Caramel Shortbread Bars, also known as Millionaire's Shortbread, gets a low carb, sugar-free, and gluten-free revision with the twist of salted caramel. Buttery shortbread crust is topped with a creamy salted caramel and topped with a layer of dark chocolate. Decadent, rich and worthy of the name.
To alleviate my post-Britain blues after returning home from my trip a few weeks ago, I've been watching re-runs of The Great British Baking Show. If you haven't seen the show, it's terribly addicting. There's something about that big white tent nestled on the grounds of a country estate that just fills me with joy: delicious baked goods, meandering sheep, and Paul Hollywood hand-shakes. It's a recipe for success. Speaking of recipes, these Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars were inspired by this very show.
My only frustration after watching The Great British Baking Show is the fact that everything is full of sugar and flour and off limits. I figured I would make my own showstopper and noshify Millionaire Shortbread. I've cut out the gluten and sugar in my own low carb and keto-friendly version.
However, the task took some time. The shortbread biscuit crust was easy as was the chocolate layer. The caramel middle layer was the most concerning. A traditional sugar-free salted caramel sauce would ooze out everywhere. The typical Millionaire's Shortbread calls for sweetened condensed milk. There's nothing about a can of that fits into my diet. Not only is full of sugar, but there's a number of sketchy ingredients that I cannot pronounce. What about a low carb and sugar free version of sweetened condensed milk? Carolyn over at All Day I Dream About Food had the answer for me. I feature her homemade sweetened condensed milk in this recipe. She got it right, and by using her recipe, I was able to achieve a creamy and set caramel.
How to Make Keto Caramel Shortbread
Ingredients
- blanched almond flour
- granular erythritol, Swerve
- salted butter
- brown granular erythritol, Swerve or Sukrin Gold
- keto condensed milk
- salt
- pure vanilla extract
- caramel extract
- dark chocolate chips, Lily's or 85% cocoa
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Tips, Tricks, & Takeaways about the Low Carb Millionaire's Bars Recipe & Process
Work on one layer at a time. This recipe is honestly fairly easy to make. Yes, you'll want to let each layer set and cool, so don't rush the process. But the only part that might be a bit daunting is the caramel layer. You'll need to cook down the mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning the caramel. Don't do this on high heat and, obviously, keep a close eye on it. I was a bit nervous at first but with a careful hand and patience you can do it. The mixture will thicken up considerably through the cooking process and even more so once it cools. Don't panic!
Don't top with regular old coarse sea salt. Yuck! I know it's tempting to avoid the splurge for Maldon Sea Salt, but I promise it's worth it. You don't want to top these bars with standard table salt or coarse sea salt. Table salt will dissolve and coarse salt is chunky and crunchy.
Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars are delicious, easy to make, and will likely not last long at your house. My husband believes these were even better the next day when the caramel had time to merge with the shortbread layer. Sadly, the bars didn't last much longer than that. This recipe would get the Paul Hollywood handshake. I'll imagine myself getting one, unless, Paul, you want to fly out to Chicago. I'll be waiting for you. We can talk gluten-free and sugar-free baking. Just name the date.
More Low Carb Dessert Recipes:
Salted Caramel Shortbread Squares
A low carb and sugar-free version of the ever popular Millionaire's Shortbread with layers of biscuit, salted caramel, and chocolate.
Ingredients
- Shortbread
- 1 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup granular erythritol, Swerve
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- Caramel
- 8 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 cup brown granular erythritol, Swerve or Sukrin Gold
- 1 1/2 cups condensed milk, see note below
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp caramel extract
- Chocolate Topping
- 4 oz dark chocolate chips, Lily's or 85% cocoa
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9 inch baking dish with parchment.
- Combine almond flour and erythritol in a food processor and blend. Add butter and blend again until incorporated. Spread mixture evenly into baking dish. Press down to form an even crust.
- Bake shortbread for 15 minutes or until very light golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool completely.
- Heat butter, sugar, and condensed milk in a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir frequently. Caramel will start to thicken and turn a gold brown after about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add extracts and salt. Cool slightly and pour over shortbread. Allow time to cool completely before adding final layer.
- Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl in about 10-15 second increments until smooth and melted. Pour melted chocolate over the caramel. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt, if desired. Chocolate layer will need time to set and cool before serving.
- Cut into desired size squares and serve.
Notes
If eating sugar-free/keto, I suggest making your own condensed milk. I use All Day I Dream About Food's recipe recipe
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The recipe looks delicious. I did not see the nutritional breakdown for this recipe. Where can I find the breakdown? Thank you!
Hi Lori! Thanks so much for your compliment. I have the recipe on Yummly which provides nutritional info; however, the site is pulling the whole recipe as four servings, so that’s clearly not accurate. One slice (recipe makes about 16-20 squares) is about 224 calories with 17g of carbohydrates. Hope that helps!
Lori, my calculations were wrong! So sorry. MyFitness Pal estimates 231 calories, 24.7g fat and 5.7g of carbs. This is based on 16 servings using the sugar-free condensed milk recipe, not store bought.
Looks yummy. How many carbs per serving?
Hi Barb! Thanks for looking! One serving is about 17g, unless you like a smaller bar, of course.
I’m sorry, Barb! My nutrition calculator used regular condensed milk, which is terribly high in carbs/sugar. One slice is 231 calories with 5.7 carbs. This is assuming you cut 16 slices.