Millionaire's Shortbread

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Millionaire's Shortbread are a triple-layered treat with the perfect balance of textures and flavors. These bars are made with a layer of buttery shortbread topped with chewy homemade caramel and a layer of decadent chocolate on top. They're like a Twix bar but better — rich, buttery, and sweet.

Millionaire's Shortbread are a triple-layered treat of buttery shortbread, homemade caramel, and chocolate for the perfect balance of textures and flavors. | aheadofthyme.com

With such a luxurious name, you'd expect millionaire shortbread bars to be exceptional, and these decadent bars deliver. Millionaire's shortbread hails from Scotland, where it's often served in cafes or tea rooms. Over the years, this delicious treat has gained in popularity and is now available worldwide. Although it's made with just three layers, each component must be just right to get the full effect. Not to worry! I've broken each step down with simple, step-by-step instructions to help you get the perfect caramel slice every single time.

Why You'll Love This Millionaire's Shortbread Recipe

Perfectly balanced. The magic behind millionaire's shortbread is the balance of textures and flavors. The crunchy shortbread layer adds texture and salt, while the creamy caramel layer adds a wonderful tenderness and rich sweetness. The dark chocolate mellows out the caramel to keep it from taking over. When eaten all together, the elements sing together!
Foolproof technique. We're sharing our go-to shortbread base recipe, which is ready in just a few minutes of effort. Many people are intimidated by making caramel, as sugar is notoriously fussy. Fortunately, this version is extra easy since we use corn syrup to keep it from becoming too hard. Just follow the photos and simple steps below!
Great for parties or events. This millionaire shortbread recipe is a real crowd-pleaser! I find it tends to go quickly, whether you're making it for people who have tried it before or not. The combination of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate is always a hit!

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious Millionaire's Shortbread, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

butter - you will need butter for all three layers. For the shortbread crust, allow unsalted butter to soften at room temperature first. For the caramel layer, cube the butter and allow it to also come to room temperature. For the chocolate layer, butter (or a neutral oil) will thin out the chocolate and make it easier to slice.
brown sugar - light will add a wonderful texture and a little extra flavor to the crust, while light or brown sugar is used in the caramel layer.
vanilla extract - add a splash to the shortbread dough and caramel for a little extra flavor.
all-purpose flour - traditional all purpose flour is perfect for the shortbread crust.
salt - salt highlights sweetness and will naturally balance the flavor of the chewy caramel. We add it to both the crust and caramel.
corn syrup - corn syrup is very important in the caramel as it helps keep the caramel sauce from setting too hard. Golden syrup is a traditional alternative.
heavy cream - this will make the caramel richer and thicker.
semi-sweet chocolate - finely chop the chocolate or use chocolate chips. You can also substitute with dark chocolate or milk chocolate if you prefer, although milk chocolate will be much sweeter.

Baking Equipment

You will also need the following baking tools and equipment:

measuring cups and spoons (or kitchen scale)
9-inch square baking pan
parchment paper
mixing bowl
electric hand mixer
spatula
wire cooling rack
saucepan
candy thermometer
sharp knife

How to Make the Best Millionaire's Shortbread

First, make the shortbread crust.

Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Then, line with 2 sheets of parchment to cover all sides of the pan, leaving an overhang on 2 of the edges for easy removal.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, add butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients together until it looks fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add dry ingredients. Add flour and salt to the bowl and beat in until smooth and well-combined.

Bake. Place into the prepared baking pan then spread out evenly with your hands or a spatula. Place into the oven for 35 minutes.

Cool. Remove from the oven and gently press down any puffed up parts. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Next, make the caramel layer.

Combine ingredients. Add butter, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, corn syrup, and heavy cream to a medium to large saucepan. Heat over medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a bubble. Continue to stir vigorously, while the mixture bubbles, until it reaches 236F on a candy thermometer. It may seem like the caramel gets stuck at around 220-225F for a while, but just power through and it will eventually come up to temperature.

