Use this simple recipe to make caramel shortbread, also known as millionaire’s shortbread. These squares have a buttery shortbread crust, a solid caramel center, and a wonderful milk chocolate covering. They are so rich that you should cut them into small pieces.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 35 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 15 mins |
| Servings: | 81 |
| Yield: | 81 squares |
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- Make the shortbread: Mix flour, softened butter, and sugar together in a medium bowl until well blended and crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until dry and light golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Make the caramel: Bring butter, brown sugar, condensed milk, and corn syrup to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (crust can be either warm or cool). Let sit at room temperature until caramel begins to firm up, 2 to 3 hours.
- Microwave chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir in 20-second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Pour chocolate over caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill in the refrigerator until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Cut into 1-inch squares.
Reviews
So good! This recipe is perfect. I live at a high altitude so had to cook the shortbread for about 30 minutes, but this so so yummy. Stays together and is perfect with a cup of peppermint tea. I just returned from a trip to England and I had this every afternoon with a cup of tea and I’m so happy that I found an easy recipe so that I can continue that and probably gain 100 pounds. Oh well. You only live once!
These were very tasty and simple to bake. Usually I have had trouble with burning chocolate when I try to melt it in the microwave, but with exact instructions of how long to put it it for this was no longer a problem. The only criticisms I can give it is that the serving sizes are so small that it makes you feel as if you can eat more than what’s good for you! That, and the caramel leaks out under the chocolate layer when you bite into them. Maybe if I had waited longer for the caramel layer to set? Or I don’t really know what the difference makes to temper your chocolate; maybe that would’ve helped as well.
I’m a cook, but I’m not a baker, so I was certain I’d screw these up, but thankfully everything turned out WONDERFULLY. I read through the reviews to get a sense of where people commonly had issues, and the changes I made were that I buttered the pan prior to adding the shortbread, by doing this it prevented everything from sticking to the pan (some people used parchment paper). I cooked the caramel on lower medium heat and started by melting the butter first, then adding the rest of the wet ingredients together and then the brown sugar last, I stirred constantly with a whisk or spoon and kept my heat at medium low, I never quit stirring until I was pouring the caramel on top of the shortbread, and it turned out absolutely perfectly. I melted the chocolate in a hot water bath (heated water in a bowl and then submerged a pyrex measuring cup with the chocolate chips in it into the bowl so they’d melt inside of the measuring cup from the heat the water provides through the glass) and they melted within a couple of minutes with some stirring. I also used coarsely ground Himalayan salt on top of the chocolate before I let it cool – it’s a fabulous addition, and I highly recommend, it’s a perfect salty compliment to the sweetness. I used a knife heated with warm water to cut my squares and it went smoothly as long as I kept the knife warmed. I stored everything in a plastic Tupperware so the shortbread softened quite a bit, and now I have a huge container of these decadent sweets to enjoy through New Years! I’m saving this recipe and I will make it again and again, and I recommend you give it a try if you’re thinking about it and these sound good. You can do it!! I bet finely chopped walnuts would be a good topping too, maybe even in addition with the coarse salt.
Just made these & they were great! The only thing is I turn the heat down during boiling caramel & I used the double boiler method melting chocolate instead of the microwave . Otherwise ??????????
Amazing my class loved it!
It took way longer than 20 minutes with all the cooling in between. But still easy and good. I used less sugar and didn’t have corn syrup so subbed agave syrup and honey for the caramel layer. Also used a whole bar of dark chocolate melted over stovetop. Would’ve liked some salt in the shortbread or on top.
It was awsome
Delicious! I’ll definitely make these again.
I made this exactly as written. I didn’t have a square 9×9 pan so I used two 10×4 inch pans but it ended up being the same overall dimensions. Having worked with shortbread before I knew to put down parchment paper which is a life saver and keeps it from sticking to the pan. I cooled the shortbread for about 20 minutes and then the finished bars for about 45 minutes or so. Overall this is a good recipe and I think I will put some sea salt on top when I make it again. Be careful when making the chocolate because it doesn’t take much to overcook it. 1 minute 40 seconds should be enough time.
These are delicious! every time I make them for anyone, they are a huge hit. I prefer to use dark chocolate in everything that need chocolate, so that is my only change. Every part of this is delicious, the shortbread, the Carmel, thanks for sharing!!
I didn’t have a big enough tray or enough chocolate. I also didn’t have condensed milk. I made my own condensed milk!
Absolutely delicious!
These are disgustingly sweet. I kid u not. I doubled the recipe (used 9×13). Shortbread took 30 mins or so in oven. It will be ‘soft’ when you take it out of oven (don’t worry, it will firm up as it cools). Loved em but too rich – the milk choc on top should be semi-sweet or dark or mix as many others have pointed out. They’re great, but seriously I probably have 100 cavities now after having a few. Great recipe!
I will make it again!
I would submit tie intervals of how long until you pour the chocolate
This recipe is CRAZY FABULOUS!!!!!
Delicious. Instead of corn syrup, I used fancy molasses. Very sweet, cutting to 1″ squares is a great suggestion.
Shortbread seriously lacked flavor.
I followed the recipe, right down to cutting them into 1″ squares. My family and I enjoyed these squares and I will definitely make them again. The squares were the perfect size with a cup of tea after enjoying dinner.
These are wonderful! I was a little nervous making the caramel but it was easy! Everyone thought they tasted like a Twix candy bar
cool