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.
Cindy
Millionnaires Shortbread was SO good! Recipe easy to follow, and the video looked just like my results. This is my new favorite dessert!
Scarlett
This recipe was really great! The only thing is that I think the shortbread was a little thick and took a bit too much space of the millionaires. Other than that the recipe was amazing.
Jennifer
Absolutely delicious! My grandmother used to make this and I have tried other recipes in the in the past without success. This recipe was perfect!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy ours was a hit for you, Jennifer! Thanks for the review ❤️
Stacy
Sadly, I will not be making these again, even though they turned out perfectly, and the instructional video was excellent. No one in my family liked them. The chocolate overpowered the other flavors. Using a thinner layer of chocolate will help, but only a little. I’m a lover of shortbread, so I really wanted to taste the shortbread along with the caramel and chocolate.
Jaye
How can I make this with out corn syrup? Use simple syrup?
Sam
Hi Jaye! Unfortunately, I do not have a good substitute for the corn syrup. I don’t think simple syrup will work well. 🙁
Anne
I used honey and the caramel turned out great, just a little thicker.
Donnley Tomkins
Can I use heavy cream and double the corn syrup instead of condensed milk?
Sam
Unfortunately I don’t think that would work well here.
James Dennis
I gotta say, you explain in detail of how to make this awesome recipe. ( Millionaires shortbread)
love the instructional video.
I rarely bake desserts 🍨
I am so glad I stopped with your recipe. Step by step . . . everything turned out perfecto!
My wife took most of it to work for her residents to judge. I will have to add to comments later, as for the outcome. 1st place to me !
I am getting ready to make another batch for myself (lol)
I meant to say, for all my family.
Thanks for letting everyone enjoy.
Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄
Anna
Best Christmas potluck recipe. will absolutely impress those annoying co workers
Simon
Annoying co workers shouldn’t get such a great treat. 🙂
Mariel
These were amazing! I brought them to church for a Christmas party and everyone loved them. I used gluten free flour for the base and they turned out perfectly. Thanks for another winner!
Philippa
I have just finished these and they are delicious! I am wanting to avoid chocolate bloom so I haven’t put them in the fridge or freezer yet. How long at room temp in a decent tuppaware will these last?
Sam
Hi Phillipa! They should be good for 5 days at room temperature in an air tight container. 🙂
Melissa
I made these & they turned out perfect. I made them to go on my Christmas cookie trays this year and I’m certain they’ll be a hit. Thank you for a great recipe and the good detailed instructions. I cooked the filling at a lower heat so they did take longer, about 25 minutes or so to reach 225 degrees but I didn’t want to risk burning it. I will make these again.
Patricia
The Carmel sauce didn’t work. The butter departed from the condensed milk. I’ve made dulce de leche before and this didn’t work
Sam
Hi Patricia! Unfortunately this happens if the caramel is heated too fast. The sauce does work, I have included a video in the recipe card if that is helpful for preparing it next time.
Mark Mark
I’ve had this problem too, even when I was careful with the heat. It happens later in the process. I was able to “rescue” it the last time by simply blotting the butter but I think the consistency was not as good. Could humidity be a factor? Butter quality (I hear that fat ratios have changed over time and from brand to brand and brand to brand)?
Esther
I didn’t expect to love these bars so much! I was expecting them to taste like twix candy bars but the millionaire’s shortbread is so much better. The combo of flavors and textures are phenomenol! I love that the caramel layer is soft. Thank you Sam for this amazing recipe!
Catherine L Baldinell
This is the first recipe that I have reviewed. Outstanding combo!!!!!!!!
Lynn
love the shortbread and caramel.
BUT my caramel was hard very hard. Did I over cook?
Sam
Hi Lynn! Unfortunately it sounds like it was slightly over-cooked. 🙁
Paula Vanderzyde
Hi there, in the video you don’t mention turning the heat down to simmer once you’ve reached a boil. Is this the correct flow?: Combine ingredients over medium-low, increase heat to juuuust medium once nicely combined (bring to boil), then reduce to simmer and stir additional 10-15 mins until reach temp/visually assess complete?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Paula! You will just want to combine the ingredients and bring to a boil over a medium heat and then reduce to a simmer once boiling. 🙂
Amanda
Incredible! So rich and delicious, lots of rave reviews from my friends. The only thing to note is that the caramel does take awhile to come together/thicken but have patience and switch stirring arms! Definitely worth it 🙂
Jody
I give this 5 stars, but I found the shortbread crust to be rather tasteless. It could be my butter wasn’t the best quality, I don’t know. Next time I would try a sour cream or cream cheese crust with vanilla extract for more flavour or even adding shredded coconut or finely chopped toasted pecans.