Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Annie's Eats

My hope is to inspire you to be fearless in the kitchen, to try new things, to take the time to make things the homemade way and most importantly, to have fun doing it!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

97 comments

posted in: Bar Cookies, Chocolate, Dessert

09.09

2011

Shanon and I were back in the virtual kitchen together again last month, and you can thank her for choosing these little bars of awesomeness. I’ve been all about sweet-salty dessert combos lately. There’s just something about that peculiar flavor balance that keeps people wanting just one more bite. If you haven’t tried it yet because you think salt on a dessert is weird, don’t worry I totally get it. I felt that way too. For a long time, I’d see desserts that looked gorgeous but for the generous sprinkle of salt on top. I gave them the side-eye. Last fall, I tried these cookies on a whim and everything changed. Now I’m a convert and I have learned to appreciate the role of salt in giving a dessert that extra something.

Chocolate and caramel are made for each other, and even skeptics know that salted caramel is the bomb so it stands to reason that a salted caramel chocolate shortbread bar would be awesome…and it is. I’ve seen recipes such as this likened to Twix bars before but we didn’t really think they tasted like Twix at all. Don’t get me wrong, I looove Twix, but these are maybe a more sophisticated version of the same flavor palette. The caramel layer is a bit soft and gooey, and we found we liked them best from the freezer. You will definitely want to freeze some because the recipe makes enough to feed a small army. But you wouldn’t really want to halve it, because that would just be silly, right? If you enjoy the sweet-salty dessert combo, be sure to stay tuned because I have several more planned in the next month or so and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Yield: about 5 dozen small bars

Ingredients

For the shortbread layer:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar

For the caramel layer:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer:
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp. light corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden. (If the crust puffs up a bit while baking, just gently press it down while it is cooling.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.
To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly. Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set. (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added.)
To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with fleur de sel. Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.

Source

Lisa is Cooking, components originally from Baked and The Golden Book of Baking

http://www.ofmusesandmeringues.blogspot.com Beth

I haven’t tried the salty/sweet combination yet either, but it would be hard to say no to these!
http://warmvanillasugar.wordpress.com/ Katrina

These sound lovely! Great recipe!
Jessica L.

These look amazing!!
http://www.prettynpinkngreen.blogspot.com kat

Oh my, these look and sound heavenly!!!
http://lifeinbeantownusa.blogspot.com Sara

Sweet & salty is classic! Who can ever turn down the classic chocolate-covered pretzel? These look great, will be putting on my ‘to-make’ list. Thanks!
http://tideandthyme.com Laura

Sweet + Salty = Heaven in my book. These look great!
http://www.tiptopshape2.blogspot.com Liz @ Tip Top Shape

Wow, these are being made immediately. And then my elastic waistband pants are comin’ out.
Lakeisha

These look delicious! Just in time for Sundays Football Season kick-off :-)
http://theyellowhousecook.com/ Marie | theyellowhousecook

YES, these look so.good. I love salty/sweet combos. I’ve recently discovered the ingenious Lindt chocolate bar made with dark chocolate and sea salt. Like you said, it sounds weird but it’s delicious.
http://katiebirdflies.blogspot.com Kate Thompson

Love the sweet and salty combo!
http://htt Jenny K.

Can’t wait to try this recipe! Just made the pumpkin cream cheese muffins and they were divine!
kate C.

