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.
Julia S Morrell
I have made this several times and it is divine. I am visiting my young grandsons for the first time since the pandemic. I made a batch for my daughter & son-in-law and they loved it as did the kids. My son-in-law said to me that evening to save him a piece for the next day. I thought that sounded far fetched but when my 8 year old greeted me with “I had a millionaires bar for breakfast, I quickly put a piece aside for my son-in-law.
Sam
🤣 Sounds like a great breakfast to me! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much. 🙂
Candice
This recipe is a family favorite! It’s sooooo rich and delicious!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Candice! 🙂
Jen McDonough
These bars were AMAZING!!!! I made the shortbread with Bob’s Red Mill gf flour and it turned out so wonderfully buttery and chewy. Everyone who’s had one all said they are spectacular!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Jen! Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂
Sheila
Hi Sam, I tried making your recipe but I’m confused about the flour. I mostly weigh my ingredients when making recipes and 2 1/4 cups of flour weighs a lot more than 260 grams. The recipe is great and a big hit with my family. I’ll definitely be making it again and again 😊
Sam
Hi Sheila! I’m so sorry for the confusion. This is an older recipe. The 260g is accurate. I have since standardized my measurements to reduce confusion like this. I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them. 🙂
Jayme DeMers
Hi, do these freeze well? I made them over the weekend and they are soooo delicious!!
Sam
Hi Jayme! I think these should freeze without any issues. 🙂
Lauren
OMG! So good! Perfect directions
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lauren! 🙂
Jocelyn
Absolutely DELICIOUS!! I prefer the ratio with the middle caramel layer halved, but that is just personal preference. Each layer is so so good, and the combination is perfection.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Erin
This was exactly my experience. I never imagined that it would be too much caramel, but it is. Again, a personal preference. The recipe is terrific and well presented. Lining the pan with parchment and having a chocolate ganache layer, rather than just melted chocolate that would harden, made the whole dessert really easy to manage and cut.
Dhara
Tried this out today and although it tastes delicious, my shortbread was too crumbly. Why do you think that happens?
Sam
Hi Dhara! Usually this is a matter of accidentally over-measuring the flour. I am glad you enjoyed overall, though!
Elaina Grant
I have been wanting to make Millionaires Shortbread for a while and came across THIS recipe. I did NOT have all the ingredients so I made my own sweetened condensed milk for the second 14oz can and my own heavy cream for the ganache and everything turned out exceptional! I plan on making this recipe a hundred times more! 👍🏻👍🏻
Sam
That is so awesome, Elaina! I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Taylor
Just a suggestion/warning:
Do not, I repeat, do not try to make the caramel in an instant pot with sauté function! Even on the lowest heat while stirring constantly, it almost immediately started burning to the bottom, I assume the pot is too thin, and I’ve noticed previously a few hot spots in my pot that tend to stick/burn. But either way I had to transfer to a pot on the stove and still ended up with broken caramel. I’m still continuing to finish, because I’ve already invested an hour, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it’s still edible and hopefully a little tasty. I do however feel this recipe calls for quite a bit more sugar than others after doing a bit more research. I’m currently waiting for the caramel to set and hoping for the best.
Jane
Was I suppose to put parchment paper on the sides of the pan too? It looks like it turned out but I’m having a heck of a time getting it out of the pan. I lined the bottom with parchment but now I’m not sure how to get it out to cut it into visually appealing squares?
Sam
Hi Jane! You should line the entire pan with the parchment paper to avoid the sticking on the sides. You can then lift it right out. I would run a knife all the way around the edges to loosen it from the pan. It may be a little difficult to lift the whole thing out so you may want to cut the squares in the pan and lift them out one at a time. I’m sorry for any confusion. I hope they are still delicious. 🙂
Candy
Do these need to be refrigerated? Wanting to mail some…
Sam
Hi Candy! They don’t need to be refrigerated but if they are going to get really warm they may start to melt a little during shipment.
Candy
Thanks for your reply!!!
Can’t wait to bake & mail this Friday❣️
Denise Kehoe
These are SO delicious!!!
Lark
Ours turned out beautifully, but we felt that the shortbread layer was too thick. The chocolate layer tastes way better than chocolate chips! Next time we make it, we are thinking about using a larger pan OR maybe using mini muffin pans so that individual servings are made. Keeping it pretty while cutting is certainly a challenge. Thoughts on baking rime adjustments? Thanks!
Sam
Unfortunately I haven’t tried making it in a larger pan or in mini muffin tins so I’m not sure how to adjust the time. If you do try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Lark
We did a half recipe for the short bread. The baking time was 15-20 minutes before it turned golden.
Sam
Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Maddy
Sam, you’ve outdone yourself! I have had this recipe saved for a while and I am SO glad I finally got around to making it. The shortbread is very easy to cut and not too crumbly, the caramel is gooey and decadent and the ganache is rich and super easy to make. Was nervous about the caramel and ganache because I tend to burn things on the stove and saw some of the comments about the caramel but I found that by keeping the heat on the medium-low side and stirring constantly I was successful! Overall, a pretty simple recipe and I know it will be a crowd pleaser with family and neighbors! Thanks so much!
Sam
Thank you so much, Maddy! I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Baking Mama
If the butter separates during the caramel-making phase, what do I do? Do I have to restart?
Sam
Sometimes by reducing the heat and continuing to stir you can get it back to what it should be.
Cindy
What about adding pecans on top or in caramel? Thoughts?
Sam
Hi Cindy! You could sprinkle some pecans on top if you’d like. 🙂
Pam Owen
I made this and I’m so glad I saw this made online because if you don’t use a fork to prick the top of the shortbread prior to baking or it’s a mess, ask me how I know! 🤣 Just finished the chocolate layer and getting in the fridge as I write. Thank you for this recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Pam! 🙂
Pam Owen
Making this again! My neighbors are begging for another round😊
Sarah C.
Made it last night… Sooo good! Do you think I can half everything and cook it in an 8×8 at the same temperature and time?
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sarah! You could cut the recipe in half, but your cook time will be different. You will want to bake on the same temperature. 🙂