Gingerbread Millionaire Shortbread Bars

If you love a soft gingerbread cookie, then you’ve got to try these gingerbread millionaire’s shortbread bars. Layers of chocolate and ginger caramel top tender spiced shortbread for a festive twist on this classic British bar.

What’s a millionaire's shortbread?
Originating in the U.K., a typical millionaire shortbread features buttery shortbread topped with gooey caramel and a thin crisp layer of chocolate. It’s basically a Twix, but in cookie bar form. Here, I’ve given it holiday flair by adding molasses and warm spices to the shortbread layer and a little ginger to the caramel. Plus, the chocolate layer is sprinkled with crushed store-bought gingersnaps for a little extra fun!

Creating the caramel:
If you’re nervous about making your own caramel from scratch, relax. This “cheat’s” version of caramel bypasses the traditional sugar-in-a-pan method. Instead it starts by cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk down with dark brown sugar and butter on the stove until it thickens slightly and darkens in color. It’s essential to stir constantly during this process, since the sugar mixture will caramelize quickly on the bottom of the pan. You don’t want it to burn!

Storage & make ahead:
While this recipe might look like it takes a while to make, the majority of the time is spent waiting for the layers to cool down. If you want to split up the steps into a couple of days, I recommend making the shortbread, letting it cool completely, then covering the pan with plastic wrap and storing it at room temperature overnight. The next day, you can make the caramel and top with the chocolate.

Once finished, the bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 1 month.