Oh my goodness, just reading about this is killing me with the calorie overload… but I just might have to make it anyway! Do most normal grocery stores sell the fleur de sel, anyone know?
http://katie-newsletter.blogspot.com Katie C

Those look so delicious!
http://newyorkatheart.blogspot.com Molly

I’m such a fan of the salty and sweet combo!
http://www.thekickboxingwriter.blogspot.com Holli

These look amazing! After my fight, I’ll have to make some.
Lauren

These look delicious, and I will definitely try them. I am glad I went to check out the Shanon’s version of them though – I don’t think mine will turn out quite as picture perfect as yours. I thought it was funny that Shanon said hers made 12, while yours made 60! I think I’ll be a little closer to her estimate – especially if they taste as good as they sound.
http://crystalscozykitchen.blogspot.com/ Crystal’s Cozy Kitchen

Oh, yum. These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them.
http://thehooteats.wordpress.com Michelle

These look delicious! I love shortbread!
http://www.kokolikes.com Koko

WOW these are to die for!
http://sweetsugarbelle.com sweetsugarbelle

These look so good!!! CARAMEL!!!
http://hannah.lohman-halstead.com Hannah L

Tried to make a version of these last weekend and the shortbread completely fell apart when I tried to cut the bars, just crumbs left sticking to the caramel layer. I’ll have to try these, The flavor was great but hard to eat.
http://ibleedpnk.blogspot.com Erica B.

Oh wow, these look amazing!
Annie

Well, she did make an 8 x 8 pan while I made 9 x 13 so that’s a big difference :)
http://www.kitchen-concoctions.com Heather of Kitchen Concoctions

These bars look perfect! I always love a salty/sweet combo!
nina

These sound divine! They are going to the top of my to-bake list. Question about the condensed milk though – what size are your cans? I have another recipe that calls for cans of sw. condensed milk and they are different from what is sold here. Thanks!
K

These look amazing and right down my crunchy/sweet/salty-in-one-bite pregnant cravings. Cooking Light had a recipe for Salted Caramel Brownies and it was wonderful, but was missing the crunch factor.
http://huntingfortheverybest.wordpress.com Dina

these look very yummy!
http://cheesepleasebyjess.blogspot.com/ Cheese Please

These look divine!! I have lately become obsessed with the salty/sweet combo. Going to file this recipe in my “must make folder”!
http://bsweetdreaming.wordpress.com Bianca

These look AMAZING! I might just conquer my fear of making caramel to have these!
Annie

Don’t worry, this isn’t even a real caramel in that sense so it’s not hard at all. But don’t be intimidated by caramel, it’s really easy!
http://sweetnerdylife.blogspot.com Mary Beth

Wow, these look so delicious! I’d love to try them.
alicia

These look wonderful. Are they hard to cut? Is there some sort of special technique for getting such a clean cut?
Annie

I just repeatedly wipe the knife clean throughout the cutting process.
http://www.dishingthedivine.com Paula @ Dishing the Divine

Annie, I want to eat these right now. Mind mailing me a package? I’ve been in the kitchen all day and yet still you come up with something inspiring enough to make me want to get up and start baking *again*. :)
http://cookanddishwasher.blogspot.com newlywed

These look incredible. Thanks for sharing.
Mary

Loove salty-sweet and these look awesome. These just went on my to-do list for tomorrow!!
http://theprocrastobaker.blogspot.com Sasha @ The Procrastobaker

These look like they have turned out absolutely perfectly, and i am yet to try the salty sweet combo so definitely loving the idea of trying these out sometime :) gorgeous as always!
Jenna

I just finished the caramel step of this process and it’s cooling. I had so much trouble with the caramel. While I was waiting for it to heat through, it started to burn and I was stirring constantly. Not sure what the problem was or if it was just a not great saucepan to use…:( I dont think they will turn out at this point.
Annie

Jenna, that’s a bummer! The saucepan definitely could have played a role, or maybe the heat was a bit too high.
Emily

I just made these tonight and my caramel, while delicious definitely wasn’t smooth like a actual caramel would be, like yours are in the picture….. do you have a time that you went by. The recipe says cook until amber color, but how long did that take for you to get there? I also had problems with burned bits floating about but I do blame that on my pan, I usually make caramel in a heavy bottomed pan.
Annie

Hi Emily, I didn’t specify a time because it can vary so widely depending on your pan, the heat level, etc. etc. I don’t really remember exactly how long it took for me. I would guess you might want to try a lower heat for longer and maybe a better pan. Good luck!
http://Fatuglyrhino.blogspot.com Lauren Ochoa

