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.
Katie
Just made it and loved it! Great recipe. Caramel is soft, the semi sweet chips really balance the sweet caramel. and the base is nice and crumbly. Well done! Thanks for a great recipe.
Sam
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting, Katie!
Molly
The shortbread base is delicious, but the caramel didn’t work for me AT ALL. It was oily and stringy (how that is possible I don’t know). Such a bummer.
Sam
Caramel can be finicky. If it separated like this it is most likely either the mixture wasn’t stirred enough while cooking or if the pan you used was pretty cheap/low quality that can also affect the outcome of your caramel.
Molly
The stirring was constant and the pot I used was Le Creuset.
Sam
Could the heat have been too high? That would be my next best guess. Sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you, Molly!
William
The Carmel was a disaster, the butter separated from the solids to make a oil that floated on top. It never pulled away from the sides , even after stirring constantly for 40 minutes. I ended up throwing it away. I don’t know why it didn’t work
Sam
Hi William! Caramel can be tricky sometimes. If it separated like this it is most likely either the mixture wasn’t stirred enough while cooking or if the pan you used was pretty cheap/low quality that can also affect the outcome of your caramel.
Kelly
Do these freeze well for use later?
Sam
Hi, Kelly. I have not frozen them before but you should be able to freeze them without an issue. 🙂
Bonita MacDonald
I have a question about this recipe, what size baking pan do I use? I cannot seem to see one in the recipe!
Sam
13 x 9 🙂
eddie
GREAT RECIPE! How long will extra caramel keep?e
Sam
Hi, Eddie! It should last about a week and a half. 🙂
Bonnie
I made these and they were delicious! The caramel layer became really runny and oozed out when they were left at room temperature though…. I had to keep them in the freezer to get them to hold their shape. Do you think this is because I didn’t cook the caramel long enough, or because I didn’t get it up to a high enough temp? How do you get the caramel layer to set and stay thick at room temp?
Sam
Hi, Bonnie! I’m sorry the caramel was runny, but I am happy you were still able to enjoy them. I would agree that the caramel probably needed to cook just a little bit longer. I hope it works out for you next time. 🙂
Bonnie
I figured that’s what the problem was 🙂 I’ll cook them longer next time! Thanks for the recipe!
Ilene
Do you thinking these would be ok to freeze? Can’t wait to make these!
Sam
Yes I do, just let them cool completely and wrap tightly/keep in an airtight container in the freezer. Enjoy! 🙂
Natalie
I just made these for our Christmas party and they were a huge hit. They are incredibly decadent. I cut them into 2”x2” squares and then cut the squares diagonally! They are so delicious and the recipe is easy to follow! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Natalie! 🙂
Emily
How long do these keep? Just wondering if I could make them a couple of days before Christmas?
Sam
Hi, Emily! The Millionaire’s shortbread should be good up to a week in an air tight container. 🙂
Claire
Do you think I could use maple syrup instead of corn syrup?
Sam
Hi, Claire. I have not tried it. I am a little worried it may not set up properly, but it may work. Let me know if you try it and how it works. 🙂
Claire
I stuck with your original recipe and oh boy was it good!!!
Sam
I am glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
McTavish
Made these for a friend’s birthday. Amazing! Cut them into little bite-sized squares because they’re so rich, but the balance of flavors is perfect. Do you think replacing the corn syrup half with honey and half with maple syrup would produce an equivalently good honey-maple caramel, or would it not be able to reach the right consistency?
Sam
I am not sure as I have not tried doing this. I would be worried it wouldn’t reach the right consistency. If you do try it please let me know how it turns out. 😃
Erik
I can’t seem to get the Carmel to work little tiny bits turn dark Brown and are floating in the caramel and as it simmers away for 20 minutes still pure liquid it is it supposed to turn very thick – like putty – I think when you mean that it’s pulling away from the Pan?
Sam
That is so weird. It is supposed to be more like a putty. 😃
Michele
This happened to me, too, but I realized that I added the vanilla along with the other ingredients instead of adding it at the end. I think the little brown pieces in mine were the vanilla extract. As for the consistency, mine was also very runny after simmering and stirring it for a while, so I turned the heat up again and stirred it as it slowly boiled. It took about 25 minutes of stirring on medium heat before I got it to a good consistency. But it was delicious when I finally achieved it!
Bake Up, Little Suzy
Heavenly! What a treat for caramel lovers. The cookie layer came out quite soft; I think I would’ve liked a little bit of crisp, but it was still tasty. The caramel layer is quite thick and just luscious. It took much longer than 20 minutes for it to thicken, darken, and pull from the sides of the pan, but it was well worth the wait. The dark chocolate ganache really helped to balance all the sweetness from the caramel. YUM.
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 😃
Anita
Can this recipe be frozen
Sam
Hi, Anita. I think that would work just fine. 🙂
Jazmiya
shortbread recipes say 3:2:1 proportion for flour,sugar n butter..your recipe doesn’t match that. Will it work
Jazmiya
Sorry flour, butter and sugar. I tried a another recipe and the crust just crumbled. Then learned that 3:2:1 proportion.little hesitant to try this .. I would appreciate your insight..
Sam
Hi Jazmiya! As it says in my post my shortbread layer isn’t a “true” shortbread, this one is designed specifically so it’s not a crumbly dry mess and I like it much better than a standard shortbread. It certainly worked for me 🙂