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Our Millionaire Shortbread tastes like a grown up version of a Twix candy bar! Rich, buttery shortbread, a thick layer of sweet caramel, and a simple chocolate topping make these perfect for holiday cookie trays or any time of year!
Y’all, would you believe that my mama doesn’t like caramel?
I mean…who doesn’t like CARAMEL?? <— Don’t tell me if that’s you…I don’t think I can handle knowing more people are out there, just wandering around this world aimlessly hating on caramel.
Anyway, I obviously love caramel. What’s not to like about it, after all?
Millionaire Shortbread takes all the goodness of caramel, smears it over some buttery shortbread, and then tops it off with chocolate. I like to do a sprinkle of sea salt on top for extra oomph.
What Is Millionaire Shortbread?
This dessert gets the name from how rich and indulgent it is! These Millionaire Shortbread recipe are decadent dessert bars of crumbly, buttery shortbread topped with a thick layer of sweet homemade caramel and a top layer of melted chocolate!
These are like next level Twix bars and I insist you make them immediately!
Millionaire Shortbread
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
- 2/3 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/4 cups flour
For the caramel:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
For the chocolate topping:
- pinch flaky sea salt optional
- 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
Shortbread:
- To make the shortbread, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and flour until crumbly.
- Press into a 9×9 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.
Caramel:
- To make the caramel, add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk to a medium sauce pan set over medium heat.
- Bring to a boil, stirring often, and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir vigorously for 3 minutes.
- Pour caramel over the shortbread layer. It doesn't matter if the shortbread is warm or cool at this point.
Assembly:
- Sprinkle the salt over the caramel.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and return to the oven for 1 minute.
- Spread the chocolate chips over the caramel with an offset spatula.
- Cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting into 18 squares and serving.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Millionaire Shortbread Ingredient Notes:
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Butter – We’ll need butter in the shortbread and the caramel. We recommend a good quality butter so that the shortbread tastes the best it possibly can.
Flour – All purpose flour is needed for the shortbread layer.
Sugar – We’re using a mix of granulated sugar (in the shortbread) and dark brown sugar (in the caramel).
Light Corn Syrup – This will improve the texture of the caramel! It helps to prevent crystallization in the caramel and will keep it soft and smooth. This is NOT the same as high fructose corn syrup.
Sweetened Condensed Milk – Makes for a rich, creamy caramel layer!
Milk Chocolate Chips – Dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips will also work, but I prefer milk chocolate for these Millionaire bars!
Sea Salt – I like to add just a pinch of flaky sea salt as a topping over the chocolate or caramel layer. It’s optional, but it makes a nice contrast to all the sweet flavor, especially the caramel!
What We Love About This Recipe:
- Layers: These dessert bars are perfectly layered! Buttery shortbread, thick and creamy caramel, and a chocolatey topping!
- Easy: These look very impressive when shared with friends, but they’re quite simple to whip up!
- Decadent: These are perfect for those holiday cookie trays. The rich, decadent layers of goodness are so festive!
How To Make Millionaire Shortbread:
Shortbread: Beat together the butter, sugar, and flour and then press into a lined 9×9 pan and bake.
Caramel: Add butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk to a medium sauce pan set over medium heat and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the caramel from the heat and stir vigorously for 3 minutes.
Top: Pour the homemade caramel over your shortbread layer. The shortbread can be warm or cool for this step.
Melt: Sprinkle salt over the caramel. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and return to the warm oven for 1 minute. Use an offset spatula to spread the warm chocolate chips over the caramel.
SHORTBREAD TIPS & TRICKS!
- Time: It’s important to bake the shortbread for exactly 20 minutes at 350 degrees. It’s easy to dry it out and make it too crumbly if the shortbread is overbaked.
- Color: The shortbread should turn to a slight golden color when it has finished baking.
- Texture: It should be crisp on the outside and tender and crumbly on the inside! It’s easy to overbake but you can underbake it too. It shouldn’t be too soft.
HOMEMADE CARAMEL TIPS & TRICKS!
- Pan: A heavy bottomed pan will help to distribute the heat evenly and avoid potential hot spots that could cause the caramel sauce to burn.
- Safety: Always keep this in mind when making caramel! The melted sugar gets really hot. It’s like molten lava so don’t get it on you! You need to stir a lot and do it safely with no splatter.
- Stir: Did I mention the stirring? If you step away from the caramel it’ll burn in no time at all. So keep stirring and don’t burn the caramel!
Storing Millionaire Shortbread:
We like to keep these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’re cold and thick and rich and just perfect for grabbing from the fridge.
However, if you prefer softer caramel, you can store millionaire shortbread bars on the counter for up to 5 days tightly closed.
FAQ’s:
These are so rich, decadent and indulgent that they taste like a million bucks!
These Millionaire Bars are very similar to Twix candy bars, with the layer of shortbread and caramel all topped off with milk chocolate. However, we think our homemade dessert is much tastier than the packaged candy bar.
Yes! These treats will freeze well for up to a few months in a freezer safe container.
MORE SWEETS & TREATS:
- Christmas Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Shortbread
- Brookies
- Homemade Brownies
- Peanut Butter Blondies
- Eclair Cake
Trina says
Just wondering if the caramel layer can be made in microwave?
Karly says
I’ve only made this as directed.
Nancy says
Can I use premade caramel cube instead of making it from scratch?
Karly says
As long as you’re using something that will set up firmly.
John says
This is what we, in New Zealand, would call a caramel slice. It’s a very popular treat in bakeries across the country.
Sue H says
Would white chocolate chips work??
Karly says
Hi Sue! I’m not sure if white chocolate chips would melt quite as nicely, but you could definitely try it. 🙂