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Millionaire Bars – a layer of buttery shortbread made easy with Walkers Shortbread, topped with a gooey salted caramel layer, topped with a dark chocolate ganache, and finished with a Walkers Shortbread Festive Shape cookie pressed into the top.
This no-bake treat is easy, delicious, and so fun for the holidays!
Millionaire Shortbread Bars
As soon as I saw Walkers Festive Shapes, I knew I wanted to incorporate them into a dessert. They’re delicious on their own, but turning them into something else, makes them that much better. Pressing them into a decadent Millionaire Bar seemed like the perfect solution.
I can just picture them on the holiday table at my parent’s house for Christmas Eve dinner next to the other Christmas cookies.
Millionaire Bars are typically a shortbread crust, a layer of caramel, then a layer of chocolate. Because I added a fourth layer with the Christmas shaped shortbread, I purposely left the other three layers thinner than you may be used to.
This ensures that you’re getting the perfect ratio of each layer with the caramel and chocolate ganache sandwiched between the shortbread. I can’t wait for you to try them!
Why you’ll love these Millionaire Shortbread Squares
- They’re easy! This recipe is no-bake and takes hardly any time at all to prepare.
- They’re made with the best ingredients. Walkers Shortbread is high quality and made with only four natural ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, salt. You’re taking the classic shortbread you already love and dressing it up for the holidays!
- Everyone will love them. Kids and adults alike will love enjoying these at a party or on a cookie platter.
Walkers Shortbread Festive Shapes
Walkers Shortbread is a holiday staple. They’re a cheerful tradition and now you can find them in fun holiday shapes. The cookies come packaged in the cutest holiday tins and boxes that are perfect to use as teacher gifts, for special people in your life, the mail lady, host gifts, etc.
As much as I love making and gifting homemade treats, I understand people may be hesitant to accept food gifts. That’s why I love using Walkers – I know they’re the quality I want, everyone loves them, and they’re so perfectly packaged.
The festive shapes include Santa faces, stars, trees, and bells.
Tools you’ll need
- Food Processor – You’ll need to crush up the shortbread fingers to make the crust. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place the fingers into a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Medium Saucepan – You’ll use a medium saucepan to make the caramel and heat the cream for the ganache.
- Offset Spatula – An offset spatula makes spreading the caramel layer and the ganache easy.
- 10×10 Baking Dish – Because of the size of the festive shapes, you’ll need to use a 10×10 pan to evenly fit nine cookies.
Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients as well as some possible substitutions and helpful tips. **Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card**
- Walkers Shortbread Fingers – You’ll crush up the fingers to make the easy crust.
- Butter – Butter is added to the crushed up shortbread to form the crust and added to the ganache. Use unsalted.
- Caramel Squares – I tested this recipe with from-scratch and shortcut caramel. The shortcut version won and is the easiest. Caramel squares are usually found in the candy aisle of the grocery store. If you’d prefer from-scratch, I recommend my salted caramel from these cookies.
- Salt – If you want salted caramel, you’ll sprinkle a flaky salt on top of the caramel layer before it sets. Use a flaky salt, not table salt. You can skip it, if you prefer.
- Heavy Cream – You’ll add heavy cream to both the caramel squares and the ganache.
- Chocolate Chips – Because this recipe calls for so few ingredients, and you’re already getting the best with the Walkers shortbread, don’t skimp on the chocolate. I use a high quality dark chocolate chip so they’ll melt beautifully, but if you prefer milk or semi-sweet, those can be used as well.
- Vanilla Extract – You’ll add a splash of vanilla extract to the ganache. Use a high quality vanilla and skip imitation, if possible.
- Walkers Shortbread Festive Shapes – You’ll need nine festive shapes to press into the bars.
How to make Millionaire’s Bars with Walkers Shortbread
- STEP ONE: Make the shortbread crust. Crush Walkers Shortbread fingers either in a food processor or place them into a zip top bag and smash them into crumbs with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a bowl, pour in the melted butter and mix to evenly combine. Press the buttery crumbs into a 10×10 baking dish that has been lined with parchment paper.
