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Super simple, extra delicious, and perfectly sweet Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars. Easy shortbread, made with nutty brown butter, baked and layered with caramelized sweetened condensed milk caramel, with hints of luscious vanilla throughout. Each sweet bar is then covered in chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Similar to a classic Millionaire’s Bar…but with some extra special touches that make them even more delectable. These sweet little bars are perfect for the holidays so be sure to include them on your Christmas table or in your upcoming Christmas cookie boxes. Your friends and family will be so glad you did!
An extra sweet Tuesday present for you guys in the form of the most delicious brown butter Millionaire’s Bars. Buttery shortbread, topped with chewy, buttery caramel, then covered in rich, creamy milk chocolate, and finished with just the right amount of sea salt.
Two simple words…incredibly delicious.
A Millionaire’s Bar, but better.
And just what is a Millionaire’s Bar? Well, these bars got their name because they taste so rich. From what I’ve read, they originated in Scotland, but have since become very popular worldwide. To me, they seem similar to a Twix Bar or 100 Grand Bar. Either way, they’re truly delicious.
And while my recipe is not traditional, it’s the same concept, just all done up for the holidays.
Soo, that’s the backstory on these bars. But the bottom line – they’re delicious. And very easy to make!!
The idea, the inspiration, and all my thoughts.
As always, I spend a lot of time thinking about what recipes to share with you guys, but especially my holiday recipes. These are my favorite recipes of the year, so I want them to be extra special. Each and every single one. Because of this, I tend to take way too long brainstorming, developing, and styling each recipe, but it’s worth it to me.
And that was the case with these. I had seen Millionaire Bars on Pinterest. I immediately thought about how cute they could be if made as mini chocolate covered presents. And what a great item to include in a cookie box too!
So I did some digging and then some testing and here is where I landed.
Now onto the details.
Start with the shortbread. I just kept it simple, but I did brown the butter, which is really key to adding delicious flavor to an otherwise flavorless base. Don’t skip! The nutty browned butter pairs so nicely with the flavors of the caramel.
Once the shortbread layer has baked, start the caramel. This is not your average caramel. In fact, it’s actually caramelized condensed milk, which might just be better. It’s sweet, chewy, buttery, and made with just the right amounts of vanilla and salt. And the best part? It’s so easy to make. Just boil the condensed milk until thick and golden in color. It takes about fifteen minutes. You need to stir the mixture often, but there’s nothing fancy or complicated about this caramel.
It’s easy and delicious.
Once the caramel has turned thick and golden in color, immediately pour it over the shortbread and spread it in an even layer. At this point, chill the bars to help the caramel set up. Then cut the bars into cute little rectangles or squares and cover them entirely in chocolate.
Yummm. My mom says this recipe might be one of her favorites for the year. She’s been trying to avoid sugar the last few years. But said to me this morning in a text, and I quote…
“So much for me saying…I don’t really eat sugar anymore…your cookies have completely blown that…thanks so much!”
So you see? These really are that good.
A Couple Tips For Success…
Tip one, make sure the bars are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into chocolate. This is probably my biggest tip. If the bars are frozen, the chocolate will quickly set up on the bars and be easier to work with. Trust me, freeze the bars, then dip them through the melted chocolate.
Tip two, if you want a thick chocolate-coated bar, dip your bars once, re-freeze until set (which will only take a matter of minutes), then dip in chocolate again. This is not NEEDED, but it sure is a good idea. Double the chocolate, please.
My initial thought was that these chocolate presents will be great for our Christmas Cookie Boxes. But that’s when I realized how late into December it’s already becoming.
I’m recognizing just now, as I type this, that I’m a little late this year. Late with what? Late with my 2020 Christmas Cookie Box. I’m not sure why, but I was thinking I had time to post this and get it up for you all. But in looking at my calendar, I’m realizing, I am actually behind. My plan is to get my box up by the end of the week, so be on the lookout for that!
Until then, enjoy these cute little “presents” and start prepping them to include in this year’s cookie boxes. Trust me, everyone you gift these to is going to find them delish!
Or? Simply make them for yourself. It’s December and we all need sweet treats! Just one thing…don’t skip that sprinkle of flaky sea salt at the end. Love a good salty, sweet chocolate dessert, you know?
Yes, yes, let’s take some time to do a little Tuesday night baking. It’s cold, so the extra time next to the oven is always welcome. Enjoy!