Add caramel layer. Remove the pan from the heat, add in the vanilla and salt, then stir to combine. Immediately pour the hot caramel over the slightly cooled shortbread base. Place into the fridge to fully cool and set, at least 2 hours.

Finally, add the chocolate topping.

Melt chocolate. Add chocolate and oil into a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted.
Add chocolate layer. Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled caramel layer. Place back into the fridge for another 2 hours to harden and set.

Slice. When chocolate is hardened, remove from the pan, then slice into 16 slices with a very sharp knife. Top with flaked salt, if desired.

Recipe Variations

Billionaire's shortbread: For a fun twist on millionaire bars, replace the regular caramel layer with salted caramel! You can do this yourself by adding a little sea salt to the caramel sauce while you're making it. So good!
Zillionaire's shortbread: Use a creamy dulce de leche filling instead of caramel for this luxurious alternative.
Add a sprinkle of salt. Add a little sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top to balance the sweetness.
Use a different type of chocolate. It's important to use dark, bittersweet chocolate that can balance the intense sweetness of the caramel. Regular semisweet, bittersweet, or even a high percentage dark chocolate will all work for these caramel squares.
Add a twist. Feel free to add a little orange zest to the chocolate, fold mini chocolate chips into the shortbread dough, sprinkle cinnamon in the caramel sauce, or replace the vanilla extract with a little bourbon or whiskey! A little smoked sea salt would add a layer of complexity that takes these millionaire bars to the next level.

How to Serve

This Millionaire's Shortbread is delicious served on its own for a sweet treat, or paired with some other desserts are part of a larger dessert spread including:

For more recipe inspiration, see our 50 Easy Baking Recipes.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Use room temperature ingredients. It's very important to bring the ingredients to room temperature, especially the butter. If not, the shortbread won't have the same crispy, buttery texture.
Don't burn the caramel. One mistake new bakers often make is trying to eyeball the color for the caramel. You need to stop the caramel from cooking earlier than you'd expect. Since you need the layer of caramel to stay put when you slice it (and not just stick to your teeth), it must reach the right stage. Keep it simple! Just use an instant-read or candy thermometer and stop when it reaches 236 F.
Add oil to the chocolate. To make the layer of chocolate easy to slice, you need to make a chocolate ganache. This can be made with heavy cream like traditional ganache, or just add a little butter or oil to the chocolate instead.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Millionaire shortbread should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. For the best texture, be sure to let the slice come to room temperature first. Otherwise, the caramel may be too hard to chew.

How to Freeze

Wrap the sliced bars in several layers of plastic wrap and then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for several months. Thaw in the fridge, then let them warm up at room temperature before eating.

FAQ

How best to cut millionaire's shortbread without it cracking?

If you've gone through all this effort to make your millionaire's shortbread bars, the last thing you need is to crush them while cutting! I highly recommend using a very sharp knife, like a carving knife. These can glide through the thick layers without a lot of effort. Another great tip is to let the bars come to room temperature. The chocolate will be less prone to crack at this stage, although the caramel can get a little messy!

Why add oil to melting chocolate in millionaire shortbread?

Have you ever sliced a bar of chocolate with a knife? It likely shattered or broke into pieces. If you don't add oil to the chocolate for these millionaire shortbread bars, you're likely to experience the same problem. If the chocolate shatters on top, it'll be hard to cut the bars evenly, and they won't have the same beautiful presentation. Fortunately, it just takes a little oil to make the chocolate slightly softer without distracting from the delicious dark chocolate flavor.

Can you freeze Millionaire's shortbread?

Absolutely! Millionaire bars actually freeze very well. Be sure to let the whole mixture set and cool first. After slicing the bars, wrap them with several layers of plastic wrap and/or foil, then tuck them away in a freezer safe bag for 3-6 months. When you're ready to serve them, let them thaw in the fridge then warm up to room temperature.

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Why You'll Love This Millionaire's Shortbread Recipe

Ingredient Notes

Baking Equipment