The holidays are for decadence and that’s why this vegan millionaire shortbread is the perfect rich sweet treat this time of year!
My vegan millionaire shortbread consists of three layers. A layer of shortbread cookie, a creamy caramel filling, and a chocolate ganache on top with flaked salt. Oh yes, it’s rich! And you will love it.
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This recipe debuted on Food Network Canada this weekend as part of a special I was in called At Home For The Holidays with Anna Olson and Friends. Catch it on repeat on Food Network Canada on December 1, 2020 at 2 pm or on HGTV December 6 at 6 pm and December 9 at 12 pm.
I didn’t have any idea what millionaire shortbread was until I saw it on Pinterest a while back, but I’m totally buying what it’s selling. This Scottish treat is sometimes called a caramel square or caramel shortbread. I actually wanted to make the chocolate topping a little softer and easier to bite into with the other layers. I've seen recipes online that have a hard chocolate topping, but that's just weird when the rest of the bar is so delicate.
You’ll have plenty of these to last all month long, depending on how many people you're feeding! If you want to add more holiday baking to your to-do list try these chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies or these white chocolate cranberry cookie bars.
what you need
- all-purpose flour
- vegan butter (salted)
- light brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- sea salt
- canned coconut cream
- vanilla extract
- chocolate chips or baking chocolate
- Flaked sea salt
how to make vegan millionaire shortbread
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add cubes of cold vegan butter into the bowl.
Pinch the cubes of butter into the flour mixture with your hands until you get a damp crumbly mixture.
Press the shortbread into your prepared baking pan in a compact even layer. Poke holes on the surface with a fork.
To make the caramel, combine coconut cream, butter, and sugars in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it up to 230°F.
Turn off the heat and whisk in vanilla extract and sea salt. Continuing whisking for about 5 minutes to help the caramel cool.
The caramel will thicken as it cools but still be pourable. When it's mostly cooled you can pour it on top of the cooled shortbread crust. Refrigerate this until chilled.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache by melting chocolate and coconut cream together in a mixing bowl over a pot of shallow simmering water.
Once completely melted you can pour over the chilled crust and caramel base. Use an offset spatula to spread the ganache in an even layer to the edges.
Top with flaked sea salt and chill completely before slicing.
Remove the slab from the baking pan to slice the chilled bars. They can remain at room temperature for a while. For longer storage keep in the fridge.
It's all personal preference, but you can cut these into 9 large squares or 18 smaller rectangles. Also, feel free to freeze the vegan millionaire shortbread once complete between layers of parchment in a container. Thaw them in the fridge before serving.
equipment you need
- mixing bowls
- 8 x 8-inch square metal baking pan
- parchment paper
- wire rack
- candy thermometer
- sauce pan
- heat resistant spatula
- offset spatula
- sharp knife
storage
The vegan millionaire shortbread will last quite some time just refrigerated but if you're getting ahead on baking and are freezing everything layer them between parchment paper in a container and freeze. Thaw at room temperature until soft enough to enjoy!
FAQ
If you wanted to make one component ahead of time, you could make the crust and leave it at room temperature a day ahead. But I wouldn't make the caramel or chocolate ahead of time as the texture will change and you don't want to be reheating these layers.
The shortbread crust would work with refined / deodorized coconut oil. Ensure you chill it in the fridge so it's solid and cut it into chunks or cubes same as the butter. You could also substitute coconut oil in the caramel as well. The only down side is you'll be missing the classic rich buttery-ness that comes from using vegan butter.
I wouldn't substitute the granulated or brown sugar in this recipe. You will get a totally different result in flavor and texture. I can't speak to it as I didn't test other sugars, but I don't think the recipe will be the same or as good!
vegan millionaire shortbread
Ingredients
shortbread
- ¾ C all-purpose flour
- ⅓ C light brown sugar packed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ C salted vegan butter cold and cubed
caramel filling
- 1 C canned coconut cream
- ½ C salted vegan butter
- ½ C light brown sugar packed
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
chocolate ganache
- 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped baking chocolate
- ⅓ C canned coconut cream
- ¾ teaspoon flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch square metal baking with parchment paper. Cut 2 strips that are 8-inches wide and criss cross them in the pan so all sides are covered and there is some overhang to help lift the finished bars out of the pan.
