For anyone who needs to eat gluten free, old holiday favorites or delicious looking holiday specials, can be a challenge. This gluten free millionaire bar recipe is both gluten-free, and as delicious as the traditional version. The bar is a bit of a process, but the results are well worth it, and will look spectacular on a holiday cookie platter.
This is an impressive looking and tasting cookie bar, with a layer of crumbly shortbread, rich caramel, and dark chocolate, it is the perfect layered pairing. It does take some time to bake and assemble, especially cooking up the fresh caramel for the middle. However, the effort is well worth the delicious reward of these millionaire bars, also known as caramel shortbread bars.
Millionaire Bars Recipe:
This recipe is prepared in three stages. The caramel can be made while the bars are baking, or after the shortbread has cooled. The chocolate can be added after the caramel has hardened. This is a good recipe to make over an afternoon and evening, due to the cooling periods needed.
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Gluten Free Millionaire Bars: For Holiday Entertaining
Ingredients
Shortbread:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup butter
Chocolate layer:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
Making the Shortbread Base:
- Use softened butter, and cream together with sugar and vanilla.
- Add gluten free flour and coconut flour and mix until blended.
- Line a sided pan with parchment paper, and press the shortbread dough into the bottom of the pan, in an even layer.
- Preheat the oven to 350F, then bake shortbread for about 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Note that gluten free shortbread browns slowly, and may need a bit longer to fully brown.
- While baking, prepare the caramel layer. Or, let the shortbread cool and prepare the caramel later.
The Caramel layer:
- Combine the caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan, and stir continuously over medium-low heat. Be careful not to let the sugar scorch.
- Stir the mixture over medium-low heat until it begins to boil, continue stirring to prevent scorching and keep the mixture at a low boil for 5-8 minutes. If the boil becomes too vigorous, turn the heat down a step.
- Take off the heat after its boiled for at least 5 minutes, and beat vigorously for 3 minutes.
- Pour hot caramel over the cooked shortbread layer in the lined pan. The caramel will appear very liquid at this point.
- Tuck the pan in a safe space, or back in a cool oven, and let the caramel harden and cool for approximately 2 hours. Near the end of the two hours, prepare the chocolate layer.
The chocolate layer
- Fill a medium saucepan 1/3rd full of water, and set a glass measuring cup inside that pot to make a double boiler.
- Break up the chocolate and place it in the glass measuring cup, add the coconut oil and monitor until the chocolate melts.
- Stir to combine the chocolate and coconut oil. While the chocolate is liquid, pour it over the caramel layer of the millionaire shortbread bar.
- Set the completed millionaire shortbread bars to the side, while the chocolate hardens. Refrigerate the bar for 1-2 hours to ensure the chocolate and caramel layers are hard, before cutting, if desired.
Cutting, Serving, and Storing:
After the chocolate is hardened, lift the entire ensemble out by the parchment paper lining, and place on a cutting board.
Cut into bars using a large knife. The caramel may cut easier if a hot knife is used. I found it cut fine with a cold knife, but I did initially end up with a very soft caramel layer, rather than a semi-firm one. If your caramel seems quite sticky, definitely refrigerate the bar before cutting.
Place into cookie tins or airtight containers, and refrigerate.
Ingredients:
The shortbread base is assembled and cooked first. Then the caramel is cooked, and added to the shortbread, while the shortbread is warm or cold. There is some leeway with timing here. Once both layers are cooled and solid, about 2-3 hours, the chocolate layer can be added.
Shortbread:
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup butter
Chocolate layer:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Making the Shortbread Base:
Use softened butter, and cream together with sugar and vanilla.
Add gluten free flour and coconut flour and mix until blended.
Line a sided pan with parchment paper, and press the shortbread dough into the bottom of the pan, in an even layer.
Preheat the oven to 350F, then bake shortbread for about 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Note that gluten free shortbread browns slowly, and may need a bit longer to fully brown.
While baking, prepare the caramel layer. Or, let the shortbread cool and prepare the caramel later.
The Caramel layer:
Combine the caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan, and stir continuously over medium-low heat. Be careful not to let the sugar scorch.
Stir the mixture over medium-low heat until it begins to boil, continue stirring to prevent scorching and keep the mixture at a low boil for 5-8 minutes. If the boil becomes too vigorous, turn the heat down a step.
Take off the heat after its boiled for at least 5 minutes, and beat vigorously for 3 minutes.
Pour hot caramel over the cooked shortbread layer in the lined pan. The caramel will appear very liquid at this point.
Tuck the pan in a safe space, or back in a cool oven, and let the caramel harden and cool for approximately 2 hours. Near the end of the two hours, prepare the chocolate layer.
The chocolate layer
Fill a medium saucepan 1/3rd full of water, and set a glass measuring cup inside that pot to make a double boiler.
Break up the chocolate and place it in the glass measuring cup, add the coconut oil and monitor until the chocolate melts.
Stir to combine the chocolate and coconut oil. While the chocolate is liquid, pour it over the caramel layer of the millionaire shortbread bar.
Set the completed millionaire shortbread bars to the side, while the chocolate hardens. Refrigerate the bar for 1-2 hours to ensure the chocolate and caramel layers are hard, before cutting, if desired.
Cutting, Serving, and Storing:
After the chocolate is hardened, lift the entire ensemble out by the parchment paper lining, and place on a cutting board.
Cut into bars using a large knife. The caramel may cut easier if a hot knife is used. I found it cut fine with a cold knife, but I did initially end up with a very soft caramel layer, rather than a semi-firm one. If your caramel seems quite sticky, definitely refrigerate the bar before cutting.
Place into cookie tins or airtight containers, and refrigerate.
What’s your favorite Holiday cookie or treat?
These millionaire shortbread bars are delicious with a glass of milk, a cup of hot chocolate, tea, or even coffee, and make a festive and complex appearing addition to any cookie tray.
What other gluten free treats do you enjoy around the holidays? We’ve experimented with gluten free orange shortbread, gluten free biscotti, gluten free vanilla shortbread, and even gluten free gingerbread.
What’s your favorite holiday cookie, and if you don’t have a gluten free recipe for it yet, drop it in the comments. Maybe it’s something we can try out and create a delicious gluten free version of!
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