Millionaire’s Shortbread or Caramel Shortbread (Authentic Scottish Recipe)
Millionaire’s shortbread, or caramel shortbread, is a classic Scottish treat. Buttery shortbread is covered with caramel and topped with a glorious chocolate. Make this authentic recipe and you’ll never look back!
Originally published January 23, 2014
If you have a sweet tooth, or know someone who does, then this authentic millionaire’s shortbread recipe is sure to be a recipe you’ll want to try.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve seen lots of recipes for what is supposed to be authentic millionaire’s shortbread, but they simply don’t make the cut. In fact, one of the top recipes from a google search brings up a recipe which is called “millionaire’s shortbread”.
What is Millionaire’s Shortbread?
Millionaire’s shortbread is a rich shortbread topped with caramel and chocolate. While proper millionaire’s shortbread should have only shortbread, caramel and chocolate, some other recipes think that more is more. I’m here to tell you that as a Scot–it is not.
Authentic Scottish shortbread is made with only 3 ingredients.
However, the shortbread shouldn’t have 7 ingredients in it. The caramel shouldn’t have corn syrup in it, and the chocolate topping isn’t just chocolate, but a ganache and it’s topped with salt. JUST NO. I’m not saying the recipe is bad, I’m saying it’s not millionaire’s shortbread which is a Scottish recipe.
This is a simpler, more “well-adjusted” shortbread recipe, because the shortbread is, well–actually shortbread. Why call something a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when there’s no peanut butter in it? It makes no sense. This recipe comes from Melanie Andrews, a Scottish baker and tea room owner for over 25 years in Helensburgh, Scotland. How much better can you get?
Another classic tea room recipe: Scottish red lentil soup.
It’s my duty as a Scot to let you know things like this about mangled Scottish recipes, the same as I do when I find ridiculous recipes pretending to be “Italian”.
These millionaire’s shortbread bars are great in lunch boxes, for bake sales, cookie exchanges, holiday gifts and so much more. They keep well for more than a week if they’re kept in an airtight tin.
Authentic Millionaire’s Shortbread
or Caramel Shortbread
(aka Caramel Shortcake)
Slightly adapted recipe by Melanie Andrews Makes 20 pieces
Full printable recipes below
Ingredients
For shortbread base
- butter
- sugar
- flour
For caramel and chocolate layers
- butter
- sugar
- Lyle’s Golden Syrup
- condensed milk
- chocolate
Make the Millionaire’s Shortbread Base
Press the shortbread dough right into the tray. and bake. Allow to cool.
Make the Caramel
Use a candy thermometer for best results.
Spread the Caramel on the Shortbread Base
Once the shortbread is cool, spread the caramel on top and allow to cool again. Patience is a virtue.
Top Millionaire’s Shortbread with Good Quality Melted Chocolate
Please don’t go to all the trouble to make this delectable treat and use subpar chocolate! Good quality chocolate is key. Callebaut is just an example, but there are many less expensive chocolate brands that are still very good (Trader Joe’s).
When Cool, Cut Millionaire’s Shortbread into Bars
Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
You know this isn’t the last time you’re going to make these millionaire shortbread bars, right?
Love caramel? Here’s another decadent recipe for you to try: Guinness stout dark chocolate pudding cakes with salted caramel sauce. Or sticky toffee pudding, which has a gorgeous caramel topping.

Authentic Millionaire's Shortbread or Caramel Shortcake (Shortbread with Caramel and Chocolate)
Ingredients
- 1 recipe shortbread see recipe card below
Caramel Layer
- 6 oz butter (1 1/2 sticks)
- ¾ c sugar
- 3 Tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup available in British or specialty shops (omit if you cannot find it)
- 7 oz condensed milk (½ of a 14 oz can)
- 8 oz chocolate (for top layer) good quality, dark (or milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (170º C)
Make the Shortbread
- Make the recipe and lightly prick with a fork and bake for about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the Caramel
- Put the butter, sugar, Golden Syrup and condensed milk in a heavy bottomed pan and heat to bubbling, then simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and golden brown in color. If you have a candy thermometer, bring it to the soft ball stage 235-240F (113-115C). Otherwise, test a drop in a cold glass of water, and when it forms a soft ball, it's ready.
- Pour caramel over cooled shortbread, and set aside to cool.
Finish the Millionaire Shortbread Bars
- When the caramel has set, melt the chocolate (I put it in the microwave on "defrost") and spread it evenly over the top of the caramel layer.
- Refrigerate before cutting into slices, and store in an airtight tin or freeze.
Notes
- Use milk chocolate if you prefer it to dark.
Nutrition

How to Make Shortbread (Easy Scottish Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 c butter salted, softened (you can use unsalted, which is the norm for baking, but add a good pinch of salt)
- 2 ½ c all-purpose flour
- ½ c sugar
- ½ tsp sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375º F (190 ºC)
- Start by mixing the butter and sugar together, but DO NOT CREAM them (see notes). The butter shouldn't be too soft, but also not straight from the fridge, especially if you use a mixer.
- Add the flour and mix to a stiff consistency. Don't overwork the dough; stop when it just comes together. That's it, you've just made shortbread dough: I told you it was easy!
