
Let me tell you how these bars came into existence.
One day, one of my coworkers gave me a recipe for Billionaire’s Shortbread Bars from Food and Wine. She mentioned something about the difference between Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars and Billionaire’s Shortbread Bars. So I did some research, but didn’t find much other than sometimes Billionaire’s have peanut butter stirred into the caramel.
Now, I’m not complaining about peanut butter caramel, but I was hoping for more of a difference. Enter Trillionaire’s Shortbread Bars.

Next is the caramel layer. I definitely don’t have caramel-making down, but this was pretty easy. After the sugar has turned pretty and golden-brown, remove the saucepan from heat and stir in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. This chocolate caramel is possibly the best part of these bars. I’m kind of sad I didn’t think to put some bourbon in it.
The ganache layer is also super easy. You just have to chill the pan between each layer, then pour on the next one.

And that’s why Trillionaire’s Shortbread Bars > Billionaire’s Shortbread Bars.
ingredients
- 1/2 cup cold, unstalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powdered
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Sea salt for garnish
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line an 8 inch square baking pan with foil, and leave a few inches of overhang on each side. (This will make it easier to lift the bars out of the pan.)
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and a dough has formed.
- Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for about 25 minutes. Let the shortbread cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the cream and salt over medium heat. Once melted, keep the cream mixture warm by reducing heat to very low.
- In another medium saucepan, combine sugar and water and cook over medium-high heat, swirling without stirring, until a golden caramel forms, about 7-10 minutes.
- Carefully drizzle the warm cream mixture into the caramel mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 230° on a candy thermometer, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Immediately pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread and let cool completely, about 45 minutes. You can speed up this process by putting the pan in the refrigerator.
- Put the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and set aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour cream over chocolate chips. Let it stand for about 5 minutes.
- Stir together the cream and chocolates until there are no lumps and ganache is smooth.
- Immediately pour ganache over the caramel layer. Let it set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with sea salt.
- To serve, lift bars out of the pan by the foil overhang, and cut into squares or bars. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine.
All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without permission. If you would like to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

The prize pack includes:
1 bread flour (2 lb)
1 cornmeal (2 lb)
1 organic pastry flour (1.75 lb)
1 box milled flax seed
3 packets active dry yeast
1 box Kentucky Kernel Seasoned flour (10 oz)
1 brownie mix
1 Gluten free apple cinnamon muffin mix
1 almond flour (11 oz)
1 Hodgson Mill Apron
1 Hodgson Mill dough scraper
That’s a lot of good stuff, so enter the giveaway by using the Rafflecopter form below!
Oooooh these look divine! Awesome giveaway too!
Thanks, Meredith! 🙂
You never give yourself enough credit! These photos are fantastic and totally make me want to have about 20 trillionaire shortbread bars! Love all the chocolate and gooey-ness. Pinned 🙂
Haha, thanks, Chelsea! These bars are pretty gooey, but the messiness is worth it. 🙂
Uhmmmm…these are perfect!! Trillionaire all the way. Chocolate and caramel is my weakness and I should not be left close to these bars.
Thanks Zainab! Chocolate and caramel is probably everyone’s weakness! Haha, how could it not be? 🙂
Beth, these bars look so decadent and divine! I’ve never had trillionaire bars but now I need them in my life in a major way 🙂
Oh yes, Amy. You need to try them for sure! 🙂
Amazing giveaway, and these Trillionaire Bars are ridiculous in the best possible way! Love how much you jacked up the chocolate presence 🙂 yummy! Pinned!!
Thanks for pinning, Rachel! Jacking up the chocolate was very necessary, I think. 🙂
I think you did an excellent job on the pictures! I’m definitely sold.
Thanks so much, Mimi! 🙂
Did you say trillionarie? Chocolate and caramel layered on top of that chocolate shortbread is perfection!
Yes, trillionaire! Perfection is a good word for it. 🙂
We still have about six of these in the refrigerator – oops, make that five. THESE ARE AWESOME, decadent (I am trying to think of a more over-the-top word to describe these). Good, good, good. I need to stop before there are just four left. 🙂 Don’t underestimate the sea salt garnish. It makes for a nice twist on the heavenly chocolate/caramel flavor.
I think there’s only one left now. 🙂
Um, yes, this is definitely sinful. All those layers sound incredible! And honestly, I love your photos! They capture the caramel and shortbread and sea salt beautifully. Love your arrows 🙂
Thanks so much, Mary Frances! I was excited about using the arrow, haha. 🙂
To die for, that is all.
Thanks. 🙂
Beth, these look incredible! I have only ever done vanilla shortbread with caramel and chocolate — this is genius!
Thanks so much, Ashley! I’ve actually never had the usual version. I’m sure it’s just as tasty! 🙂
Oh man, these bars do look absolutely addicting! I’m over here nodding my head as you described each layer! haha
SO addicting! Haha. Thanks, Ashley! 🙂
These are great photos, especially if it was half-dark when you shot these! These look fantastic- I love the addition of chocolate to the caramel!
I love your photos, Beth, but I know what you mean about frustrations with trying to take photos as the sun is slipping away from you. I find myself literally throwing things (and myself) around the kitchen in my race against time! 😉
LOVE the shortbread. We have a wonderful family recipe for millionaires shortbread, but it’s a great idea to make it super-chocolaty … pinning!
They look absolutely delicious! One question about the recipe – are the chocolate chips missing from the chocolate caramel ingredient list and directions? Thanks!
You are totally right! Thanks so much for pointing that out, can’t believe I missed it! 🙂
Drool!
These trillionaires bars sound amazing, Beth!
Trillionaires – I love it!! These look so rich and delicious – I want a bite right now!!
These look amazing, Beth! I am dying to sink my teeth into one!
Oh my freaking goodness Beth…. these look and sound AMAZING! Like, I kind of want to take a half day from work and run home and make these immediately! Wow wow wow… pinning!
Wow — that is a LOT of chocolatey goodness! Love how thick and gooey the caramel and ganache layers look. This is definitely a must-try!
Obsessed! I think they look pretty crazy delicious in these photos. 🙂
Wow! Recipe was great to follow and the result was AMAZING! Thank you for your inspiration x
These are absolutely incredible!!!! Seriously, nothing sounds better to me right now and it’s hard to imagine that the pictures don’t do them justice. So great!
Oh my lord, these look unreal!
Hi Beth! I’m so excited to find your blog! We are having family over for the 4th of July week and I’m trying to find some good recipes – Jackpot! I will be making these bars for sure!
Thanks!
Shelia
http://www.houseofhighlands.com
These look amazing! Can they be made ahead of time and frozen for an event in a week?
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get several e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Thanks a lot!