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    Home » Recipes » Traybakes & Bars

    Published: Sep 21, 2017 · Modified: Jan 4, 2022 by joskitchenlarder · 31 Comments. · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Bookmark Bookmarked!
    Millionaire's shortbread slices pilled up.

    This Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread speaks for itself. With melt in the mouth shortbread base, peanut butter caramel with hidden salted peanuts for a bit of crunch & chocolate topping with swirls of peanut butter - it's pure heaven!

    Millionaire's shortbread slices pilled up.

    Millionaire's Shortbread is pretty much a classic and as much as I love it I decided to tinker with it a tiny bit. Tablespoon of peanut butter here and there, sprinkling of some salted peanuts, et voilà, Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread!

    I decided to be really careful with peanut butter cause as much as I love it, I still wanted to keep the essence of the caramel flavour itself. I think my attempt worked really well and you get enough salty deliciousness from peanut butter and peanuts but also some lovely caramel sweetness.

    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread slices.

    Condensed Milk Caramel

    I must admit I have cheated a bit with my caramel and went for the version that uses condensed milk but I do prefer it like that. Do not expect to achieve the same colour as you would if you were to make it traditional way. When it comes to doneness look for thickening consistency and not the colour to guide you.

    Few Extras for Peanuts & Peanut Butter Fans

    As we are slightly nuts about peanuts I decided to add a handful of salted peanuts sprinkled over the caramel for a bit of unexpected crunch! Feel free to leave these out if you want but they do add a delicious extra touch and saltiness. A bit more peanut butter  was added to the chocolate topping itself to create pretty swirls I was really quite happy with.

    Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

    Yes you can! I have made gluten-free version of my peanut butter millionaire's shortbread on numbers occasions for my gluten-free friend and it worked a treat. Simply substitute plain flour with any gluten-free flour of your choice. I tend to use supermarket own plain gluten-free variety. Expect for shortbread base to be crumblier than when made with regular flour.

    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread slices.

    How to make Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread - Step-By-Step Instructions.

    To make shortbread base

    • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
    • Put flour, sugar and butter into food processor and mix until you start getting sand/crumbs like consistency. Mix for a bit longer until it starts to look more like a dough. You can also do it by hand if you prefer rubbing cold butter together with mixed flour and sugar.
    • Tip the mixture onto baking tin lined with greaseproof paper and press the dough with your fingers until it covers the bottom of the pan.
    • Bake in preheated oven for approx. 25min, until light golden. Leave to cool slightly.

    Shortbread base before baking pierced with a fork.

    To make peanut butter caramel

    • Put sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat up gently until dissolved.
    • Add condensed milk and peanut butter and mix well.
    • Bring mixture to boil and keep stirring for about 10 minutes until it thickens and darkens slightly in colour (this caramel will be much lighter though).
    • Pour caramel over cooled shortbread base and sprinkle over salted peanuts (if using). Set aside to cool slightly.

    Caramel layer sprinkled with peanuts.

    To make chocolate topping with peanut butter swirl

    • Melt chocolate gently in a bowl set over the pan of simmering water (Bain Marie)until shiny and smooth and pour it over the caramel layer, smoothing out gently with a spoon.
    • Heat the peanut butter in a microwave until runny and drizzle over the chocolate. Swirl together with a toothpick to get pretty, marbled effect!
    • Chill in the fridge for at least couple of hours or until firm.
    • Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
    Chocolate & peanut butter topping.

    📋 Recipe

    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread slices.
    Print Pin
    5 from 5 votes

    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread

    This Peanut Butter Millionaire’s Shortbread speaks for itself. With melt in the mouth shortbread base, peanut butter caramel with hidden salted peanuts for a bit of crunch & chocolate topping with swirls of peanut butter – it’s pure heaven!
    Course Traybake
    Cuisine British, International
    Keyword peanut butter millionaire's shortbread

    Equipment

    • Square Brownie Pan 20cm/8inch*
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 50 minutes minutes
    Chilling 2 hours hours
    Total Time 1 hour hour
    Servings 16 squares
    Calories 389kcal
    Author Jo Allison
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Metric - US Customary

    Shortbread

    • 175 g plain (all-purpose) flour see notes
    • 125 g unsalted butter cold
    • 50 g vanilla sugar or caster sugar

    Caramel

    • 150 g unsalted butter
    • 150 g light brown sugar
    • 397 g tin condensed milk
    • 1 tablespoon (heaped) peanut butter
    • 50 g salted roasted peanuts optional

    Chocolate topping

    • 100 g milk chocolate
    • 100 g dark chocolate
    • 1 tablespoon (heaped) peanut butter

    Instructions

    To make shortbread base

    • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
    • Put flour, sugar and butter into food processor and mix until you start getting sand/crumbs like consistency. Mix for a bit longer until it starts to look more like a dough. You can also do it by hand if you prefer rubbing cold butter together with mixed flour and sugar.
    • Tip the mixture onto baking tin lined with greaseproof paper and press the dough with your fingers until it covers the bottom of the pan.
    • Bake in preheated oven for approx. 25min, until light golden. Leave to cool slightly

    To make peanut butter caramel

    • Put sugar and butter in a saucepan and heat up gently until dissolved.
    • Add condensed milk and peanut butter and mix well.
    • Bring mixture to boil and keep stirring for about 10 minutes until it thickens and darkens slightly in colour (this caramel will be much lighter though).
    • Pour caramel over cooled shortbread and sprinkle over salted peanuts (if using). Set aside to cool slightly.

