This Millionaire’s Shortbread is the perfect trifecta: Sweet simple, crisp shortbread, rich chewy, homemade caramel, and thick dark chocolate ganache. Sprinkle everything off with a scattering of sea salt and you have a decadently rich treat that lives up to every penny of its lucrative name.
I don’t think (and I’m sure they’ll correct me if I’m wrong) I’ve ever given my siblings anything really bad to eat.
Sometimes they eat my recipe fails, but only the most edible ones (cupcakes that are just slightly too dense, cookies that are a tad too crumbly), and I never did anything as treacherous as trying to pass off bean brownies for regular brownies, which one of my sisters actually did do to me one time (a deception I’ll never forgive).
So it’s slightly insulting to me that, when presented with any dessert that isn’t an obvious cake, cookie, or cupcake, they proceed with severe trepidation. Forks hovering nervously over their plates, eyes narrowed, skeptical, seeming to suggest — It could be an anthrax pie, how can we be sure it’s not? So much for gratitude.
But after explaining for the fourth time to my fourth sibling what Millionaire’s shortbread even is (“It’s like a fancy, homemade, gourmet twix bar”) not a single one seemed the least bit disappointed when they took their first bite.
There’s nothing to be disappointed about when it comes to Millionaire’s shortbread. This is a recipe I’ve been wanting to try my hand at for a while now and after a lot of running around in the kitchen I’m very happy to share it with you.
I don’t think I need to reiterate the fact that it’s a rich dessert — in fact I suggested to my sisters and brother that they cut each giant square into quarters, because while big squares look pretty in these pictures, they’re so rich that it’s a challenge to actually eat a whole one.
The shortbread (a faux shortbread, more on that below) is slightly sweetened but serves as the crispy vehicle to transport chewy caramel and a blanket of chocolate ganache. To make things even more decadent, it’s all topped off with a sprinkle of sea salt. It’s not called Millionaire’s shortbread for nothing!
As attaining millionaire status can change a person, so it has changed our “shortbread” cookie crust here. Surprise, it’s not a “true” shortbread. When I decided to give this classic recipe my own spin, this is one of the first changes I made.
Classic shortbread is made of only three ingredients — butter, flour, and sugar, but this is Millionaire’s shortbread so we’re making sure it lives up to its name.
An egg yolk, some brown sugar, and vanilla extract all make this cookie crust extra flavorful, and slightly softer than standard shortbread as well. Because of the added ingredients, your finished millionaire’s shortbread will cut more easily than standard shortbread (which usually breaks unevenly with jagged edges and scatters crumbs everywhere) but is still crisp and snappy beneath the soft chocolate and chewy caramel.
Andi liked the cookie layer so much she asked me to make her a pan of just that alone, nothing else.
I really wish that I could photograph the processes for these multi-step recipes — a picture of how the crumbled cookie dough should look, the caramel at its peak just before pouring it over the shortbread, the glossy chocolate ganache, etc… but since I only have two days of the week to shoot 3-4 recipes, I usually have to prepare the food Friday night, and there’s no light to take decent pictures then.
To make up for this, I try to include very detailed descriptions in the recipe, and you can always shoot me an e-mail, leave a comment, or drop by my Facebook page if you have any questions.
That being said, I don’t really think you’ll have any problem with this recipe, the trickiest part is the caramel and it doesn’t even require a candy thermometer!
I hope you enjoy this Millionaire’s shortbread as much as my siblings ultimately did!
Millionaire's Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups (260 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 salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- sea salt for sprinkling
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter until well creamed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.⅓ cup (70 g) sugar, ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.1 large egg yolk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, gradually (about ½ cup at a time), 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 salt, 2 ¼ cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- Drop dough over prepared pan and gently, firmly, evenly, press dough into the bottom of the pan. To make it easier, I usually lay a piece of wax paper over the dough and use the palm of my hand to smooth the surface (and then discard wax paper).
- Bake on 350F (177C) for 20-25 minutes -- edges should be lightly golden brown.
- Allow to cool while you prepare your caramel topping.
Caramel
- Combine condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan over medium 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 salt
- Stir frequently until butter is melted and ingredients are well-combined. Continue to stir constantly until mixture begins to boil (this could take several minutes, but you don't need to increase the heat).
- Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer (slowly bubbling), still stirring constantly. Continue to stir 10-15 minutes until mixture turns a rich caramel color and has thickened (should begin pulling away from the sides of the pot as you stir). If using a candy thermometer, the caramel should reach 225F (107C)
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla extract.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour evenly over prepared shortbread, use a knife to spread evenly if needed.