- Roll out into the shape of a pan or tin you want to bake them in. I baked this in an 8 x 8 pan. Trim the edges to the approximate size.
- FINGERS: Place it in the pan of your choice. One mistake many people make is rolling the shortbread too thin. Proper shortbread should be quite thick (no less than 3/4" or 2cm if making fingers). Tip: make sure your fingers are wide enough that a fork can prick them. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into fingers. Next, prick the shortbread with a fork, about half way through.
- ROUND: You can also shape the dough into a ball, roll it out into a round, and score into triangles, then prick with a fork.
- MOULD: (brush the mold with a little oil, and sugar first to ensure it comes out nicely). Roll out the dough, place over the mould and roll again to press into it. Remove the excess dough then turn out onto a tray. If your shortbread mould doesn't have a pretty design, prick it with a fork
- CUT OUT SHAPES: roll out more thinly (as with sugar cookies) and cut with cookie cutter. Place onto prepared baking sheet and prick evenly.
- Place in preheated oven for 15 to 30 minutes (depending on which thickness or shape) or until slightly brown on edges. Sprinkle with sugar immediately upon removing from the oven. Shortbread shouldn't be darkly colored. Let your shortbread cool on or in the pan or tray before moving to rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Quality ingredients are KEY, especially the butter.
- The butter and sugar should be thoroughly amalgamated, but not creamed (as when making a cake and the result becomes light and fluffy-shortbread dough takes only a few minutes to make.)
- PLEASE USE A SCALE FOR BEST RESULTS.
- If for some reason your mixture doesn't come together, press it into a pan or use to make a crumble topping - there is no reason to throw it away.
- Store in a sealed container (an old Walker's tin is excellent) and keep in a cool, dry place. Shortbread will keep well for weeks, but is also excellent after being frozen.
- If you plan to keep your shortbread for more than two weeks, I'd suggest freezing it.
Nutrition
Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
How does it turn out with out the golden syrup? Does it turn out really runny?
The photos you see are made with Golden Syrup so I’m confused as to why you would ask why it might turn out really runny? I test my recipes before posting them so you can rest assured they will work for you given that you follow the directions and do not sub ingredients.
You mention that you can omit the syrup if you can’t find it. Im curious how it turns out without it
It just has a different flavor. I prefer the flavor with the Golden syrup.
I’m confused! You say that a pure chocolate topping is unacceptable; it must be ganache. But the recipe doesn’t seem to include ganache. Am I missing something?
Hi Mj, maybe I didn’t write it clearly. The recipe I found has ganache which is unacceptable because authentic Millionaire’s shortbread should only have chocolate, NOT a ganache. If you re-read it knowing this, I think it will make sense now. CC
I love Millionarie Shortbread, my three favourite things in one – caramel, chocolate and shortbread biscuit. Christina, your version looks absolutely perfect, I could eat a slice right now.
It’s probably to hot to bake though, right? Ugh, I hate when we have long heatwaves and I can’t bake for ages! Hope you make it soon!
I made this recipe 2 days ago and it’s amazing, hard to stop eating! I followed the recipe as written, using my kitchen scale to get the correct weights on the ingredients. I did have to add a bit of extra butter (between 1-2 TBS) to the shortbread dough because it was too crumbly. It might depend on the quality of flour being used. I was using grocery store brand all-purpose unbleached flour. Thanks for the recipe, this was the first of yours I tried and I’ll have to try some of the others now!
That’s great, Liz! Yes, if you weighed it, it could possibly be the flour you used. It is quite addictive :) I’m so happy you’ll be trying other recipes. Thank you so much for the review and note – I appreciate it much more than you know! CC
I just had this for the first time when I was in the UK this fall, so I couldn’t wait to try making it. ..but I really messed it up. I only had a glass pan and the shortbread stuck – should I have greased the pan? Also, my shortbread was crumbly and fell apart. The caramel sauce never changed color, even though I cooked it for half an hour stirring constantly. It was really sticky, so maybe I overcooked it? I used it anyway, but on the finished product you couldn’t even tell there was a caramel layer. The only thing I did right was the chocolate layer on top! ;) Can you advise me on where I went wrong? I’m determined to try again. Thanks!
Oh I’m so sorry, Christy. It’s no fun when recipes don’t turn out, but maybe I can help. ‘
First of all, I don’t believe the shortbread should have stuck to the glass pan, but if that’s all you have to use, try buttering it, lining it in parchment or waxed paper and then put in the shortbread. I bet the shortbread was crumbly if you didn’t use a scale (that’s my #1 suggestion for getting recipes right) to measure the flour and sugar? I bet there’s too much flour. If I could get away with removing cups on all of my recipes, I would. They are simply not accurate in baking (fine for cooking as it’s not scientific).
When you say that you can’t tell there’s a caramel layer is it because there wasn’t much to pour on? Maybe you did overcook it? You’ve got the chocolate down, so that’s good! Nancy Birtwhistle posted a video of my recipe yesterday, and maybe it will help you.
Let me know how it turns out next time, and I hope it is good! :)
How can you go wrong with this? Shortbread, caramel and CHOCOLATE! Hear, hear to real ingredients!
Right?! :)
Looks so good, and I never realized it was Scottish before! My Scottish ancestors never shared their recipe if they had one!
They held out on you, David! Haha! :)