump salt into it for the shortbread part!
I am amused because North American recipes always have way way too much salt (by at least 10-fold, from my estimation). It seems every layer of your shortbread has salt either dumped into it, or onto it. I almost choked on my coffee laughing. It is not you, it is just culture (I cannot bite an Oreo as they taste like licking a pile of salt to me). Forgive my humor. But you are not helping the blood-pressure of your patrons, using this recipe. I will definitely try this recipe (with 90% less salt), as it does look tasty.
Sam
Hi! Please see see my post on why I use unsalted butter and I think things will make more sense to you 🙂
KB
I never comment on recipes but OMG these are incredible!!!!!!! The caramel step took a while for me but I was so glad you said to be patient, it turned out perfectly. Thank you!!
Sam
You’re very welcome, I’m so happy to hear it was such a success for you! Thank you for commenting!
Serena
Hey Sam,
Do you think this is something you can freeze? I think it’ll be too much to have around the house at once.
Sam
Hi Serena! Yes this freezes very well. Enjoy! 🙂
Steph
My Carmel and chocolate layer fell off and wont stick to the cookie or each other. Help?
Sam
Hmmm that’s really strange. Were any of the layers cold before you added the caramel? This could cause it.
Erica
The taste of these bars is excellent. I’ve been meaning to make millionaire’s shortbread for years. In the future, I would cut the amount of caramel in half for this size of pan. It was a bit much for me, but still tasty. I’d go for equal ratios of the 3 parts, so halving the caramel would get you there. Or doubling the other ingredients for a larger pan and keeping the caramel the same.
Vicky
Just made this and it turned out great! My husband said he’d prefer a thicker shortbread in the ratio but my kids loved it. In answer to the questions about subbing the corn syrup for honey, I did that and it set just perfectly. I stirred on low simmer for about 15 mins until the color look rich and brown and had a thick consistency, then poured onto the shortbread and cooled in the fridge for an hour. Thanks for this yummy decadent recipe!
Charlie Lei-Sha
Could I use milk chocolate chips for the ganache? That’s all I have left and I am too lazy to go to the store :p
Sam
You can use the milk chocolate chips. They are a little bit sweeter but it will still be delicious. 🙂
Joe
I just tried the caramel sauce! After the boil I reduced heat and continued to stir, then after 5 mins the butter started separating and coming to the top? What happened? I followed the recipe exactly? 14 tablespoons butter?
Sam
O no! Typically the butter will separate when the caramel is heated too quickly. 🙁
Ella Sultana
Hi, I’m going to make these today and saw the comment about the amount to use for condensed milk
When I put 2.14oz to ml on google it says 67ml and the comment said 600ml instead of the 792ml .. I’m just not sure how much condensed milk to use!
Thanks
Ella 😊
Sam
Hi Ella! The condensed milk is listed by weight in keeping with the way it is listed on the can and to avoid any confusion in terms of fluid oz etc. So you will either need two 14oz cans (28oz total) or 792grams. I hope that helps!
Rose
When you say stir until caramel pulls away from sides of pot, does that mean thickened gravy pulled away or more like peanut butter pulled away? I’ve been stirring for over an hour and I’m tired haha
Sam
Hi Rose! It’s more like gravy. I’m working on getting a video done for it. 🙂
Ashley Smillie
Is there a temperature the caramel should be at when it’s done?
Sam
Hi Ashley! I don’t have a temperature for you because it should be a little more forgiving than a traditional caramel.
Caroline
That’s so funny, I was doing the same thing…..I just gave up and poured it over….fingers crossed it sets up