These peanut butter millionaire’s shortbread bars are incredibly delicious and really easy to make. Share responsibly!
When I look at these super addictive peanut butter millionaire’s shortbread bars I get all nostalgic. This is one of the recipes I made back in June of 2013 (!) that I always meant to update because it is pretty darned amazing. I remember bringing the bars to a photo shoot I was art directing at the time and having everyone literally swoon over them.
It has certainly taken me a very long time to update the recipe and I have no excuses really, other than these bars are so calorific and so impossible to resist that I was trying to steer clear of them. They are definitely the type of treat you make when you know there’s lots of people to share it with.
This time I also wanted to make a video and I am so thankful that the video didn’t need the sound captured, because while I was making it there was an insane thunderstorm raging overhead. It seems only fitting that the weather has turned totally unpredictable just as the kids are home on their summer holidays!
The bars are actually really easy to make, they just have a few stages to go through. The shortbread base comes first – this can be made in a food processor as in the video, or by hand simply by rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients. The caramel layer is also super easy, made with sweetened condensed milk, butter, sugar and peanut butter.
The final layer is melted milk and dark chocolate plus a little butter and with peanut butter creating the marbled effect on top. If peanut butter doesn’t float your boat you can simply leave it and the roasted peanuts out and proceed with the recipe without them.
Make sure to take the bars out of the fridge for 10 minutes before cutting them into squares to give the chocolate a little time to soften. If you cut the bars straight out of the fridge the chocolate might crack.
Peanut butter millionaire's shortbread bars
Ingredients
- For the shortbread layer
- 200 g | 7 oz plain all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornflour cornstarch
- 100 g | 3 1/2oz caster sugar
- 170 g | 6 oz unsalted butter cubed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the peanut butter caramel
- 60 g | 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 55 g | 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 x400g | 14oz tin sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- dash soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt crystals
- 3 heaping tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 100 g | 3/4 cup roasted honey peanuts roughly chopped
- For the chocolate layer
- 160 g |1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 160 g| 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 50 g | 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- –––
- 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C/325F. Grease a 20cm/8inch square tin and line the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.
- Put the flour, cornflour and sugar in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and pulse in short bursts until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
- Alternative make by hand by putting all the ingredients together in a bowl and rubbing them together with your fingertips.
- Press the shortbread into the tin until it’s packed down and level.
- Bake for 35-40m. Leave to cool completely (in the fridge if necessary).
- To make the caramel, put the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan and melt over medium heat. Add the condensed milk, bring to the boil stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low then stir for 5 minutes until caramel thickens slightly.
- Stir in the peanut butter, the soy sauce and salt.
- Fold the peanuts into the caramel or spread them over the shortbread in an even layer. Make sure they are quite small otherwise it will be difficult to slice the shortbread.
- Pour the caramel over the shortbread layer. Put in the fridge until it sets.
- Put the chocolate and butter in a bowl and then microwave for short bursts until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir until completely smooth.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel and level.
- Heat the peanut butter and butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir until smooth then drizzle or pipe over the chocolate in straight lines.
- Give your pan a half turn and lightly draw a skewer through the peanut butter lines to create a marbled effect.
- Put in the fridge for an hour or until set.
- When you are ready to slice, lift the shortbread out of the tin by the baking paper. Run a large knife under hot water and wipe dry. Push firmly through the shortbread and slice it, wiping the knife between cuts.
- Keep the millionaire's shortbread in the fridge and consume within 3 days.
Video
cookilicious says
What a gorgeous looking recipe this is! Love the marble effect on top. Pinning it. Amazing pictures you have in there!!
Lucy Parissi says
Thank you! Worth updating it after all these years!
Beth says
Oh dear Lord, those look amazing! Such lovely photos too! I can see why you don’t make them too often, I would eat the whole batch!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Ohhh man you had me at peanut butter! Haha these bars are my kind of dessert!
Lucy Parissi says
Peanut butter and chocolate together makes me weak!
Jeni @ Coquette Kitchen says
Oh my, my husband has asked me to make millionaire’s shortbread before and not being British, I though – what? But these look delicious and he will be so happy when I surprise him with them!
Lucy Parissi says
The traditional millionaire’s shortbread is without peanut butter… but you can make the recipe just as it is and leave it and the peanuts out