These multi-million dollar pecan butter bars have 3 layers: shortbread, nut butter, and chocolate! This easy dessert recipe couldn’t be tastier.
This position was created in partnership with the American Pecan Council. All opinions are ours.
Have you ever had millionaire bars? Sometimes called Millionaire’s Shortbread, it’s a layered bar of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate, similar to Twix candies. But this biscuit hails from the British Isles and is a delicious homemade treat. For our version of this famous bar, we turned it into an easy dessert and replaced the caramel layer with pecan butter! Our friends were literally beg for the recipe. So without further ado… let’s make millionaire bars!
Why cook with pecans?
This year, America’s pecan farmers are asking you to commit to making another pecan dish this holiday season – beyond the pecan pie! They started the Super American Pecan-A-Thon and are asking the folks at #PledgePecans to make another recipe with pecans to support the farms and families who harvest pecans in America. To enter, all you have to do is watch Pecan-a-thon (an online variety show featuring pecan farmers) or click/download a recipe. This holiday is the perfect time to embrace all the nutritious, delicious, and versatile possibilities of pecan cuisine.
Looking to pawn pecans this holiday season? All you have to do is find this Millionaire Pecan Butter Bars recipe or another on AmericanPecan.com/PledgePecans! These Millionaire Pecan Butter Bars are perfect for Thanksgiving as an alternative to pecan pie, as a Christmas cookie, and as a fancy New Year’s recipe.
Tips on how to make these millionaire bars
The origin of the name Millionaire Bars is difficult to prove: most sources claim that it is due to the abundance of ingredients they contain! For this version, we turned those millionaire bars into an easy dessert recipe that’s a little lighter than the original. And the best part is that instead of a caramel layer, there’s pecan butter instead! The filling is so delicious and sort of a cross between pecan bars and shortbread millionaire bars. Either way, it’s an incredibly popular dessert.
A few tips for those Millionaire Pecan Butter Bars.
- You can use either butter and sugar or maple syrup and coconut oil. Either it works! The second option makes you a vegan bar millionaire.
- Make your own nut butter or store purchased by-products! You can use any type of nut butter. We made homemade pecan butter that requires a food processor. Or, opt for store-bought peanut butter!
- It takes a while for the shortbread crust to press. Keep pressing until it fills the entire bottom: We used a shot glass to spread the batter around the pan.
- You can cut them to any size you want! We found that we liked the 1 inch by 2.25 inch rectangle. That’s 36 little millionaire bars: the perfect size for us!
This recipe has been updated…
We updated this recipe for Millionaire Bars in December 2020 to ensure consistency with homemade pecan butter in kitchens around the world.
Looking for pecan recipes?
Aside from those multi-million dollar pecan butter bars, here are some of our favorite pecan recipes:
This recipe for millionaire bars is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and naturally sweetened.
The description
These multi-million dollar pecan butter bars have 3 layers: shortbread, nut butter, and chocolate! This easy dessert recipe couldn’t be tastier. Recipe revised December 2020.
For the shortbread layer
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (or plain maple syrup)
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter (or room temperature coconut oil)
For the nut butter layer
- ¾ cup homemade pecan butter or creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (or plain maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the chocolate layer
- 4 oz Where 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan on request)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Make the shortbread: In a medium bowl, mix flour and kosher salt. Add melted butter (or room temperature coconut oil) and sugar or maple syrup and mix with a spoon. When it starts to combine, use your hands to knead it into a dough. Use your fingers to work the lumps into the coconut oil and knead until they come together into a dough. Press the batter into the pan in an even layer covering the entire bottom; You can use a small glass to unroll it (we used a shot glass!). Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pecan butter (optional): Go to Easy Pecan Butter for instructions. Measure out ¾ cup pecan butter for the recipe.
- Make the nut butter layer: In a saucepan, melt butter (or coconut oil), sugar (or maple syrup), and vanilla over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Add pecan or peanut butter and salt and stir until combined. Pour over cooled crust, shaking pan as needed to coat evenly. Freeze for 10 minutes.
- Make the chocolate layer: Place the butter (or coconut oil) in a small saucepan over low heat and melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips, stirring until fully incorporated and liquid. Immediately pour the chocolate layer onto the nut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Cut the bars: Take the bar out of the fridge, loosen it from the edge of the pan with a sharp knife and remove it from the pan with the baking paper. Cut into 1 inch by 2.25 inch rectangles for a total of 36 rectangles. (If cracked, let chocolate sit at room temperature for a few minutes to warm up.) Eat immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve (chocolate will firm up after a few hours, but taste great too).
Remarks
*We do not recommend using gluten-free flour in this recipe; is a bit too dry!
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: British
Keywords: millionaire bars
Looking for easy vegan dessert recipes?
Aside from these Millionaire Pecan Butter Bars, here are some of our favorite easy vegan dessert recipes:
Updated December 2020
