Millionaire Shortbread

Millionaire shortbread — also known as millionaire’s shortbread, caramel slice, chocolate caramel shortbread, or homemade Twix bars — is a decadent combination of buttery shortbread topped with a thick layer of caramel and finished with chocolate.

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If you ever watch Great British Bake Off, you probably have seen them make or talk about millionaire shortbread a time or two.

This decadent treat is perfect for this time of year. It would be incredible added to homemade gift boxes alongside chocolate-covered peanut butter balls, rum balls, and easy peanut butter fudge.

But it’s not just for the holidays! Honestly, millionaire shortbread is delicious any time you want to make an indulgent treat, whether it’s for a birthday, special dinner, or just because you need an afternoon pick-me-up.

What is millionaire shortbread?

Millionaire shortbread goes by a lot of different names. You might have heard it called millionaire’s shortbread, caramel slice, chocolate caramel shortbread, or even homemade Twix.

But even though the names might change, the components are all the same. These decadent cookie bars consist of buttery shortbread topped with a thick layer of rich caramel. The whole thing is finished with a layer of chocolate and, if you’re like me, a bit of flakey sea salt.

Millionaire shortbread is popular in the UK (especially Scotland), Australia, and New Zealand. Here in the US we are more familiar with the candy bar version, Twix. But actual millionaire shortbread is even better!

This rich, decadent shortbread is right at home during the holiday season, but is just as delicious with a cup of tea or bourbon hot toddy on a weekend afternoon.

How to make millionaire shortbread

Millionaire shortbread looks so pretty with its clear layers, it seems like the kind of dessert that would be intimidating to make. But I’m going to walk you through each step!

Ingredients you’ll need

The base of this recipe is a shortbread crust. For this, you will need:

• 12 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Your butter definitely needs to be softened to room temperature before you start mixing the shortbread. If you forget to set it out ahead of time, check out my tips on how to soften butter quickly.

Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly before you start baking. This will help your shortbread to turn out perfect every time.

For the caramel layer, you will need:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

When you’re at the store, make sure you buy sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. They are usually right next to each other on the shelf, but are NOT the same thing.

If you live outside of the US, you will use golden syrup in place of the corn syrup. I have not tried making this recipe with honey instead of corn syrup, but have readers who have made that swap successfully in my pecan bars.

If you’re out of brown sugar, make a simple brown sugar substitute to use instead. And if it hardened in the pantry, check out my tips on how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the store.

For the chocolate topping, you will need:

• 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
• flaky sea salt (optional)

If you don’t have bars of semisweet chocolate on hand, you can use high-quality chocolate chips instead.

Making this shortbread

First we need to make the shortbread base.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes; don’t try to rush this step.

Add the flour and the salt and mix until just combined. The dough will have the texture of coarse crumbs. This is what we want in order to keep the shortbread tender and crumbly.

Press the dough into the bottom of a lined and greased 9×9-inch pan. Bake the shortbread layer at 325°F for 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.

Turn the oven off and let the shortbread cool while you make the caramel.

Add the sweetened condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring the whole time.

As the caramel cooks, it will thicken. After it has boiled for 5 minutes, take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla and the salt.

Pour the caramel over the shortbread and spread it into an even layer. Place the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set the caramel layer before adding the chocolate layer.

Combine the chocolate chips and oil or shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute, then stir. Keep microwaving at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each. The chocolate is ready when it is fully melted and smooth.

Spread the chocolate in an even layer over the caramel. If you’d like, sprinkle with a bit of flakey sea salt while the chocolate is still warm.

Chill the millionaire shortbread in the refrigerator until the chocolate is firm. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Storage tips

Store your millionaire shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

If your kitchen is particularly warm or you make this recipe during the summer months, I suggest keep it in the fridge to keep the caramel from getting to soft and gooey.

I recommend letting the millionaire shortbread come to room temperature before serving, although some people prefer theirs slightly chilled.

You can also store the shortbread in the freezer. Wrap the bars in a layer of plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Freeze for 3 months. Let thaw before serving.

Recipe variations

This millionaire shortbread recipe is for the classic version, but there are a few ways you can add other flavors and make it your own:

• Try browning the butter for the shortbread layer, similar to this recipe for shortbread brown butter cookies.
• Add a bit of lemon or orange zest to the shortbread. Rub the citrus zest into the sugar like when we make glazed lemon scones, then cream the sugar with the butter.
• Add some espresso powder to the shortbread layer, similar to these espresso shortbread cookies.
• Add a bit of bourbon to the caramel when you stir in the vanilla and salt.
• Swap the semisweet chocolate for dark chocolate.
• If you prefer less chocolate, use 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and just under 1 teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening.

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Millionaire Shortbread

By: Jamie

No ratings yet

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 16

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Made with a buttery shortbread crust, a layer of sweet caramel, and a chocolate topping, millionaire shortbread is perfect for holidays or enjoying alongside a cup of tea for an afternoon pick-me-up.

Equipment

• 9×9-inch Cake Pan
• KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer
• Mixing bowl set

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

For the Crust

• ▢ 12 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• ▢ ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Caramel

• ▢ 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounces
• ▢ 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
• ▢ ¼ cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Chocolate

• ▢ 8 ounces semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped (you can also use high quality chocolate chips)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
• ▢ flaky sea salt optional

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line (1) 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil and lightly 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 mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined and the texture of coarse crumbs. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust layer.
  12 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Bake shortbread crust in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow the crust to cool while you prepare the caramel. At this point, you can turn the oven off.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, corn syrup or golden syrup and brown sugar. Heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until boiling. Continue stirring and boil for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
  1 can sweetened condensed milk, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup light corn syrup or golden syrup, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Pour the caramel over the crust and spread into an even layer. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before topping with chocolate.
• In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave uncovered on 50% power for 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving on 50% power in 30-second increments until the mixture can be stirred smooth.
  8 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
• Spread chocolate in an even layer over the caramel. If desired, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chill until firm. Cut into small squares before serving.
  flaky sea salt

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3 months. Separate stacked layers of the shortbread with parchment or wax paper. I also recommend wrapping the bars in plastic wrap before freezing. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 511IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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