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.
Sara
I’m not sure about the proportions of condensed milk to butter and sugar for the caramel. Mine turned out way too liquid like. It didn’t set at all and just stayed liquid. Otherwise, the shortbread turned out pretty nicely, buttery texture.
Sam
It sounds like the caramel may have just needed to cook longer if it was still liquidy. Glad you liked the shortbread though!
Maria
I found this recipe to be way too sweet (I don’t know what I was expecting lol, so that’s my fault) but I think it would be improved with a thinner layer of caramel. It kind of overpowers the delicious shortbread underneath. So unless you’re a huge caramel fan/like your dessert to be super sweet, id recommend cutting the caramel recipe in half. Otherwise delicious and best served chilled!
Jennifer
I made these for Memorial Day weekend. My roommate had been pestering for months to make him shortbread cookies but I wanted something more. I came across this recipe and that was it for me! We absolutely love these. It’s like a twix bar but better! 20 minutes bake time was spot on for the shortbread.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, Jennifer! These are definitely a step above regular shortbread cookies!
Thank you for commenting to let me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Laurey
Mine fell apart and there was too much of the middle section, it was oozing out and I only used one can of condensed milk. Also hard to cut as chocolate cracked.
Sam
If you only used one can of condensed milk did you halve the rest of the filling ingredients? because if not, that’s why it was oozing, you need to keep the ratios, meaning use 2 cans of condensed milk, or it will be too runny. This in turn could have impacted the structure of the shortbread crust (too much moisture on the crust) and could be why yours fell apart.
The chocolate is also like a ganache so it’s quite soft and not prone to cracking when cut, did you alter any of the ingredients for that?
Karen
Hi Sam, thanks so much for the lovely recipe!
After I made this, I realized that I actually wanted to have a thicker layer of chocolate on top (I’m a huge chocolate fan…), but it was too late for me to run to the store to get it 🙁
So my question is: do you think it would be okay if I let this cool overnight, and then I add another layer of melted chocolate on top the next day? Would it ruin the whole thing? Or should I better just leave it as is, and then double up on my chocolate in my next batch? (I’m a new-ish baker, and am still trying to figure all this out haha excuse me if the answer might be too glaringly obvious!!)
Thanks so much!!!
Sam
while I haven’t tried it before, I don’t *think* it would be a problem. The heat of the second layer should melt the first layer just enough for the two layers of chocolate to meld together, just let it cool after you pour, as you did with the first layer 🙂
I hope that helps!!
Maria
This was simple & awesome. Would you recommend your favorite brands for the ingredients (I.e. nestle condensed milk)?
rebecca
i did a twist to mine i put a layer of milk chocolet and ad purple and blue chocolet and swerlled is thru the top looks great gives it colors
Sam
That sounds beautiful! If you’re on Facebook you should share a picture in my Baker’s Club!!
Liz Covington
I made these for Christmas treats and they are awesome!!! I even burned the caramel… and they still tasted awesome!
Cat McInroy
Thank you for sharing this very tasty recipe! I made it this evening. Can I make a suggestion for the caramel instruction? Most people under cook caramel for fear of burning it. However, if you tell your readers to cook their caramel to the firm ball stage (245-250F/116-120C) the bars will hold their shape nicely when cut and left at room temperature but have the correct softness in the caramel. Properly cooked caramel has a rich deep caramel colour and the taste is so much more complex, but for an inexperienced baker my idea of dark and their idea of dark are completely different. I’m a Pastry Chef and find when I arm my students with a candy thermometer, their confidence soars! Merry Christmas from The Great White North of Canada!
Sam
Thank you for the tip, Cat! You are right, that will be helpful and I will add it to the recipe, thank you for the suggestion! 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Ariya Stegall
I’m making a test batch of these tonight before my office cookie exchange next week and I’m so excited to see how they come out, but I was curious how you got the weight measurements for the ingredients. I usually go by weight because I find it more accurate, but all of my weight measurements seem to be way different than the volume, e.g. 260g of flour measured out on my digital scale is less than 2 cups. Would you recommend going by weight or volume with this recipe?
Sam
Hi Ariya! I would go by weight. Flour can vary big time depending on how it’s measured (scooped, spooned and leveled, etc… I always recommend spooning then leveling it) so your best bet is always to use grams if you have the option, so I recommend using the weight measurements. I know that some people use conversion calculators to translate their cups to grams, but I always actually weigh my ingredients so 260 grams is exactly what my flour measured out to, so you won’t go wrong using that weight. I hope that helps and I hope these turned out great for you!!
Kash
I’ve just spent the last twenty minutes trawling the interwebs for this recipe! I used this as the basis for my own recipe a few months ago (I added pecans to the shortbread and maple syrup to the caramel – yum!) and they were so amazing that I vowed I would make these for christmas presents this year. I’m so happy to find the recipe again – to the kitchen!!
Sam
I hope you LOVE it!!! 🙂
Cheryl
My Carmel is separating from the shortbread how can I prevent this from happening
Sam
Hmm, I haven’t had this happen before, is this after you’ve added it and allowed it to set that it’s not sticking together? The shortbread wasn’t cold when you added the caramel to it, was it?
Hayder
Poke holes with a fork so it has something to grab
Sue
Would whole milk instead of Heavy cream work with the chocolate?
Sam
Hi Sue, I think it could work if you added butter as well, I haven’t tried this substitution before but here is a recipe that I found that might be helpful: https://www.itsyummi.com/making-chocolate-ganache-without-heavy-cream/
Joan mosling
I just had them for first time at London’s V&A museum cafe.
They were exquisite & by far best dessert I’ve had in a long time!
Anxious to make them.
Sam
I hope you love them!! 🙂
Jenner
Hi there! I am also curious to know if these can be frozen. What size pan for these, 9×11?
Looking forward to making these 🙂
Sam
Hi! It’s a 13×9 pan, and I haven’t tried freezing them before but I don’t think that it would be a problem, just let the bars cool completely to room temperature before freezing in an airtight container.