Millionaires’ shortbread seems to be a staple coffee shop sweet treat, and it’s certainly a tempting one with its crumbly shortbread base, gooey caramel and dark chocolate. I understand its roots are Australian and it’s been around since the 1970s at least. I thought it was about time to make a dairy free version. These caramel squares worked superbly well using oat cream and dairy-free spread rather than the usual dairy ingredients.
This is a good traybake shortbread to have in your repertoire as it’s good for sharing, easily cut into squares for packed lunches or picnics and keeps well.
Millionaires’ Shortbread (dairy-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes about 12 bars
- 225g plain flour
- 75g caster sugar
- 150g dairy-free spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1/2 cup oat cream (or soya cream)
- 2 tbsps Demerera sugar
- 1/3 cup golden syrup
- 2 tbsps dairy-free spread
- 100g dairy-free dark chocolate
– Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/gas mark 4
– Line a 9 inch square baking dish with parchment
– Stir the sugar into the flour
– Rub in the spread and vanilla until the dough comes together into a crumbly mass
– Press the dough into the baking dish
– Bake for about 20 minutes until the shortbread starts to turn golden at the edges.
– Meanwhile, make the caramel
– In a saucepan, melt together the sugars, syrup and cream
– Stir in the spread, then bring to a bubbling simmer
– Simmer until the caramel is almost hard ball stage (drop a drizzle into a bowl of cold water and if the caramel forms a squishy ball when pressed together its ready)
– Pour over the shortbread and leave to cool
– Once set, melt the chocolate I a microwave or over a Bain Marie. Spread over the cooled caramel layer and leave to set. If desired sprinkle the chocolate with flakes of fleur de sel for a salted caramel effect.
– Cut into small bars
16 Responses
Guess what I’m going to be trying this weekend? 🙂
BTW – the recipe says “melt together the guards, syrup and cream” – assume it should read “butter, syrup and cream”?
Rx
Wow, yes, this weekend!
Did you? 🙂
HI Lucy! I have a batch of these sitting in my fridge, cooling as we speak. Minus a corner of course because I simply couldn’t wait to try it. It’s amazing! And you would never know it’s vegan. I used coconut cream in the caramel which added a yummy coconut tinge. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Brill thanks. Oops about the typo, not sure what happened there!
Lucy these look amazing!
Spread is in the directions twice for the caramel; ‘In a saucepan, melt together the spread, syrup and cream
– Stir in the spread, then bring to a bubbling simmer’…I assume one of them should be sugar?? 😀
Thanks for the eagle eyes – so much for getting the other half to edit while I’m at work! 😉
Hehe! Hope you don’t mind me pointing it out, but I want to try them so wanted to do it right! 🙂
You’ve done it again! These look amazing! Thanks for another great recipe. 🙂
Yes – we call them caramel slices here. Base is coconut/flour/butter, then condensed milk, syrup and brown sugar, then melted chocolate. not healthy! Yours look the same – and because they’re healthier you can have more than one!!
I’ve never heard of Millionaires’ shortbread and from your photos I can see that I’m missing out!! These look fantastic! Celeste 🙂
Hi ya your recipe looks great i really want to try it! But cant get a cream we can have as gluten dairy soya and coconut free! Is there anything else i can use? Mny thanks x
Hi, thanks for your message. perhaps this kind of rice cream would work for you? x
https://www.greenweez.co.uk/the-bridge-rice-cream-200ml-p46160
I only have an 8 inch square pan, would I be able to use that and if so will it change the cooking time? Can i also use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate please?
Sorry, Natalie – I missed this message! You’d probably want to use less mixture or bake for slightly longer. Milk chocolate would be more than fine! x
Thank you for getting back to me and helping me once again lol. x