    To make chocolate topping

    • Melt chocolate gently in a bowl set over the pan of simmering water (Bain Marie)until shiny and smooth and pour it over the caramel layer, smoothing out gently with a spoon.
    • Heat the peanut butter in a microwave until runny and drizzle over the chocolate. Swirl together with a toothpick to get pretty, marbled effect!
    • Chill in the fridge for at least couple of hours or until firm.
    • Cut into 16 squares or as per your tin and enjoy!

    Notes

    • Nutritional information is approximate, per serving and should be treated as a guideline only.
    • Feel free to substitute plain flour with your choice of gluten-free variety. I tend to use supermarket own plain gluten-free flour. Expect for shortbread base to be crumblier than when made with regular flour.
    • Store in airtight container and consume within a week. In hot weather, keep in the fridge. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 389 Calories from Fat 216
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 24g37%
    Saturated Fat 13g65%
    Cholesterol 46mg15%
    Sodium 61mg3%
    Potassium 219mg6%
    Carbohydrates 42g14%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 31g34%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 496IU10%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 93mg9%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Tag me @Joskitchenlarder or use hashtag #joskitchenlarder!

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in September 2017 and updated in February 2020 with updated recipe card, useful info and better layout improving user experience.

    Some more recipes you might want to try

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    Ultimate Rocky Road Recipe

    Chocolate Banana Cake (Traybake)

    Italian Plum & Almond Cake with Amaretti Crunch

    Best Buttery Apple Pie with a Twist

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    Pin Peanut Butter Millionaire's Shortbread For Later!

    Millionaire's shortbread slices pilled up.

    Linkies:

    Cook Blog Share with Recipes Made Easy, Great British Bake Off Bloggers 2017, Treat Petite , We Should Cocoa

    *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more. I only recommend products I own or really like and which caught my attention. Thanks in advance for supporting Jo’s Kitchen Larder!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 5 votes

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    1. Sarah says

      May 10, 2021 at 11:56 am

      Hello!
      I made this yesterday and unfortunately the caramel has stayed very runny, although I cooked it for 20 minutes or even more. I followed the instructions exactly. Do you think there is anything I can do to save it? I have read that some recipes use some flour to thicken the caramel - any thoughts on that?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        May 11, 2021 at 9:18 am

        Hi Sarah, Sorry to hear that you've been struggling with your caramel. Just to check, you definitely used the sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated (unsweetened one)? If so I really am not sure why it didn't start to thicken. It should get to the consistency of pourable custard (it will then set further in the fridge). You could try a little test with your caramel and put a teaspoon worth on the small plate that you had in the freezer (as you would if you were making jam). You push caramel with your finger and if it runs back it's not ready and needs a bit more cooking. To salvage what you've got you could try mixing some cornflour with a bit of milk or water and add it to the caramel ( a bit at a time) stirring constantly until it starts to thicken. Good luck and hopefully that helps a bit.

        Reply
    2. Jo says

      March 14, 2021 at 6:32 pm

      I made my own version of this recipe with cashew butter and cashews instead of peanut, and white chocolate instead of milk and dark. They came out great! Very sweet, with a thick and crunchy biscuit and a chewy caramel. Cashew is a mild flavor so hard to pick out among the other flavours so I think the stronger flavor of peanuts would be better. Also I see now why you used milk and dark chocolate together, as white was too sweet and I suspect milk would be too sweet on its own without the dark. So this is a very sensible well thought through recipe and I wouldn't recommend getting over-excited and tweaking it like I did haha!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        March 14, 2021 at 8:19 pm

        Hi Jo, There is nothing wrong with experimenting when it comes to food, you took a recipe and you made it your own 🙂 Let me know how you like the peanuty version if you try it next time. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Adrianne says

      February 04, 2020 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      Oh boy! These look delicious. You me drooling at peanut butter, yum there is so much to love about this recipe and I love the photos. Cheers

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 04, 2020 at 12:16 pm

        Thanks Adrianne! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Helen of Fuss Free Flavours says

      February 04, 2020 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Millionaire's shortbread is one of those delicious treats that is always worth making, but you've just stepped it up another notch with the peanut butter. Such a great idea, and adding the extra flavour sounds utterly yummy!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 04, 2020 at 11:36 am

        Thank you Helen! 🙂 I adore peanut butter so it was just a natural step to incorporate it into another great favourite which is millionaire's shortbread. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Danielle says

      February 04, 2020 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      The photos look incredibly inviting and delicious. And thank you for the steps on chocolate topping with swirls - looks extra nice.