- 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.sea salt for sprinkling
- Allow chocolate to harden (I recommend placing in refrigerator for about 30 minutes -- my family prefers these treats refrigerated anyway) before cutting and serving.
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.
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Marsha
I’ve made this before for parties. They’re a big success and I’ve gotten several requests for an encore.
I have a question though: when I cut the bars, they don’t come out as cleanly as I’d like (and as straight as the picture – which I know is staged). What is the best way to cut them? A specific temperature? A certain knife? I put so much effort into it, I’d like them to look pretty. Thanks!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoy them so much, Marsha! To get that clean look I use a sharp knife and just press it down into the bars and then pull it all the way through for one cut. I then clean off the knife completely and start again with my next cut. I will try to avoid “sawing” with the knife. It takes a little practice, but I don’t alter my photos, sometimes just take some extra care in cutting. 🙂
Caroline
I love these! They are so decadent and rich and have a wonderful flavor!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So happy to hear this, Caroline! Thanks for trying our recipe ❤️
Mandee P
I love this recipe, but I’m not a big fan of shortbread. I think it’s just too brittle and crumbly. I just made these again but used my grandma’s sugar cookie recipe for the cookie base. I’m never going back to shortbread. They came out soooo yummy!
Jo
I have a quick question. I have a small family right now. Just hubby and me can I cut the recipe in half and use a 8 or 9 inch pan. They sound wonderful but everything just gets stale if it sets to long. Hubby will also eat more than he needs if he has a big pan to work with. By the way I love your site and we have enjoyed many of your recipes.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jo! That should work just fine 😊
Sandra Wright
This is the best recipe for these I have found. It is so good. Made it for a dessert table at a wedding and ir was gone in 15 minutes!!! You can not leave the sauce for a second. Burnt the life out of my first batch lol.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Sandra! Yes the sauce needs to be watched when it starts cooking. Whoops! I’ve definitely done that a time or two. 🙂
Lisa
I followed the recipe to a T and the caramel turned out with the texture of kinda cream of wheat. What could I of done wrong? Tastes great.
Sam
Hi Lisa! I’m wondering if the heat is a bit too high here causing you issues. I’m assuming it’s curdling and maybe the butter is separating on top, which are signs of too high of a heat. 🙁
Madeleine Cogbill
Could you add chopped almonds or hazelnuts to the crust?
Sam
Hi Madeleine! Chopped nuts should work out just fine in the crust here. 🙂
Brittany
So delish! I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out beautifully. Let them cool overnight and cut them in the morning – perfection, and everyone at work devoured them!
Carol
I just made and tasted this recipe. Wow! Fabulous! Followed the directions. No problems. Actually, quite easy as long as you understand that you need to allow time for cooling each of the layers. A winner!!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like your shortbread turned out beautifully, Carol! Thanks so much for your review–enjoy ❤
Kelly
Getting ready to make these for Easter. Could I use milk chocolate chips or should I get semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Sam
Hi Kelly! Milk chocolate will work, but the bars will be much sweeter. 🙂
Erin Tacheny
Hi, can these be made in advance and frozen?
Sam
Hi Erin! That will work just fine. 🙂
Jen
I love this recipe, family favorite! Question though…. storage. I always put it in Tupperware and store in the fridge. Is that right? Does it even need to be refrigerated at all? Thoughts?
Sam
Hi Jen! They don’t need to be refrigerated, but you can refrigerate them if you’d like. 🙂
Gigi
I made with gluten free flour, Bob’s 1 for 1. I’ll report back after eating! They seem very rich, I think milk is a must drink served along with!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope they turn out great! And you’re right about that–that’s where they get their name 😉 Enjoy!!
Wendy
I just made these….they came out perfectly by following the directions as is. I did use a thermometer but never went above 210 degrees. The caramel is set with a perfect chew.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know how they turned out for you, Wendy! Enjoy ❤
Niki
Hi – do these have to be refrigerated? Or can they stay out for a few days? Can I also make them in advance?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Niki! Yes, you can make them in advance. They are typically good for about a week at room temperature or 10 days in refrigeration 😊
Laura
These are awesome. I took another commenter’s advice and used a candy thermometer for the caramel and aimed for 236-240.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad it turned out for you, Laura! Enjoy 😊
Connie S Myrick
thank you for the caramel temperature. I was just going to ask that. so, no hotter than 240. was it solid enough when on the cookie? what is the consistency of the caramel? fluid when cooled? thank you so much.
Karen
Hi,
Looking forward to trying this recipe 🙂 can I substitute the corn syrup with golden syrup?? Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Karen! We think that should work fine here. Let us know how it turns out for you 🙂