Easy Caramel for Millionaires Shortbread
I tested this recipe with multiple versions of homemade caramels and while they were good, they weren’t quite what I was looking for. I polled my readers on Instagram & Facebook and the majority voted for a shortcut caramel, so that’s what I went with.
Using caramel squares resulted in a perfectly gooey caramel layer that is foolproof to make. If you’d like to use a from-scratch caramel, I highly recommend the salted caramel I use in my brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
- STEP TWO: Make the gooey caramel layer. To a medium saucepan, add 11 oz of unwrapped caramel squares with 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until fully melted and smooth. This step will likely take close to 10 minutes. Pour the caramel over the crust and sprinkle with flaky salt.
- STEP THREE: Make the dark chocolate ganache. To another medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream with butter until warm, but not boiling. Pour the warm mixture over chocolate chips, add the vanilla, and stir until melted and smooth. Use an offset spatula (or just the back of a spoon) to evenly spread the ganache over the caramel layer.
- STEP FOUR: Press in the festive shapes. While the ganache is still warm, gently press the festive shapes into the top. You’ll be able to fit 9 cookies evenly in a 10×10 pan.
- STEP FIVE: Let chill & then slice. Place the entire pan into the fridge to set. Once fully chilled, carefully slice into 9 squares and serve!
Millionaire Shortbread Bars FAQs
What is the best shortbread to buy?
Walkers Shortbread is the best! It is simple, buttery, and delicious. Walkers Fingers are readily available year-round at most markets, Walmart, or you can order them from Amazon. The Festive Shapes can be found at Target, CVS, Whole Foods, or ordered online.
Why is it called Millionaire Shortbread?
Because they’re so rich! Get it?!? lol (as my 4 year old would say). The layers are rich, decadent, and the perfect blend of flavors.
How to serve them
The squares will be quite large. If you’re ok with slicing into the cute shapes, you can divide each square into three to get more servings (making 27 bars total). Otherwise, just cut into 9 squares and enjoy your jumbo sized bar.
They pair nicely with coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate.
Should you keep Millionaire’s Shortbread in the fridge?
You can keep them either at room temperature or chilled in the fridge. The caramel is nice and gooey, and will get even gooier at room temperature, so keep that in mind, they could get messy!
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze it. Wrap it tightly first in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How do you cut Millionaire Shortbread neatly?
In all of my test batches, I used a large knife to score cut lines in the ganache, then ran the knife under warm water, dried it off completely, then used even pressure to slice the bars. Wipe your knife between cuts to keep it clean.
Need more holiday favorites? Try these:
Candied Pecans, Candied Cashews, or Candied Almonds
Christmas Brownies
Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
Crockpot Peanut Clusters
Click here for my entire collection of Christmas recipes.
Millionaire Bars
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust
- 10.6 ounces Walkers Shortbread fingers (this is 2 boxes; 16 fingers)
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For the caramel layer
- 11 oz caramel squares unwrapped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- flaky sea salt to taste
For the dark chocolate ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate chips
- 9 large Walkers Festive Shapes
Instructions
- Line a 10×10 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
To make the shortbread crust
- To a food processor, crush the Walkers Shortbread fingers into a fine crumb. Alternatively, you can place them into a large zip top bag and crush evenly with a rolling pin.
- Pour the crumbs into a medium mixing bowl and pour in the melted butter. Stir to combine and then press into an even layer in the prepared pan. The layer will be thin.
To make the caramel layer
- To a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream. Stir with a heat safe spatula until fully melted and smooth. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
- Pour the caramel over the shortbread crust and use an offset spatula (or back of a spoon) to to spread into an even layer. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
To make the dark chocolate ganache
- While the caramel layer sets, make the ganache by adding the heavy cream and butter to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and pour over chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth and fully melted.
Assemble the bars
- While the ganache is still warm, press 9 Walkers festive shapes evenly into the top of the chocolate. Move to the fridge to let fully chill and set; approximately 30 minutes.
- Once set, lift the bars from the pan using the excess parchment paper. Use a large knife to evenly slice the bars into 9 squares. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This post was originally sponsored by Walkers Shortbread November 30, 2021.