Looking for other holiday dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Brownies
Salted Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Blondies
Slice n’ Bake Bourbon Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire's Bars
Servings: 48 squares or 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 213 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel
- 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 24 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat, cooking until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the remaining stick of butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour and mix until fully combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.4. To make the caramel. In a medium pot, combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, and maple. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking consistently. Cook the mixture until it turns golden brown in color and has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir often to avoid burning the milk. Little brown bits are OK. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Immediately pour the caramel over the shortbread and spread in an even layer. Transfer to the fridge to chill, at least 1 hour or 30 minutes in the freezer. 5. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave until melted and smooth. 6. Cut the bars into 24 rectangle bars or 48 square bars. Freeze another 10 minutes to make dipping easier, then cover/dip each bar in chocolate. Return to the freezer to let the chocolate set up, about 10 minutes. Keep stored in a cool dry place or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
This post was originally published on December 8, 2020
These are tasty but SO sweet. Great if you have a sweet tooth! if I were to make again I’d definitely leave the shortbread and caramel layer in the freezer overnight before trying to slice. I’d also use only half of the caramel because it’s a very thick layer and adds a bit too much sweetness. They look beautiful With the sea salt sprinkled on top and go great in a cookie box!
Hey Karia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I was wondering about using the dulce de Leche that is made by the same people that make the sweetened condensed milk. I thought it was just carmelized sweetened condensed milk…if I could just continue the steps from there with the caramel layer…what do you think?
Hey Tessie,
I haven’t tested this, but it sounds like it would work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So delicious. I cut the pieces too large and will go for small cuts next time, I wasn’t sure it the entire piece gets dipped or just the top hall and sides. I opted for the latter. Also will they freeze well for about a week? It was fun trying something new this year!
Sadly, these were problematic for me. The shortbread base cookie dissolved into crumbs when I removed them from the 9×13 pan. I ended up dipping the caramel into the chocolate and topping them with the sea salt flakes and the shortbread crumbles. Delicious, but not beautiful.
Hey Cathy,
So sorry you had issues with the shortbread! Next time do not brown the butter and just use 2 sticks of softened butter, this should prevent the shortbread from being so crumbly. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I wanted do make this for Christmas… now, honestly, haha I want to make them on a day when no one is home and I can eat them all by my self and keep a secret stash in the freezer.
Is it wrong? Hahahaha sweet things never last a night at my house.
Hey Ali,
LOL I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Tieghan once again a real winner! I’m going to make these for my annual cookie exchange this year! Very excited and I know they will be a big hit!
Hey Susan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these yesterday. Followed the recipe exactly, even the amount of time to cook the caramel. The caramel came out great! The whole recipe tastes awesome! My only complaint is that the shortbread layer crumbled into the tiniest pieces that only caramel layer was left.I cut them after leaving then in the fridge overnight to dip in chocolate the next day. Is there a secret to the shortbread layer?
Hey Civita,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues with the shortbread. Shortbread is a crumbly cookie usually, but it sounds like yours was too crumbly. Next time, do not brown the butter and just use 2 sticks of softened butter, this should help! xTieghan
Can the maple syrup be omitted?
Hey May,
I would use honey in place of the maple syrup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
First of all, you are amazing and I love all your recipes.
I couldn’t get the caramel to set enough to dip them in the chocolate. When I cut them, they were instantly gooey/melty. I’m thinking maybe I didn’t cook the caramel long enough, or maybe we didn’t leave them in the freezer long enough. We ate them as melty, gooey caramel bars though and were not dosappointed.
Also, my chocolate always gets lumpy. How do you melt yours?
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues with the caramel. Next time I would leave it longer in the freezer to set. For the chocolate, I like to heat in the microwave and the key for smooth chocolate is the coconut oil. You can always try a different brand, I like Chocolove. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi there! Do you put the chocolate striping and sea salt on before or after that last time in freezer? Thanks so much!
Hey Carrie,
I put it on before the last freezer step. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Tieghan, you are my FAVORITE food blogger ever! I need to buy your book to support you, I know I’ll love every recipe. Each recipe I’ve tried on your website has been a HIT! I had no idea you did christmas cookie boxes (only been following since this past spring or so)! I have been searching for the perfect ‘wow’ cookies for my boxes. I usually just do chocolate dipped biscotti, but I really wanted to go the extra mile this year to brighten up everyone’s Christmas! These will ABSOLUTELY be going in my box. I’ll be making them this week! I can’t wait to see your complete cookie box! I’m going to go check 2017-2019’s boxes! Love from Québec xx
Aw you are so kind!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Sarah! Thank you! xTieghan
These are PHENOMENAL. One of the best cookies I’ve made in a while. I made these for my friends and family but have already eaten two… so hopefully they last!
Thank you Kate! xTieghan
Can you freeze these?
Hey Amy,
Yes, you can freeze these. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these yesterday with my daughter…they are deadly…soooo good! I didn’t have flaked salt so we used Pink Himalayan salt. We also substituted vegetable oil for the coconut oil in the chocolate.
Amazing! Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan
I made the recipe yesterday and the shortbread was really crumbling. I did follow your recipe so I don’t understand…. Can you help?
Thanks
Claire
Hey Claire,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am sorry the dough was crumbly, it is the nature of a shortbread. Next time just use 2 sticks of softened butter instead of the brown butter. I hope this helps! xTieghan