Brown Butter Millionaire Bars: Layered brown butter shortbread with chewy caramel and a thin layer of Semisweet chocolate sprinkled with sea salt flakes.
Butter, Chocolate and Caramel how does it not get any better? While this recipe may seem complicated it’s a lot easier than you think. These browned butter millionaire’s shortbread bars are like a grownup’s version of Twix, but only better. It’s not overly sweetened and you get a nutty taste from the nutty brown butter shortbread layer.
These brown butter millionaire shortbread bars are great for potlucks, or gift-giving. They are the perfect addition to a Christmas cookie box.
Brown Butter Millionaire Bars Ingredients:
- Butter: Make sure you use unsalted butter
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Granulated sugar can be substituted in this recipe, but I like the texture of the confectioner’s sugar.
- All-purpose flour: No substitutes were tested
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Key Ingredient in making a thick caramel
- Brown Sugar/Sugar: Provides caramel flavor and darkens the caramel.
- Corn Syrup: Helps keep the caramel soft.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: I like to pair it with a less sweet chocolate like semisweet and dark chocolate so the sweetness isn’t overpowering. You can use a good quality chocolate chip or a chocolate bar.
- Sea Salt Flakes: A great addition to balance the sweet bar.
How to make Brown Butter Millionaire Bars
In a medium saucepan add the unsalted butter and allow it to brown on medium-low heat. It should begin to bubble and then foam up. Stir the butter scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent the bottom from burning. The butter should be a light amber color and it should smell nutty. Let the butter sit to the side, once the butter is warm transfer the butter into a shallow container and place it in the refrigerator to allow it to set up and cool down faster.
While the butter is cooling down line an 8x8in pan with parchment paper and set to the side until needed.
Once the cooled brown butter is set add it to a large bowl with the sugars. With your hand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add the salt and flour until it forms a dough. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. The shortbread will not get golden brown.
Make the caramel filling:
While the shortbread bakes prep the caramel. In a medium pot combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, sweetened condensed milk, and light corn syrup.
Cook over medium heat and whisk continuously until everything is combined and melted. Cook the caramel until it reaches 225F using a candy thermometer. The caramel will bubble and will slightly darken. Pour caramel into the shortbread immediately and spread with an offset spatula to create an even layer. Set the pan to the side and allow it to cool down for 20-25 minutes or until the caramel layer has set.
Once the caramel has set or the shortbread is at room temperature melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled caramel layer and spread. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired and then chill for at least 2 hours before cutting into pieces. Enjoy!
Millionaire Bar Tips:
Why is my caramel so runny?
The caramel filling has to be cooked to 225F. If it doesn’t get cooked enough it will not thicken.
Best way to cut brown butter millionaire bars:
Take the bars out of the fridge and allow them to sit on the counter for 5 to 7 minutes. This gives you enough time to cut them while they aren’t so hard.
Are these bars freezer-friendly?
Yes! Plastic wrap the bars and place them into an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
If you loved this recipe, take a look at my other Christmas cookie recipes:
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
- Buttery Thumbprint Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies
- How to make Linzer Cookies
Brown Butter Millionaire Bars
Ingredients
Browned Butter Shortbread
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter Browned
- 2 cup All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup Confectioner's sugar
Caramel Filling
- 1 14oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 tbsp Light Corn Syrup
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
Chocolate Topping:
- 8oz Chocolate Melted
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes as needed (optional)
Instructions
Browned Butter Shortbread
- In a medium saucepan add the unsalted butter and allow it to brown on medium-low heat. It should begin to bubble and then foam up. Stir the butter scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent the bottom from burning. The butter should be a light amber color and it should smell nutty. Let the butter sit to the side, once the butter is warm transfer the butter into a shallow container and place it in the refrigerator to allow it to set up and cool down faster.
- While the butter is cooling down line an 8x8in pan with parchment paper and set to the side until needed.
- Once the cooled brown butter is set add it to a large bowl with the sugars. With your hand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and then add the salt and flour until it forms a dough. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. The shortbread will not get golden brown.
Caramel Filling:
- While the shortbread bakes prep the caramel. In a medium pot combine the butter, brown sugar, sugar, salt, sweetened condensed milk, and light corn syrup.
- Cook over medium heat and whisk continuously until everything is combined and melted. Cook the caramel until it reaches 225F using a candy thermometer. The caramel will bubble and will slightly darken. Pour caramel into the shortbread immediately and spread with an offset spatula to create an even layer. Set the pan to the side and allow it to cool down for 20-25 minutes or until the caramel layer has set.
Chocolate Topping:
- Once the caramel has set or the shortbread is at room temperature melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled caramel layer and spread. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired and then chill for at least 2 hours before cutting into pieces. Enjoy!
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