I fell on this recipe like a noncompliant diabetic at an Easter egg hunt. I happened to have everything except the condensed milk, and wanted to make something involved and decadent on my day off. This definitely fit the bill! I have lots in the freezer to bring to work tomorrow. If they stay in my house I will need to install a lock on my fridge. My husband already had 3!
http://www.sixteenbeans.com kyleen

Oh my goodness these look so delish! You had me at salted caramel.
http://www.amberngoodin.blogspot.com amber

I just wanted to stop in and tell you how much I enjoy seeing your recipes come into my google reader! I def have quite a few bookmarked to try :)
Do you have to Google Friend Connect hooked up at all? I was looking to follow you that way, but didn’t see it on the main page. Just checking, but of course it won’t keep me from reading!
Have a great week!
Annie

Amber, I actually haven’t even heard of that yet. I’ll have to look into it. Thanks for reading!
Holly

YUM! How would these freeze??
Annie

Please read the post :)
Annie

I believe they are 14 oz. cans. Sorry that wasn’t clear, I will edit the recipe. Thanks!
http://www.theculinarychase.blogspot.com The Culinary Chase

Ok, these are the most irresistible, sinfully delicious-looking bars I have seen!! YUM!
http://thegingersnapgirl.blogspot.com/ Gloria

I want one. Right now. I love the flecks of salt on top. Thank you for sharing.
Jenny

Hi Annie,
How important is the parchment paper? I just ran out and I’m wondering if I can use either tin foil with a vegetable spray or a baking mat? any suggestions on which would work best? Thanks
Annie

I think foil sprayed with cooking spray would probably be fine. It may stick to the caramel a bit around the edges but you can just peel it away. Enjoy!
http://www.sideofsneakers.com Heather @ Side of Sneakers

Ahh I make these exact same bars, only a vegan version They’re soo good- I have to keep them in the freezer so I don’t scarf them all down in one sitting and end up with a stomach ache!
Katie Lew

Making these this weekend for a tailgate – what I won’t be doing is tell everyone that there are FIVE sticks of butter in one recipe!
http://www.melecotte.com Chris

Beautiful! These are similar to a faux twix bar I made a couple of months ago. Love love the salted caramel. Must try.
http://www.squidoo.com/breville-smart-oven-bov800xl-review Sara @ breville smart oven

Wow. These will make great homemade gifts this holiday season. Thanks.
Melissa

5 sticks of butter????? They look delicious!!
http://www.christysplayground.blogspot.com w

I made these tonight and so far everything is coming along smoothly, I have yet to taste though. I was unsure of the caramel but I kept stirring until it looked nice and amber, then i cooled some to taste and it firmed up and was sweet like caramel. Love it, thank you =)
http://www.kristiewickland.com kristie

I can’t stop staring at these, they look so fabulous! What’s better than those all combined?????? NOTHING!!! This will be something I try for sure. Thanks for sharing!
http://cookiesdelice.canalblog.com/ féenoménale

Caramel flowing just fell like bite into it immediately.

Great pictures
scarlet young

hi! new reader just stumbled on your blog. I live in Scotland, and thought you should know they call this millionaire’s shortbread over here. it is lovely…and I’ve also seen it made with a buttered graham cracker/digestive biscuit crust rather than the shortbread.

xo
Jacquelyn

In the process of making these…yours look fabulous. I just had a question about the caramel. Mine does not look like yours. Am I suppose to stir it while it boils? I didn’t do that and when I stirred for the simmering part, little dark chunks came up (I believe they were burnt parts?) Is there something I am missing in the process?
Annie

Yes, you should stir it, just as it says in the instructions. It helps the caramel cook evenly and not burn.
Dodi

