This tahini caramel millionaire's shortbread is made up of a buttery shortbread base, a chewy tahini caramel filling, and a salted chocolate topping.
This tahini caramel millionaire's shortbread is the ultimate decadent dessert. Millionaire's shortbread gets its name from the richness of the buttery shortbread crust, sweet caramel filling, and salted chocolate topping. While these bars won't make you a millionaire, they certainly are rich in calories! My version of this popular dessert has tahini mixed into the caramel filling, giving it a nutty, complex flavor that balances out the sweetness perfectly. If you're a fan of caramel and tahini, you're going to LOVE these bars!
For more caramel recipes, try Caramel S'mores Rice Krispie Treats, Caramel Rum Bundt Cake, Salted Caramel Macarons, and Salted Caramel Apple Pie.
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Ingredient Notes
- Butter: This recipe requires about 3 ½ sticks of butter total, which is a lot, but that's how you know it's gonna be good!!
- Sugars: You'll need powdered sugar and granulated sugar for this recipe.
- Flour: You'll need about two cups of flour for the shortbread crust.
- Heavy Cream: You'll need a little more than a cup of a heavy cream for the tahini caramel.
- Light Corn Syrup: Light corn syrup is essential to achieving the right consistency of the caramel filling.
- Tahini: Use a creamy, pourable tahini. My favorite brands are Seed + Mill, Krinos, and Soom.
- Chocolate: I recommend using Guittard semi-sweet chocolate bars.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this tahini caramel millionaire's shortbread recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Mix the dough. Make the shortbread crust dough by creaming the butter and powdered sugar, then folding in the dry ingredients.
STEP 2: Assemble and chill. Press the dough into an even layer into the pan and chill for about 30 minutes.
STEP 3: Bake. Bake the shortbread crust at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until evenly golden.
STEP 4: Start the caramel. Make the tahini caramel by combining the sugar and light corn syrup, and heating it over low-medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
STEP 5: Butter and cream. Meanwhile, heat the butter and heavy cream together in a medium bowl. This is a very important step, as it needs to be warm so it doesn't seize the caramel.
STEP 6: Heat. Increase the heat to medium-high and stir frequently. After about 10 minutes it will turn an amber color. Remove from heat.
STEP 7: Mix. Stir in the warm butter, heavy cream mixture. It will bubble and rise rapidly.
STEP 8: Heat and stir. Place the pan back on medium-high heat and cook until it reaches 248 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in the tahini and vanilla.
STEP 9: Pour and chill. Pour the tahini caramel over the cooled shortbread crust and chill until set.
STEP 10: Add chocolate. For the chocolate layer, melt the chocolate with the oil until smooth. Pour over the set tahini caramel and chill until solid.
Expert Baking Tips
- For tahini brands, I recommend Seed + Mill, Krinos, and Soom.
- For chocolate brands, I recommend Guittard and Ghirardelli.
- Use any neutral oil, such as light tasting extra virgin olive oil, refined coconut oil (melted), canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Be sure to use a deep enough saucepan to account for the caramel bubbling up significantly.
- Store these bars in the fridge for up to one week.
Recipe FAQs
This tahini caramel is actually a fairly basic caramel recipe that is heated to exactly 248 degrees F (which is soft ball stage) with tahini stirred into it at the end. The caramel is cooked to this exact temperature, so it will cool into a soft chewy candy, rather than remaining a caramel sauce.
Store these bars in the fridge for up to one week.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other tahini recipes you'll love
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📖 Recipe
Tahini Caramel Millionaire's Shortbread
Ingredients
For the shortbread crust:
- 227 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, 2 sticks, room temp
- 113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 240 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the tahini caramel:
- 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, 1 ½ sticks
- 255 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) heavy cream
- 450 g (2 ¼ cups) granulated sugar
- 234 g (¾ cup) light corn syrup
- 96 g (¾ cup) tahini*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate layer:
- 255 g (1 ½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate*
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil*
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
For the shortbread crust:
- Line a 9×9 inch square pan with two pieces of parchment paper, creating a sling for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat for 2 more minutes.
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour and salt until just combined.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon or small measuring cup to pack it in and level it out.
- Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- While the base is chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Bake the shortbread for 30-35 minutes or until it is an even light golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely before pouring the caramel on top.Â
For the tahini caramel:
- In a medium bowl, heat the heavy cream and butter until the butter has completely melted. Set aside.
- In a large, deep saucepan combine the sugar and light corn syrup. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.*
- Increase the heat to medium-high, and stir frequently. After about 10 minutes, it will turn amber in color.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the heavy cream and butter mixture. It will bubble and rise rapidly.Â
- Return the pan back to the medium-high heat. Stir frequently until it reaches 248 degrees F.Â
- Once it comes to temperature, remove from heat and stir in the tahini and vanilla.Â
- Immediately pour over the cooled shortbread crust.
- Allow the caramel to cool down a little before placing in the fridge overnight. You could also leave it at room temperature for several hours to set.Â
For the chocolate layer:Â
- In a medium bowl, heat the chocolate and oil until fully melted and smooth.Â
- Pour over the set tahini caramel and spread into an even layer.Â
- Place in the fridge until solid.Â
- Cut the millionaire's shortbread into 16 bars (or more), sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and enjoy!
Notes
- For tahini brands, I recommend Seed + Mill, Krinos, and Soom.
- For chocolate brands, I recommend Guittard and Ghirardelli.
- Use any neutral oil, such as light tasting extra virgin olive oil, refined coconut oil (melted), canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Be sure to use a deep enough saucepan to account for the caramel bubbling up significantly.Â
- Store these bars in the fridge for up to one week.
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