Gluten free millionaire bars are a treat sent straight down from heaven. Crispy shortbread base, with a thick and chewy caramel in the middle. Topped with a decadent chocolate layer, that tastes just like a candy bar.
Eating candy bars for dessert is about to make a comeback in your life.
After making these, it most certainly made a comeback in mine. I ate all of these except for about 4. And I am most certainly not mad about it.
I was mad when I ran out.
So why candy bars? Well because as you can imagine these gluten free millionaire bars taste just like a Twix. And Twix bars are amazing. Except for the fact they have 1 billion ingredients that aren't really real food.
Oh, and the fact they have gluten in them.
I am not saying this millionaire bar recipe is healthy, but I am saying having control of the ingredients that go into your shortbread bar is going to make them taste way better than a Twix. And help you avoid foods that are not real.
And help you avoid gluten.
Also, just in case you are wondering, you cannot tell these are gluten free. So that makes them the perfect dessert to have anytime, company time included.
Are these difficult to make?
I know what you might be thinking. That millionaire bars look a little fussy to make. But I promise these bars are the opposite of difficult to create!
There are three layers so some planning is required due to cooling time. But you have got this friends, and I promise they are sooo worth it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Let's break this down by layer:
Shortbread base
- gluten free flour
- sugar
- butter
Caramel middle layer
- sweetened condensed coconut milk ( I love Natures Charm)
- sugar
- refined coconut oil
- fresh lemon juice- do not leave this ingredient out it is used to keep the sugar from crystallizing.
Chocolate top layer
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- coconut milk
Substitutions:
My first attempt at making this was made with coconut sugar subbed in for the shortbread. I did not like the way it tasted. It was actually disgusting. For this reason, I would not recommend substituting the sugar.
For the caramel layer, it has not been tested swapping out regular sweetened condensed milk, if you try that sub. You could also swap the coconut oil for butter. I again tried coconut sugar in the caramel for the first recipe and did not like the taste.
If you do not have lemon juice you could use 3 tablespoons of corn syrup. The lemon juice is a necessary ingredient that keeps the sugar from crystallizing.
For the chocolate layer you could sub in any full fat milk you have or like. You could also use an allergy friendly chocolate chip and it will work perfect.
How to store
The bars can be stored in the fridge. Or if you need to make them ahead of time they freeze great. I would recommend you cut them before freezing to make your life easier.
With the freezer or the fridge you will need to let them soften at room temperature if you want them to be the easiest to eat. Me? I ate them pretty much frozen. No shame here.
Let's connect!
If you make these bars don't forget that it is so helpful for you to head back and leave a review. If you have bloggers you love (I hope I am one, ahaha) this is one of the best ways you can support them!
I would also be so grateful for you to follow along with me on IG!
If you are ready to be a millionaire of desserts, let's get to baking!
PrintRecipe
Gluten Free Millionaire Bars
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 10 plus bars 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Crispy gluten free shortbread base, with a thick and chewy caramel in the middle. Topped with a decadent chocolate layer, that tastes just like a candy bar.
Ingredients
Shortbread
- ¾ cups + 3 tablespoons (140 grams) of gluten free flour (with xanthum gum)
- ¼ cup of sugar
- ½ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
Caramel Filling
- 11 ounces sweetened condensed coconut milk
- ½ cup of sugar
- ½ cup of melted refined coconut oil (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice (see notes)
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons of coconut milk (full fat from the can) or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8" square cake pan with cooking spray and then line with parchment paper.
- Shortbread- Place the butter, flour and sugar into a food processor. Process until it begins to bind together. This takes about 30-45 seconds. Press the shortbread crust into and even layer in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake the shortbread crust for 18-20 minutes. The crust will be golden when ready. It will not be firm to touch when finished baking.
- Caramel Filling- While the shortbread is baking, prepare the caramel filling. Place the ingredients for the caramel (sweetened condensed coconut milk, sugar, melted coconut oil, lemon juice) into a medium sauce pan. Slowly heat to a boil, ensuring the sugar melts slowly, dissolving completely. Whisk every few minutes while the mixture comes to a boil. It will be normal for the oil to stay separated until it has boiled and cooked some. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stirring every few minutes until thickened. The caramel will coat the back of a spoon when dipped in and the sugar will not be grainy.
- Pour the caramel over the shortbread and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until firm. Once the caramel is firm, begin the chocolate topping.
- Chocolate Topping- Place chocolate chips into a heat safe bowl and place over saucepan of gently boiling water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Stir the chocolate until melted, shiny and very smooth. When the chocolate is about 75% melted stir in the coconut milk. Let cool for 2 minutes, and then pour over the caramel. Smooth evenly with a small spatula over the caramel layer. Let chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate layer is firm. About 2 hours.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into your desired amount of squares when ready to serve. I made 10 squares but you can make smaller if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to use refined coconut oil as "unrefined" will have a very strong coconut taste.
- The coconut oil is measured after it is melted.
- Be sure to use real lemon juice not the fake stuff also don't skip this ingredient it is necessary for keeping the sugar form crystallizing. You could sub in corn syrup if you have that.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: gluten free millionaire bars, gluten free twix, caramel shortbread squares, gluten free dessert, millionaire bars
This recipe was inspired by "The Baking Bible- Caramel Chocolate Bars"
Mikyla
This caramel sauce is delicious!!! I want to put it on everything!!!
★★★★★