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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.
These are very delicious but the caramel disconnected from the shortbread- making it impossible to dip in chocolate.any tips? shortbread crumbled
Hey Karen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had issues. Next time, just use 2 sticks of butter rather than brown butter so the shortbread is less crumbly. If the caramel was hard, it was cooked a little too long. I hope this helps for next time! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious. The only thing I did differently was that I just dipped the top part of the bar instead of the entire bar into the chocolate (to save time) and it was the PERFECT amount of chocolate.
Hey Jessica,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they are delicious! Only thing I didn’t have on hand was coconut oil, so I swapped for butter instead.
Hey Adriana,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These didn’t turn out well for me. I don’t know what I did wrong. The caramel portion is a very thick layer, tastes too much like the sweetened condensed milk. The chocolate is too soft so it can’t even be eaten properly. I LOVE sweets but these were overly sweet and rich. The shortbread is falling apart,
Hey Priya,
So sorry you had issues with this recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Simply the best holiday treat I’ve ever made. Five star rating just isn’t sufficient!! Merry, merry Christmas!!!
Hey Angie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’ve made these twice but both times the bars crumble when I cut squares, leaving the bottoms really uneven and not pretty. They look okay once dipped but the crumbles get all in the melted chocolate. Am I doing something wrong? Either way, they’re delicious.
Hey Kaylee,
I am so sorry you are having trouble with the shortbread. Next time instead of browning the butter, just use 2 sticks of soft butter. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Complete failure ? shortbread crumbled and fell off the caramel. I had to throw half of them away. Not sure remaining will dip well without shortbread messing up chocolate dipping sauce. I don’t think I’ll try any more baked desserts or candy here.
Hey Kim,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
HI! Can you use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk?
Hey Adriana,
Sorry you will want to use sweetened condensed milk here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
DELICIOUS. I always add a new cookie recipe each year to my extensive Christmas cookie baking tradition. These WERE the pick this Holiday. SO good. As always all of your recipes never disappoint. Thank you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. ❤ ??
Hey Shelia,
I am so glad you enjoyed these cookies, thanks so much for giving them a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can’t wait to make these!
On step 4 you say “ Transfer to the fridge to chill, at least 1 hour or 30 minutes in the freezer.”
Do you mean put in the freezer for an hour and 30 minutes or put in the fridge for an hour and 30 min?
Hey Jackie,
Sorry for the confusion, yes chill in the fridge! I hope you love the recipe. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! Making the bars now. It looks like my caramel broke. The butter separated. Any ideas Why? Hoping it still cools well for dipping!
Hey Julie,
So sorry about this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Is the caramel over cooked? Let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This recipe was a fail for me. I followed it exactly as written. My shortbread was crumbly and fell apart (even without browning the butter) and my caramel set up too hard to cut. The taste was fine but I was not able to cut these into bars without them falling apart. I read the comments of others saying their caramel was too soft and made sure to cook the full 15 minutes. It would have been much more effective to have a temperature listed.
Hey Georgia,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I’m in the middle of making these, so excited! Did you temper the chocolate to make them shiny? If not, how do you achieve the shininess from the semi-sweet chocolate without getting the streaks after drying?
Hey Kathryn,
I add coconut oil to my chocolate which makes it shiny and I microwave at 30 second increments to melt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are outstanding! Family says best ever…few things. Made exactly as recipe said. I melted the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water. I dropped one shortbread/caramel bar at a time into the bowl, use a large spoon to flip it and cover and then flipped them onto a cookie sheet. They came out perfectly…no fingerprints and super easy! Highly recommend!!!!
Hey Susan,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These were DELICIOUS! However, when I cut mine, some of the shortbread broke off (so they didn’t make quite as nice of squares as yours) and some of them the caramel even came off from the shortbread, making it impossible to dunk them in the chocolate. (Don’t worry, I still saved the not so pretty pieces and drizzled chocolate on them – they’re just the ones for me and not guests 🙂 ) – any ideas why this would have happened?
Hey Christy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am sorry you had some issues! Next time, instead of using brown butter for the short bread, just use 2 sticks of soft butter. For the caramel, just be careful not to overcook it, when this happens the caramel hardens and won’t stick to the shortbread. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan