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Millionaire’s Shortbread is a Scottish dessert that has three distinct layers: a crunchy butter shortbread crust, soft chewy caramel, and sweet spreadable chocolate on top. It’s a decadent dessert bar that’s one of the best desserts you’ll ever try!
I tried Millionaire Shortbread the first time I visited the UK and fell immediately in love. The Scottish bar cookie explodes with flavor and I returned home set out to make my own version.
I tested several recipes to find the perfect one that works every time! Many recipes have struggles with structure: the skimpy shortbread crust turns to crumbs, the caramel oozes out the sides like a liquid mess, or the chocolate top fractures into a million pieces the second your knife touches it. I also wanted a slightly thicker, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread base specifically engineered to hold up to the heavy caramel and chocolate layers.
This caramel slice version gives you three distinct, perfect layers: a sturdy, buttery shortbread crust, a rich caramel layer that holds its shape but stays soft to the bite, and a glossy chocolate topping that cuts beautifully every single time. It’s decadent, it’s reliable, and it’s so creamy and perfect.
Millionaire Shortbread Ingredients
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is non-negotiable for the caramel layer. Do not substitute evaporated milk; they are entirely different products and your caramel will not set.
- Unsalted Butter: Used in both the crust and the caramel. If you only have salted butter on hand, skip the additional pinch of salt in the shortbread recipe.
- Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar gives the caramel its classic toffee flavor. Ensure it is firmly packed.
- Corn Syrup: I include a bit of syrup in my caramel to help avoid re-crystallization. Adding it takes a lot of the fussiness out of working with sugar. This also helps prevent an oily or separating caramel.
- Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet or dark chocolate (around 60% cacao) balances the intense sweetness of the caramel beautifully. If you prefer milk chocolate, be sure to add some flaky sea salt on top to cut the sweetness.
- Heavy Cream: By adding just a touch of cream to the melted chocolate, we alter its structure so it sets firmly in the fridge but retains enough give to be sliced cleanly without shattering.
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Dorothy’s Testing Notes
- During testing, my biggest hurdle was getting the caramel to set cleanly without turning into teeth-shattering toffee. I tried a version using just brown sugar and butter, but it was too unstable and separate. Switching to sweetened condensed milk provided the necessary protein structure to create a stable, sliceable emulsion.
- My biggest takeaway from testing: Do not rush the cooling process. If you pour hot chocolate over warm caramel, the layers will bleed into each other. Let the caramel cool completely to room temperature before adding the chocolate layer.
- To avoid the layers separating when slicing, make sure the caramel is just cooled (not too cold) when adding the chocolate. Also make sure your knife knife is not too cold. Let the bars sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing, and use a warm, dry knife.
- If using a hand mixer to make the crust, the mixture may stay crumbly. That’s okay – just pack the dough into the pan tightly before baking to ensure it solidifies. A loose pack results in a fragile crust.
Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Base:
- 1 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups (273g) all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 ½ cups (255g) chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until incorporated and the mixture forms crumbs.
- Press the shortbread mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until light golden, about 35-40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the base to cool while you make the caramel.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, butter, brown sugar and corn syrup to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and whisk until melted and smooth. Add a candy thermometer to the pot, then continue stirring continuously over medium heat until it bubbles and reaches 225°F. This will take about 5 minutes from when the mixture starts to boil. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla; carefully stir to combine (the mixture will spit and bubble a bit).
- Pour caramel over the shortbread base. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes before adding the chocolate layer.
- Place chocolate chips and heavy cream in a large measuring cup or medium sized bowl. Heat in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Spread over caramel in a smooth layer. Chill for 2-3 hours, or until set.
- Slice into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How to make Millionaire Shortbread
- The shortbread mixture will be crumbly (it may become more cohesive if using a stand mixer, but not much).
- Be sure to firmly compact the crumbs into a solid mixture in the pan.
- The shortbread will be light golden brown when done baking.
- The caramel will be thick and light brown, a similar color to brown sugar. Do not overheat the mixture – be sure to cook it over medium-low heat.
- You need a candy thermometer to ensure it sets up.
- It should spread evenly and set pretty quickly.
- The chocolate is similar to ganache but thicker and will set up to a soft but solid consistency.
FAQs
No. Ice cream topping or jarred caramel sauce will not set up firmly enough, resulting in a giant mess when you try to slice the bars.
An 8×8-inch pan will make very thick layers and is not recommended. A 9×13-inch pan will yield too thin of bars (double for that size pan).
Wipe your knife clean with a warm, damp paper towel between every single slice.