I love that you share your recipes with all of us. I know that if I make something from your blog, it will look wonderful and taste even better. I am making these next week for a luncheon at school and was wondering if you could share what kind of chocolate you use in your recipes. I have always used Baker’s chocolate, but am thinking about splurging and trying Valrhona.
Annie

I typically use Ghirardelli but use better quality for things like mousse, flourless chocolate cake, etc. where the quality is key (Callebaut, Valhorna, Scharffen Berger, etc.). I don’t like Baker’s chocolate and pretty much only use it if there is nothing else available. I would use Ghirardelli for these bars.
http://www.mulvanemomma.blogspot.com Krysta Nelson

These look incredible! I plan on making them today. If I were to use a candy thermometer, would I cook the caramel to a softball stage?

Thanks!
Annie

I’m not sure about that. It’s really more based on appearance, and I didn’t use a thermometer.
Neera

Annie, ok to use a 9 x 13 pyrex dish for this?
Annie

Sure.
http://Fatuglyrhino.blogspot.com Lauren Ochoa

Made these for the second time today. I adjusted the recipe by halving the caramel layer and leaving the other two layers as is. I felt that it resulted in a better ratio of shortbread to caramel. The first time I made it, the caramel layer was oozing all over the place. Plus, the shortbread was kind of overpowered. I think it’s perfect now!
Heidi

These bars are fantastic! My husband is on call this weekend and will be thrilled to come home and find these. However, I don’t know how you have the self-control to have a freezer full of them… I’ve proven to myself today that I can’t be trusted. I am packaging them up as we speak to distribute to a couple of our friends, or I will never lose this baby weight :) Thanks for the recipe!
Betsy

Well, okay, so ever since I saw this recipe I knew I was going to use it somewhere, somehow; but I did not expect the HUGE reaction I got from the people who ate these. The acclaim was near universal with people I didn’t even know asking for the recipe. I will definitely make these again; they were wonderful. I’m a texture eater and I have to say that the gooey caramel with the shortbread and the stiff chocolate was DIVINE! Also, you can’t go wrong with a bit of salt on your sweet things.
Becky

A friend shared this recipe with me and it was love at first site. I made them yesterday and they are so delicious! My caramel layer is pretty oozy after cutting them, so my bars look quite ugly, but they taste divine. The ugliness didn’t stop my coworkers from gobbling them up! I’ve kept them in the refrigerator, but next time I will store the finished product in the freezer. I may also half the caramel layer. Great recipe!
http://myeagerhands.wordpress.com/ Sarah

Oh my my! These look amazing! Thank you for sharing!
I think I’ll try a test run of these before our holiday cookie exchange and see how they turn out. If they turn out half as nice as how yours look, then they would probably make a great holiday gift for friends in the neighborhood. So fancy!
Thanks again, Sarah
Diana

Thank you so much for this suggestion! I’ve tried other recipes like this and they’ve never turned out because of the caramel. Halving the caramel was the perfect solution and they came out beautifully!
Dawn

I made these and everyone loved them! The only thing I would change is cut the amount of caramel in half. It was way too thick for me. I’m making them for the holidays.
Kacy Furner

I LOVE the salty sweet combination, especially chocolate/caramel/salt – yum! I’m in the process of making these right now for a family get together this weekend. I’m breaking it down into 3 steps over 3 days, which makes it super easy do. I’ve just finished the caramel step, and I could eat just that it’s so good! Can’t wait to try the finished product!
Stacy

Made these today! Thought I ruined the caramel. It seemed to be taking forever to get done, so I turned it up and walked away for a minute. When I came back the mixture had separated and no matter how I stirred, it would not blend again. Tried a mixer on low speed and it blended it PERFECTLY! Put it all in the fridge to cool for a couple hours and then cut it with a pizza cutter. Cut like a breeze! All stayed in tact. My kids and I LOVE them! They are so yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe!
April

I just made these for my Christmas platters with great success! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
http://ramblingthru.blogspot.com/ Joyce

Yum. I’ve made these twice – both times with the intention of freezing some, but they’ve never made it that far. I’m actually headed to the fridge for another bite (or two).