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 04, 2020 at 11:24 am

        Thanks Danielle! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Paula Montenegro says

      February 04, 2020 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      Oh, it definitively speaks for itself! So tempting is this recipe I wish I had a piece in front of me. The idea of adding peanuts to the caramel is wonderful!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 04, 2020 at 11:23 am

        Thank you Paula! 🙂 I love that bit of crunch from the peanuts, just lovely!

        Reply
    7. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      February 04, 2020 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      This looks like the perfect sweet treat! We love peanut butter in our house so these wouldn't last long!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        February 04, 2020 at 11:22 am

        Thanks Bintu! 🙂 They never last long here either lol.

        Reply
    8. Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says

      September 26, 2017 at 4:22 pm

      WOW! This is pure perfection! It sounds like a mixture between a Millionaires shortbread and a Snicker bar. Yes please, I'll have a huge chunk! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 26, 2017 at 5:15 pm

        Thanks Kirsty! I never thought about it like this but I think you are spot on! 🙂 x

        Reply
    9. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

      September 25, 2017 at 10:05 am

      This sounds amazing! I need to make this! Thanks for linking up to #TreatPetite

      Reply
    10. Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says

      September 24, 2017 at 7:50 am

      Wow wow wow! They look sooo amazingly yummy Jo, and I love that you used vanilla sugar in the mix too! I'll have a slice, no make that two, to go please 😀 Thankyou so much for joining in with #BakingCrumbs Jo.
      Angela x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 24, 2017 at 7:04 pm

        Thanks Angela, it’s a pleasure! ? I absolutely love my vanilla sugar lol as it is so subtle but definitely makes a difference in flavour. x

        Reply
    11. Jenny Paulin says

      September 23, 2017 at 8:01 pm

      oh my ! these look sooooo delicious! peanut butter and peanuts are a popular flavour for millionaires shortbread. I really like your marbling on the chocolate. so pretty. I would happily dig in and try one or two!±
      thank you for linking to #GBBOBloggers2017 x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 24, 2017 at 6:52 pm

        Thank you! 🙂 These turned out to be such a hit and I would be tempted to make them again and again if only I had a willpower and could stick to a single square, perhaps every other day lol (like that's going to happen). x

        Reply
    12. jenny walters says

      September 22, 2017 at 9:51 pm

      Oh Jo,this bake is one of my faves.The addition of peanut butter is something I haven't tried but sounds incredible. i love the blinkin stuff!Gorgeous!

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 24, 2017 at 6:49 pm

        Thanks Jenny! 🙂 I love peanut butter too, way too much! It really works nicely here and it is subtle enough at the same time. It's salty peanuts though what makes it for me here, absolutely delicious together with sweet caramel! x

        Reply
    13. choclette says

      September 22, 2017 at 7:02 pm

      Oh my lord, this looks so good. The peanut butter sounds like a brilliant addition as I usually find MSB a bit on the sweet side. Thanks for sharing with #WeShouldCocoa.

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 22, 2017 at 7:42 pm

        Thank you! Lovely to be back! I know what you mean hence salted peanuts and peanut butter which mellowed the sweetness nicely without going full on salted caramel.

        Reply
    14. Rebecca Beesley says

      September 22, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      i adore your swirly swirly pattern and what a lovey thick layer of caramel - gorgeous! #gbbobloggers2017

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 22, 2017 at 4:11 pm

        Thank you! 🙂 The caramel turned out really lovely and I like how peanut butter cuts through all the sweetness too! x

        Reply
    15. Cat says

      September 22, 2017 at 12:41 pm

      Your recipe uses similar flavours to the one I did, I'm glad I'm not the only person who saw the need to add peanut butter to it! These look really delicious and I love the marbling on the top x

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 22, 2017 at 4:08 pm

        Thanks Cat! Peanut butter works so well here doesn't it? Briefly saw yours and they look oh so pretty being individual ones! My cutting skills have lots to be desired lol and if there is a secret to cutting millionaire's shortbread neatly I would love to know it! x

        Reply
    16. Louise Fairweather says

      September 22, 2017 at 9:37 am

      I love the marbling! I had wanted to make a peanut one but can you believe Tescos had run out of peanuts! I would love this millionaire's shortbread.

      Reply
      • joskitchenlarder says

        September 22, 2017 at 4:03 pm

        Thanks Louise! I was quite pleased with the marbling and the fact that it is so easy to do! That's the first time I went peanut butter and peanuts route and we all love it. x

        Reply

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