Caramel Millionaire Bars
The much-loved Millionaire's Bars with a buttery shortbread crust and easy caramel filling. The ganache topping makes them everyone's favorites.
Servings 12 squares
Calories 517kcal
Ingredients
Shortbread base:
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Caramel layer:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar if using dark, the color will be deeper
- pinch sea salt optional
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons light corn syrup or golden syrup
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 397g or 14oz can
Chocolate ganache topping:
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped or chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the shortbread base:
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Use 1 or 2 strips (see Notes below).
- With a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer on low, cream ½ cup unsalted butter with ¼ cup sugar until smooth.
- Add pinch salt and 1 cup all-purpose flour in two parts, combining well. Do not overmix. It will be crumbly.
- Pat the dough evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Lightly flour the tips of your fingers if needed. Be sure the whole surface is covered in an even layer (or as even as possible).
- Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until it’s dry and fully baked. Reserve.
For the caramel:
- Combine ¾ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, pinch sea salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 4 tablespoons light corn syrup.
- Place over medium heat and whisk until melted and combined. Continue stirring while the caramel bubbles and turns a darker, richer color. If you use a candy thermometer, it needs to reach 225°F. If you don’t, when it starts to thicken and pull away from the edges, about 5 to 6 minutes your caramel is ready.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled shortbread crust. Chill until the caramel sets.
- For a quicker version, use thick dulce de leche (such as dulce de leche repostero Vacalin, the one I use) instead of the caramel above.
For the chocolate topping:
- Place 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, in a medium bowl.
- Heat ½ cup heavy cream in a small saucepan until it's about to break into a boil. Pour over the chocolate, let stand 30 seconds and whisk until smooth and shiny.
- Spread over the cold caramel layer, covering it completely.
- Leave at room temperature until it cools down, and then refrigerate, covered, until it solidifies.
- When ready to serve, remove from the pan carefully with the help of the paper, transfer to a board, cut into squares and serve. Use a sharp kitchen knife.
Notes
Prepare the pan: line the greased pan with strips of parchment paper. When ready to cut and serve, they will help you remove the whole block of bars. The strip (or strips) must be as wide as the pan. 1 strip: cover the bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will be greased but not lined. 2 strips: make a criss-cross pattern and cover the bottom (twice) and all sides. One strip will be wider than the other.
Use pastry dulce de leche (labeled as repostero) instead of making the caramel if you want a super fast version of this recipe.
Milk chocolate topping: it's an alternative if you want a very sweet bar. The caramel layer is very sweet, so semisweet chocolate would be the best choice. Or use a mix of both. It's your call.
Nutrition
Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 834IU | Vitamin C: 1mg