I see a lot of the comments about the burned bits – for me that happened because I used a ceramic cooktop stove and a stainless steel pan. But you can whisk them in really nicely. If they haven’t burned black, they add a nice little toffee style crunch.

Delicious~
http://twitter.com/booksncooks2 booksncooks

A friend made these for her holiday packages, and like most things from your blog, we swap. It’s the only way we’ll get to try everything. These were incredible! I had a hard time limiting myself to only one. I’m debating about making these (I burn caramel every time I try to make it) or asking her to make me a batch.
Andrea

Just want to thank you (again) for sharing your passion with us! I have a few food blogs I follow regularly, and what I LOVE about yours is: Regardless of what I choose to make, I KNOW it’s going to be good! :) For a busy working mom, that is sooooo important! There’s simply no time for ho-hum results and do-overs!

Hope this upcoming year is kinder to you.
Siffat

I am making this right now. I just finished making the crust and it is amazing. This is definitely one of my favorite blogs, your recipes are always great!
purplecow

All of the guests loved these, except for the shortbread crust. Too dry and crumbly. I thought the caramel was too thick (should be cut in half), and caramel instructions too “qualitative.” (How about a temperature to determine doneness?) And making the caramel takes too much time for me, since it requires constant stirring. I’m going to experiment with premade caramels and melt them directly on the shortbread.

Salt & sweet – YUM, especially since I’m not a chocolate person.
Stephanie, CA

Annie I am not someone to comment but I have to say THANK YOU – as others have said when I come to your blog I know that I can never go wrong. All my (your) food is amazing!

These bars were super rich for me (I still ate one) but my kids (6, 4, 3) LOVED them. They remind me of a truffle. If you eat too many you will lose the joy of enjoying the first bite of just one. As for trying to perfect the carmel this was my first time and I love that it’s not perfect in carmel color, but flavor. I think it gives it that homey feel. Thank you for giving me the courage to try new and exciting flavors and recipes everyday. xo
Anonymous

That has been corrected in the recipe, sorry for the confusion.
Anonymous

I would make sure they are well chilled (refrigerated) before you cut them, but them freeze them after slicing.
Elizabeth

Thanks for your advice, Annie! I appreciate it!
Picturechic1474

sounds good
Mgentry48

Sounds delicious !
Bjbrumbaugh

These bars are FANTASTIC….a little intimidated when I saw the picture but actually pretty easy! I brought these to work and everyone could not stop talking about them. So so good…one thing I will do different next time is use Fleur De Sel….not sea salt…and wait for it to cool a little more before I sprinkle on the salt. So so good!!!
http://twitter.com/RubberChickenMa RubberChickenMa

I must must must make these as a Valentine’s treat for my boys! Yummo!
http://twitter.com/RubberChickenMa RubberChickenMa

I must must must make these for my boys for Valentine’s Day! I’m pinning them too :)
Kaye

A sweet lady brought these to our Sunday School class last Sunday. They are divine:)
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Blessings,
Kaye
Heather

I was sort of disappointed with the caramel… I followed the recipe exactly with everything, and the caramel wasn’t the ooey-gooey goodness I was hoping for. It was more along the lines of a molasses chew, which wasn’t very appetizing. The shortbread, however, was the best recipe for shortbread dough that I’ve found so far. I am going to be trying this recipe again, but this time I’m going to go with a “thinner” caramel sauce, just boiled simple syrup with cream, sort of like the caramel you would put on ice cream, but a but thicker :)
NRS

Annie, do you like ghirardelli semisweet or ghirardelli bittersweet for these? My son and I are looking at the recipe and he wants me to half the layer of caramel, in case that might make a difference in the chocolate you would recommend.
Anonymous

I would still use bittersweet personally, but you can do what you like. Enjoy!