This Millionaire’s Shortbread is the perfect trifecta: Sweet simple, crisp shortbread, rich chewy, homemade caramel, and thick dark chocolate ganache. ย Sprinkle everything off with a scattering of sea salt and you have a decadently rich treatย 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 ย (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. ย Forks hoveringย nervously over their plates, eyes narrowed, skeptical, seeming to suggest — ย It could be an anthrax pie, how can we be sure it’s not?ย So much for gratitude.
But after explaining for the fourth time to my fourth sibling what Millionaire’s shortbread evenย isย (“It’s like a fancy, homemade, gourmet twix bar”)ย 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. ย 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. ย To make things even more decadent, it’s all topped off with a sprinkle of sea salt. ย 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. ย Surprise, it’s not a “true” shortbread. ย 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. ย 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
- โ cup (70 g) sugar
- โ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ยพ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 2 ยผ 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
- โ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup
- ยพ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ยฝ 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.โ cup (70 g) sugar, โ 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, ยพ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, gradually (about ยฝ 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.ยฝ teaspoon salt, 2 ยผ 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, โ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup, ยพ 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. ย 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. ยยฝ 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. ย Wait several minutes/until chocolate begins to set and then sprinkle with sea salt. ยsea 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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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 donโt know why it didnโt work
Sam
Hi William! Caramel can be tricky sometimes. If it separated like this it is most likely either the mixture wasnโt 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. ๐
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 ๐
eddie
GREAT RECIPE! How long will extra caramel keep?e
Sam
Hi, Eddie! It should last about a week and a half. ๐
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. ๐
Bonnie
I figured that’s what the problem was ๐ I’ll cook them longer next time! Thanks for the recipe!
Ilene
Do you thinking these would be ok to freeze? Canโt 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! ๐
Natalie
I just made these for our Christmas party and they were a huge hit. They are incredibly decadent. I cut them into 2โx2โ 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! ๐
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. ๐
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. ๐
Claire
I stuck with your original recipe and oh boy was it good!!!
Sam
I am glad you enjoyed it! ๐
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. ๐
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. ๐
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! ๐
Anita
Can this recipe be frozen
Sam
Hi, Anita. I think that would work just fine. ๐
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 ๐