This Millionaire’s Shortbread is the perfect trifecta: Sweet simple, crisp shortbread, rich chewy, homemade caramel, and thick dark chocolate ganache. Sprinkle everything off with a scattering of sea salt and you have a decadently rich treat 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 (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. Forks hovering nervously over their plates, eyes narrowed, skeptical, seeming to suggest — It could be an anthrax pie, how can we be sure it’s not? So much for gratitude.
But after explaining for the fourth time to my fourth sibling what Millionaire’s shortbread even is (“It’s like a fancy, homemade, gourmet twix bar”) 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. 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. To make things even more decadent, it’s all topped off with a sprinkle of sea salt. 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. Surprise, it’s not a “true” shortbread. 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. 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
- ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ 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
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups (340 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ 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.⅓ cup (70 g) sugar, ⅓ 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, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, gradually (about ½ 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.½ teaspoon salt, 2 ¼ 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, ⅓ cup (80 ml) light corn syrup, ¾ 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. 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.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.sea 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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Adithi
Hey!!!
Can i use medium fat cream instead of heavy cream?
Sam
Hi Adithi! If you are substituting a different cream I don’t think the ganache will set up as well and won’t be as thick so I don’t really recommend it. If you try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Hessa
Hi! Want can be substituted with corn syrup!? Would maple syrup or honey work?
Sam
Hi Hessa! Unfortunately I am not sure of a substitute that works well for corn syrup. Outside of the US I believe glucose syrup will work here. 🙂
Michele
I made these today and they came out great! I was nervous about the caramel but watched it and the clock carefully and it was perfect. My first ever caramel!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Michele! 🙂
Magnus
Hi
I am going to follow this recipe, but there is a problem. I live in Sweden and we don’t really have an equivalent of “all-purpose-flour” here. Is it possible to just use regular flour from wheat, or must I include baking powder or something like that to make the shortbread rise?
Sorry for my poor english 🙂
Sam
Hi Magnus! Do you have access to “plain flour”? That is typically what it is called outside of the US. 🙂
Richard Willey
Outstanding!! Interesting have never made caramel before but turns out not that intimidating as long as you keep focused. Good tip on cutting into smaller pieces. Better then anything from “Brown ‘s Orchard”. Enjoy all your recipes. Thanks
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Richard! I appreciate your support. 🙂
Alex
How long do these keep?? And how do you suggest storing them to keep them the longest ?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Alex! I reccomend storing them at room temperature covered or in an airtight container. The cookies will last up to 1 week. 🙂
Sara bradley
So do you have a thermometer temperature for the caramel? I mean it sounds like I need to be somewhere between soft stage and hard stage. I make caramel often but usually it’s just melting sugar and adding heavy cream and a little butter but I would like this method of caramel to turn out— it sounds like it taste really good!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sara! I haven’t ever temped it honestly, but I will add the information once I have. I hope to do a video for this recipe in the not-too-distant future. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Sara
Hi. I actually did this recipe a week ago. I thought the caramel was very complicated however it turned out really well And was my favorite layer. I used the candy thermometer but I couldn’t get it quite at the temperature of softball stage marking so I did it with drops of the caramel in Cold water and I went just beyond softball stage. It took about 30 minutes for the caramel to be completed but it was very good in the final recipe. I did however think the shortbread part was crumbly and not sweet enough. It tasted much better on day two and day three. I will definitely make it again
India
Hi! These look so good – I’m really looking forward to making them. Just a quick question – my friend’s birthday is coming up and these are her favorite. Do you think they’d ship okay if I packed them well or not really? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, India! I am not sure how they will do because of the chocolate. It will depend on heat and humidity. 🙁
Chi
Hi Sam! I was wondering if I could sub the caramel sauce for dulce de leche? Will it have the same bite / chew to it? Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Chi! I personally have not tried substituting it so I am not sure how it will do. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Catherine
This is so delicious! It tastes exactly like the millionaires shortbread I used to buy from a cafe in Wellington, New Zealand. I had never made shortbread or caramel before but I found this recipe easy to follow. I thought I had messed up the caramel because it developed little bits of darker material while thickening up, however in the end it turned out looking and tasting amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Catherine! Thank you so much for commenting.
Ioanna
Is there a way to make the chocolate topping without cream that will still be soft/set? I’ve looked at other recipes and they say to just put melted chocolate on top, but won’t that be a hard topping? Not sure which method to use.
Sam
Hi Ioanna! The cream helps to keep it soft, mixing the chocolate with a bit of corn syrup when melting it may work to make it soft, though. Yes, if you just melt the chocolate it will be a harder topping when it sets.
Sherry
What does the parchment paper do? Is it necessary?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sherry! The parchment paper is used to help prevent sticking and allows for easy cleanup. 🙂
Martha
The caramel didn’t really work. It never turned what I would call a “rich caramel color” and while it thickened it came out kind of grainy and the butter seemed to separate. I’ve never made caramel with condensed milk.
Did it get too hot? Not hot enough?
Shortbread and ganache came out great.
Sam
Hi Martha! If the butter was separating it sounds like the mixture got too hot or was heated too rapidly. I am working on a video for this post that I hope to share soon that might be helpful.
Martha
Good to know. I suspected that might be the case.
Kelly
I had the exact same issues today. My caramel never thicken and about 10 minutes into the simmer but butter had completely separated. I ended up tossing it.
Elisabeth
This is my first time leaving a review on a recipe but oh my gosh these were amazing! Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever made! Although I will say I did have a little trouble with the caramel but otherwise it was pretty simple to follow! Thanks for the recipe!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for trying my recipe, Elisabeth! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! Caramel can be tricky the first time you make it, but hopefully, it becomes easier the next time you try it. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Martyna
My husband recently mentioned millionaires shortbread as a nice dessert. I was willing to try making it and after checking out few recipes online I chose this recipe as the pictures looked the nicest 🙂 The description was easy to read and everything was straightforward to make, the only thing I did wrong was I cooked the caramel for too long and it turned out a bit too hard (I was waiting for the stage where it starts pulling off the pot walls which never happened lol).
Will make it again some day, thanks for sharing 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you for choosing my recipe, Martyna, I am happy that everyone enjoyed it! 🙂