Millionaire’s Bar Brownies

Millionaire Bar Brownies Recipe
Millionaire’s Bars have been around for a very long time.  So named since they are rich with butter, caramel, and chocolate goodness.  They are said to taste like a million dollars.  In an attempt to acquire information about Millionaire’s Bars for this post, I wasn’t able to come up with much specific history.  They purportedly are of Scottish origin, presumably since the base of a Millionaire’s Bar is shortbread.  Many of the recipes I read had a filling derived from caramelizing sweetened condensed milk.  Traditionally the bars are topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate.
Millionaire's Bar Brownies RecipeI decided to turn up the volume just a bit on this classic.  I stayed traditional and started with a shortbread cookie base.  Then, instead of using caramelized sweetened condensed milk for the middle layer, I made a very easy caramel filling from scratch.  You will love how easy it is to make this caramel and I’m convinced that once you make it, you will be stirring up batch after batch to use in a myriad of ways.  My favorite adjustment to the original bar was to replace the traditional final layer with a deeply rich chocolate brownie.
Millionaire's Bar Brownies RecipeUmm, these bars are a winner.  They have been taste-tested by three people so far – two friends and the hubster – and all three testers gave them two thumbs up.  Even if you shy away from making caramel from scratch, I encourage you to make this recipe for your first attempt.  It is not fussy or temperamental at all, and no special equipment like a thermometer or pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan is required.  I discovered this method years ago while preparing a cake from the Food Network archives.  I’ve made my own adjustments over the years but the method is tried-and-true.
Millionaire's Bar Brownies Recipe

 

Source:  Mary Weinberg – Sifting Focus
                  Caramel – Adapted from Food Network Archives

 

 




16 thoughts on “Millionaire’s Bar Brownies

  1. This looks amazing!! today is my husbands birthday and I will be making him these along with his cheesecakes!! Yummy!!

    • I know you’ll love them. Let me know how they turn out for you. You are such a great baker yourself and I respect your opinion highly. XX

  2. Mary, I can’t stop looking at these:) I have to get back to making more desserts as the girls are getting bigger (they are ALWAYS hungry:)

    And meeting at Dominique’s would be great! I stopped a few times for their happy hour on Mondays’ and loved it:) But, I love everything about that place:)

  3. Your Millionaire Bar Brownies may be better than the original! The lush caramel atop the buttery shortbread is all I need. But the added brownie topping is just irresistible! One square would just be the beginning for me…..

  4. We’re making brownies for my son’s birthday (he hates cake – how is that possible?) These caught my eye, yet my son also hates caramel… do you think they would work with chocolate sauce, or should we go with a different brownie? (I want these!)

    • Honestly I don’t know if chocolate sauce would work. What might work is melting chocolate or chocolate chips (just guessing at about 16 ounces)and spread that over the cooled shortbread base. Chill until hardened, bring back to room temperature, and then proceed with the brownie layer. It would be a fun experiment. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out. Happy Birthday to you son!

      • Thanks for your quick response. Since I didn’t have time to experiment I used the topping from your chocolate soufflé brownie recipe. The brownies came out amazing. Everybody loved them. But I guarantee they would have been unforgettable if we used caramel.

        As we were cutting the finished brownie bars my son (he’s eight) admitted he’d never actually eaten caramel. He was just pretty sure he didn’t like it. “But how can you know,” I said, “If you haven’t tried it?”
        “Well it looks gross when you and Mommy put it on your turkey and mashed potatoes.”
        “Uh, that’s gravy…”
        So next time we’re using caramel. Never gravy.

        • Oh my gosh, kid’s say (and think) the funniest things sometimes. I’m glad the brownies were a success. Love how you used the topping from the other brownies. It’s all about improvising – especially with kids. 😉

  5. Can you say SUGAR RUSH? Oh boy…

    And can you say ADDICT?

    Soft AND crunchy, salty AND sweet, sharp flavored dark chocolate with creamy textured caramel and the cookie crunch…. YOU HAVE IT ALL — which is likely why it’s called, “Millionaire’s Bar”.

    What a treat to eat. Make that, What a Luxury to Eat!

    Thank you, Mary, for this extravagant dessert!

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