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.
Jon Steinmetz
Can the entire recipe be halved to use an 8×8 baking dish? If so, do cook time and temp Rendon the same?
Sam
Hi Jon! That should work. You would need to bake it at the same temperature, but it would need to bake for less time. I’m not sure how long so just keep an eye on it. 🙂
Ashleigh Scott
Hi! Not sure if you have answered this already but curious if you can halve this recipe and maybe put it in an 8×8 pan maybe? Ingredients are harder to come by these days so don’t want to make too much and have waste. Thanks!! ❤️❤️
Sam
Hi Ashleigh! Yes that will be fine. 🙂
Breathe
Is it possible to use dark corn syrup instead of light for the caramel?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi! I have not tried it. You SHOULD be ok to substitute with equal amounts of the dark corn syrup. This will probably give the caramel a deeper flavor and will be darker in color. If you try it, let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Aria
This is an excellent recipe. I’ve never had an issue making the caramel, but I do it at lower heat with a wider nonstick pan and silicone whisk and stop when it pulls away from the sides like the directions say. I also halved the caramel and chocolate ganache and it’s the perfect bite for my taste, half shortbread and half caramel/ganache.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Aria! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Louise
This is a Scottish recipe!!!
Allison Wampler
Is there anything you can use as a replacement for corn syrup?
Sam
Some people have used golden syrup or glucose with success.
Kate
Could I use dark brown sugar in the caramel instead of light?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kate! Yes, you can. It will just be toffee-like in taste. 🙂
Louise
Why 14 tablespoons, what other measurement is that? Just looking to make it easier is that 1 cup or more?
Sugar Spun Run
3 oz. 7/8 (0.875) cup is what you will need. I hope that helps, Louise! 🙂
Adela
Great recipe- turn out great everyone loved it – i have made it 5 times- i do use a thermometer on the caramel. thanks for the recipe..
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the shortbread was such a hit, Adela! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Carly
This was delicious! My caramel took a lot longer to thicken than the recipe stated, but it was worth it! I’ll be pulling this out next time I need to bring a dessert to anything!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you loved the shortbread, Carly! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Alice
This is above and beyond my most popular bake for friends and coworkers! It’s an amazing and easy to follow recipe. My only problem (which is no fault of the recipe!)e is that the ganache doesn’t set well, making it difficult to transport. But I read up and I think it’s because I live in a super humid environment, so I’m going to try and reduce the amount of cream next time. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the shortbread, Alice! Humidity could cause issues but it also could be the brand of chocolate you are using as well. Others have reported issues with Nestle more recently. I typically use Ghirardelli. Maybe switch up your brand next time to see if that helps any. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Brittany
I had a hard time knowing when the caramel was done so I think I ended up overcooking it 🙁 it turned out darker than yours and too chewy. Any tips on how to know when it’s done?
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying my shortbread recipe, Brittany! I am sorry that you experienced issues when making it. It does sound like you overcooked it. I tend to look for the visual cues to know when it is done…mixture turns a rich caramel color and begins pulling away from the sides.
It normally only takes about 10-15 minutes for me. I will try to make a video of this recipe to help show what to look for. 🙂
Caleb
Hey! Great recipe… for the chocolate, the vanilla requirement is 1/2 teaspoon with 5ml written beside it, but it should either be 1 teaspoon with 5ml or 1/2 teaspoon with 2.5 ml, I think. Sorry if I’m totally wrong but just wanted to point that out…
Sam
Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Caleb! That would be 1/2 teaspoon/2.5ml, I’ll adjust that.
Wendy
Can I bake the shortbread in 9×13 ceramic baking dish at that same temperature?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Wendy! The same temperature will be fine. I recommend just keeping an eye on the bake time. Let me know how they shortbread turns out. 🙂
Jennifer White
Do you use salted or unsalted butter for the caramel?
Sam
Unsalted 🙂
Christina
I read over many recipes and could tell I liked this one the most. Something I did change up was on the caramel layer I brought my butter to just before browning before slowly adding in the condensed milk so I wouldn’t get a significant drop in temp. Then I incorporated the sugar and corn syrup. Followed the rest and was done in 30 minutes. I used dark brown sugar because that’s what I had on hand. It’s delicious!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the shortbread, Christina! Thank you for commenting. 🙂