- To make the shortbread, in a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt with your hand. Add cold and cubed butter and use your hands to pinch together the butter and dry ingredients until damp and crumbly. It should easily pinch together with no dry ingredients visible. Press into a compact even layer into the pan. Poke holes with fork prongs along the surface. Bake for 12 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the caramel, in a saucepan combine coconut cream, vegan butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar over medium heat. Stir until everything is melted and well combined. Attach a candy thermometer, stop stirring, and heat until it reaches 230°F, about 14 minutes. Once the temperature is reached, turn off the heat and stir in vanilla extract and sea salt. Continue stirring to help cool caramel for about 5 minutes, it will start to thicken. It should be thick but pourable and you can pour it over the cooled shortbread crust. Even it out with a spatula and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Once chilled, make the chocolate ganache. Place chocolate chips and coconut cream in a heat-proof mixing bowl, and set the bowl over a saucepan with a bit of boiling water in it. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir with a spatula to combine until smooth and entirely melted, about 6 to 7 minutes. Pour over the caramel layer and spread out to the edges and corners in an even layer with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with Maldon flaked salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.
Sarah
Great recipe! Just to point out to you, millionaire's shortbread is from Scotland not America. Very glad to see a veganised version of a childhood favourite!
Lauren Toyota
oh yes I know... did I say it was American? oops
Mrs. Shortbread
The recipe calls for salted vegan butter and adds further salt in each layer. What is the salt content of each serving?
Lauren Toyota
I don't know as I don't calculate that for my recipes. It's based on great taste, so that's how I developed the recipe!
Malika0928
What can I use instead of the coconut cream? Can i make the vegan carmel used in the apple tart recipe?
Lauren Toyota
that's caramel won't set the same way.
Tia C
This was so tasty and so easy to make. I'm thrilled to have a delicious, sweet n salty VEGAN cookie to enjoy!!!
Lauren Toyota
yaaay so glad you enjoyed!
Shelley Freemantle
Fantastic!! Love using the coconut cream! So decadent ❤️
Heather Faris
Could you use almond flour instead of all purpose
Lauren Toyota
yes I actually think it would work for this!
Lauren Toyota
actually I think its a combo of almond flour with gluten-free all purpose or a bit of tapioca to help bind it
Vanessa
I would try the recipe again because it was pretty easy to make, but I would prefer a more buttery, less sweet crust. Next time I will probably use a different recipe for the base.
Malika0928
I'm allergic to coconut I made soy condensed milk by adding extra sugar and reduced by half. No brown sugar. It worked ok. I'd need to practice again.
Lauren Toyota
ya the coconut is replacing heavy cream in a traditional recipe so it helps keep it more solid, thick and creamy!
Laura
So pumped for a vegan version of these cookies!! Loved these as a kid.
Tried them last night and they turned out great! SO rich and awesome, such a treat. Thank you!
Lauren Toyota
yes I was in love with them when I made them 😀
Cee
These are amazing! I just made them and oh my god they are so rich, buttery, delicious. Hands down one of the best dessert recipes I’ve made in a long time. Thank you!!
Lauren Toyota
so glad to hear it!
Ecfinn
Hi there, thanks for sharing this recipe. I have a couple of questions: do you use the coconut cream at room temperature, or is this the cold separated cream from the fridge? Also, do you store these bars in the fridge, or can they sit covered on the counter? Can't wait to make these.
Lauren Toyota
Hey! In the case of the coconut cream here, because it's being heated you do not need to have it refrigerated before unless you're using cans of full-fat coconut milk that need more separation to get the water and cream to separate. You should be using as much thick cream as possible and virtually no water/milk. If a tad gets in that's ok. You can store these on the counter for a little bit for serving but they keep longer and better refrigerated.
Vanessa
In addition to my other comment, at room temperature (after being refrigerated for hours), the caramel is runny. I did cook it to 230 degrees F per my thermometer, so not sure what happened.
Kerri
Super quick and easy to make. Pretty good! However, I felt like they were a bit too salty for my taste - but I will make them again (probably soon. lol) with some adjustments to the salt. 😉
Lauren Toyota
great! sure, salt is tricky, but I was really going for that salted caramel vibe. Maybe leave off the salt on top.
Jeannette
You wrote this recipe a while ago and now silk has a heavy whipping cream out that is vegan. Do you think that would work in place of the coconut cream?
Lauren Toyota
I do not know as I haven't tried it! I'm sure it would, what's most important is the cooking temp
Lauren Toyota
oh and in the ganache I'm not sure if it would be as solid, because that cream it not solid when cold