Millionaire Shortbread Bars
Millionaire Shortbread Bars are a delicious dessert layered with a soft shortbread crust, creamy caramel filling, chocolate and flaky sea salt.
Servings: 15 bars
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 & 1/3 cups butter unsalted, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar granulated
- 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- pinch sea salt fine
For the filling:
- 1 cup butter unsalted, cut into tablespoons
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
For the topping:
- 12 oz. baking bars semi-sweet, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter unsalted
- flakey sea salt for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray, set aside.
- Place the butter and granulated sugar into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and cream together for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour and sea salt, and stir it in until combined with no dry patches.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 23-28 minutes until lightly golden brown along the edges, the center of the crust appears dry, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely.
- To make the filling place the butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, and corn syrup into a medium-sized sauce pot. Place over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
- Bring to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Gently simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so nothing burns on the bottom. You really have to be careful and make sure it doesn’t boil because a bubble may pop and burn you. If it looks like it is starting to simmer more rapidly, take off the heat for a few seconds while continuing to stir, then place it back on the heat.
- After 5 minutes, take it off the heat and continue to stir for about 4 minutes to cool it down slightly. Pour over the crust evenly. Place in the freezer for 2 hours.
- Add the chopped chocolate and butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals stirring in between until smooth. Spread the chocolate on top of the filling. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- Use the parchment paper to help lift the bars out of the baking dish. Cut into squares and sprinkle with flakey sea salt if using, serve immediately.
Notes
These are best served slightly chilled or at room temperature. The chocolate and caramel filling will soften slightly at room temperature and be gooier than when chilled it is more solid.
I would suggest storing the bars in the fridge if there are any leftovers. They will kept for up to a week in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer.
You would think these bars would be overly sweet but they really aren’t the semi-sweet chocolate and salt on top keeps like at the perfect level of sweetness with the other elements of the bars.
The chocolate is silky smooth with a gooey rich caramel interior, and crunchy buttery shortbread crust, this dessert is hitting all the right elements in both taste and texture.
These are classic millionaire bars so other additions or mix-ins etc would then make them not classic. However, if you want to play around some yummy toppings would be Reese pieces, chopped peanut butter cups, chopped-up Rolos, toffee chips, mini M&M’s, a drizzle of white or dark chocolate, crushed pretzels, etc.