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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!

overhead photo of Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars

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!!

prep photo of bars before covering in chocolate

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.

overhead close up photo of Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars

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.

overhead close up photo of Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars

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!

overhead photo of Chocolate Covered Brown Butter Millionaire’s Bars

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
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.

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Ingredients

Shortbread

Caramel

US Customary - Metric

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.
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this last year for my Christmas cookie tray and again this year because it is so good! Recommendation: when cutting the cooked, chilled slab into bars or squares, flip the slab over and cut through the shortbread side first so the shortbread doesn’t break.

    Reply

    1. Hey Marla,
      Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Have the best week:) xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Gabriella,
      I would use an equal amount of GF flour, I like Cup4cup. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Loved this recipe! It was very easy to make and delicious. I made them into bars but next time I think would go squares. These are pretty rich/decadent so you really only want a smaller bite. Will be making again.

    Reply

    1. Hey Claire,
      Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  4. Question – In Step 1, are you using ALL the butter after browning or are you using JUST the browned part and discarding the “foam” on top? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Connie,
      Sure, that should work just fine for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I made it for our church snacks! It was amazing! Definitely a hit! It was my first time making this recipe too. I was really surprised how it turned out! Guess I could somehow really follow instructions. ???

    Reply

    1. Hey Naomi,
      Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  7. I made these for my daughter’s birthday. She is a big twix fan.. They are delicious! It took close to 30 minutes for the caramel mixture to thicken though. I had a bit of trouble with the two layers separating when I cut them into pieces. Any thoughts?
    Always a fun adventure making your recipes!
    ~Bonnie Fogarty. Oakdale, CA

    Reply

    1. Hey Bonnie,
      Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? What do you mean by separating? Was your caramel hard? If so, that means it was cooked for too long. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. Hi! How do you get your caramel to be that thickness? My butter separated and did’nt look half as creamy! Wondering what I did wrong! Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Laura,
      So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? How long did you boil for? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 4 stars
    It tasted good but was definitely messy to work with. The proportions seemed a little off; not enough dough to fill the pan and too much caramel. After freezing, my shortbread and caramel layers did not stick together. If anyone knows how to prevent this, please let me know. Overall, it was still tasty and would make it again with some improvements.

    Reply

    1. Hey Lilly,
      I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Family and neighbors said they were their favorite collie ever (and I love them too). Made them twice and the cookie base crumbles when I cut them. Should I reduce cooking time?

    Reply

    1. Hey Carrie,
      I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Yes, I would try doing that! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    I made these today for my husband’s birthday and they were VERY popular! Didn’t turn out quite as neat as yours but delicious nonetheless! Thanks Tieghan.

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Finally made this recipe and it is fantastic! When making my shortbread it looked a little dry so I just melted less than a tablespoon of butter and added it to the mixture before transferring to the pan for baking. Making the caramel was fun and dipping in chocolate made it all come together! Can’t wait to share them with friends & family!

    Reply

  13. I just found your blog about a month ago, and I’ve already tried so many things and they are all sooo good! I just made these today for my family and they are incredible, and I have the Sunday short rib ragu cooking in the slow cooker for dinner tonight as well. So excited!

    Reply

    1. Hey Laura,
      So sorry you found these to be too sweet. Did you use real maple syrup? I would highly recommend that! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. Hi, I had been eyeing this recipe for a month, and last weekend I broke down and made them. They were delicious! There was just the right amount of shortbread and caramel. I need to finesse the art of dipping the bars in the melted chocolate. Some had way to much chocolate and others not enough. For the most part, they looked really good. I did run out of chocolate before decorating the top with lines. I will definitely make them again and make sure I budget the chocolate better. Thank you for this yummy treat recipe!

    Reply

    1. Hey Maria,
      I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan

      Reply