Vegan Millionaire's Shortbread

Why We Love This Recipe

• Layered goodness: These vegan millionaire's shortbread bars feature a buttery shortbread layer, followed by gooey caramel and rich chocolate ganache. There's truly something for everyone in this delicious layered dessert.
• Make ahead dessert: These vegan millionaire's shortbread bars store well in the refrigerator, so you can make them several days before serving. Perfect for a weekend baking project when you have a bit more time to prep!
• Level up your holiday cookie exchange: I brought these to a friend's birthday party recently and the entire batch was gone in just minutes. They're always a massive hit – people just can't resist the triple layer combination!
• You could never tell they're vegan. Truly. These are insanely decadent and taste just as delicious as any non-vegan treat you'd pick up at a bakery.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these vegan millionaire's shortbread bars:

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate chips: For the chocolate ganache, make sure to use a good quality chocolate for rich, chocolatey flavor. We're using vegan semisweet chocolate chips but bars would work just as well. You can use chocolate that ranges from about 60% to 80% cocoa.
• Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar both work in this recipe.
• Butter: Just about any vegan butter should work well in the shortbread and caramel, but we particularly love using Miyoko's butter. It's made with coconut oil and cashews instead of palm oil (which is what most vegan butters contain), and it's the closest substitute we've found to real butter! Some vegan butters also have a weird, chemical-like taste when heated past a certain point, so for the caramel layer, we definitely suggest Miyoko's.
• Vegan condensed milk: There are several types of nondairy condensed milk available at natural grocery stores (like Whole Foods). We used Nature's Charm sweetened condensed coconut milk, but we've also used their sweetened condensed oat milk and both worked well. We don't suggest swapping this with any other ingredient, but if you can't find any vegan condensed milk near you, you can try making it at home.
• Flour: We used regular all purpose flour in the shortbread layer. If you are gluten free, you can use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour substitute. It may be a bit more crumbly, but it should still work.
• Cornstarch: We find this is essential for perfect buttery shortbread. You can also substitute with arrowroot starch.
• Coconut oil: We add a small amount to the melted chocolate so that it doesn't harden up quite as much. This makes the bars much easier to cut and eat. The texture ends up similar to a ganache, but it's much easier to make!

Instructions

PREP: Preheat the oven to 300˚F / 150˚C. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Shortbread: Add flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Add in butter and vanilla and use your hands to incorporate into the flour mixture until the dough starts to come together. It's okay if there are still some larger flakes of butter in the dough – you don't want to overwork it. (See photos above in blog post to see what it should look like.)

Transfer dough to the parchment-lined pan and press into an even layer. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the shortbread. Bake for 32-35 minutes. The cookies will still look pale, but they are done. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Caramel: While the shortbread is baking, add the condensed milk, butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted.

Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, then slowly heat the caramel mixture to 240˚-245˚F (soft ball stage), whisking occasionally to prevent burning. It can take up to 20 minutes to reach the temperature, so be patient. 

Once it reaches the correct temperature, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Let cool for a few minutes, then pour the caramel over the shortbread into an even layer.

Let cool to the the touch at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator. After 30 minutes in the refrigerator, the caramel should be set. 

Chocolate: add chocolate and coconut oil to a heat safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval, until fully melted. 

Pour over the caramel layer, using a spatula to spread into an even layer. 

Optional: to create the feathered pattern, melt 2-3 ounces of vegan white chocolate and transfer to a piping bag. Pipe horizontal lines across the chocolate, then drag a toothpick in vertical lines (perpendicular to the piped lines) to create the pattern. You must do this right away after adding the chocolate layer, otherwise it will set. 

Return to refrigerator until chocolate is set (about 30 minutes), then slice and serve. 

Tips and FAQs

• Don't overwork or over-bake the shortbread: For buttery, soft shortbread that doesn't dry out or get tough in the oven, it's important to follow two rules. One: don't overwork the dough. This is why we use our hands instead of using a mixture. It's totally fine to have some big pieces of butter in the dough, so don't feel like you have to work it into a perfect ball. The dough will be pretty crumbly. Two: don't over-bake the dough. It bakes at a low temperature for just about 30 minutes, and even though it may not look totally done, it is! Remove from the oven and trust the process.
• Don't overheat the caramel: Yes, we know this caramel takes a little while to make (trust us it's worth it). Make sure to stir the caramel often to prevent burning, and don't turn up the heat too high. This can cause the caramel to overheat and may affect the final texture of the caramel. At some points, it may seem like the temperature of the caramel is not increasing, but it will eventually get there.
• Feather the top: For a stunning look, we love feathering some vegan white chocolate across the chocolate ganache layer. Simply pipe horizontal lines of chocolate across the top layer. Take a toothpick and drag it through the lines to create that pretty feathered look.
• Make sure the caramel is set before adding the chocolate: The caramel needs about an hour total of chilling for it to set. If you add the chocolate before it's fully set, the two layers might mix and you won't get those beautiful, distinct layers.
• Storage: We recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving. You can also store these in the freezer for up to 6 months. Let them thaw to room temperature before serving.

More Vegan Desserts To Try

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment with a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!