Vegan Millionaires Shortbread!
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Vegan millionaires shortbread with vegan shortbread base, vegan caramel filling and vegan chocolate on top!
Vegan bakes
I think I have lost count of how many millionaires shortbread themed recipes are on my blog… even if they’re the cake form, or the cupcake form, I have SO MANY. I just adore it. However, none of them are vegan so far!
This is partly because I am not vegan myself, so I have never needed to bake any.. but it’s also because for these, using vegan alternatives makes it harder as they can be harder to come by. Regular condensed milk is available in all shops – and so easy to find. Vegan condensed milk? Very few shops sell it in comparison!
Vegan millionaires shortbread
I have seen many vegan millionaires shortbread recipes now that use medjool dates, cashew nuts, maple syrup etc… and whilst I have literally no issue with this whatsoever, they’re just not ingredients that I commonly buy for my baking.
I wanted to make my vegan millionaires shortbread as similar to my regular millionaires shortbread recipes as I could, so that they fit my style better, and so that they’re easier for me! The good thing is as well, is you only have to alternate three ingredients.. the condensed milk, the butter, and the chocolate!
Base
My shortbread base for this recipe is the exact same as my other millionaires recipes, apart from the butter I use. I used the Stork block for these as it’s a very good dairy free & vegan butter that’s firm, and found in most supermarkets! You may think “STORK ISN’T DAIRY FREE?!” but the foil kind is! It’s amazing.
The only difference in how you make the shortbread, is that I found it’s better if you bake it for a smidge longer than the usual shortbread recipe! It may be because the butter is softer than normal butter is, but who knows… a couple more minutes doesn’t hurt!
Caramel
For the caramel, it’s similar to my other recipe on my millionaires flapjacks, but actually quite different. I tried this caramel several different ways, but finally cracked it! For the butter, I used the Stork block again, and then also this amazing vegan condensed milk.
Honestly, it’s a little life changing.. and it works wonderfully. I had to change the quantities of the other ingredients that I’ve used ever so slightly as the tin size of the vegan condensed milk are different (smaller), but otherwise the ethos is the same!
Vegan condensed milk
I tried using my other caramel from most of my other millionaires recipes such as my Mini Egg millionaires, but I just didn’t like it as much. It didn’t set as well for me, and the colour was too light. Doing it this way, with the light brown sugar means you get a much better caramel with the amazing vegan condensed milk.
You have to be careful when making this caramel, as always! You want the temperature of the caramel to be about a medium heat, and definitely not really high. You must keep stirring, ensuring nothing is being left on the bottom of the pan so you don’t get any burnt bits in your caramel!
Vegan chocolate
For the chocolate side of it, I used dark chocolate that is naturally dairy free and vegan. You need to make sure to check the labels of the brand you choose to buy, as some can still contain dairy in some way, but often the supermarket own cheap bars are naturally dairy free!
I liked to keep my vegan millionaires simple as the caramel and dark chocolate with the buttery shortbread compliment each other so well, they don’t need any other additions. You can add anything you wish as extra to make the bake look lovely and pretty! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Enjoy! x
Vegan Millionaires Shortbread!
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 200 g vegan butter (I used Stork block)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 275 g plain flour
Caramel Filling
- 200 g vegan butter
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- 370 g vegan condensed milk (one tin - I used Carnations)
Decoration
- 300 g vegan dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan, and line a 9x9" square tin with parchment paper.
- Cream together your vegan butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour and beat again until a dough is formed!
- Press the dough into the bottom of the tin, and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden on top.
- One baked, leave to cool on the side, but still in the tin!
- In a large heavy based saucepan, add your vegan butter, caster sugar, golden and vegan condensed milk.
- Melt on a low-medium heat until everything is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
- Once melted, turn the heat up slightly to a medium heat and boil the mixture for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture has started to turn more golden and thickened. Stir it constantly with a spatula so the bottom of the pan is scraped properly.
- Pour the caramel onto the shortbread and leave it to set in the fridge for two hours or so!
- Once set, melt your vegan chocolate carefully and pour over!
- Leave the bake to set in the fridge until solid, and then portion and enjoy!
Notes
- I used a tin of Carnations vegan condensed milk but you can use any vegan condensed milk in this recipe!
- If you wanted to add some white chocolate swirls for your decoration, I recommend this vegan white chocolate!
- I use this 9" square tin for all my brownies/millionaires recipes as it's so good!
- Make sure that all of your other ingredients are vegan (does depend on brand), especially if you have allergies.
- I used a supermarket own dark chocolate as it's naturally vegan - but again can depend on the brand.
- This will last in the fridge or room temperature on a cooler day, for up to a week!
- You can use any vegan chocolate you like on the top - 300g is just the ideal amount to cover the traybake and have a decent thickness!
- If you caramel is very hard to cut after being in the fridge, leave it at room temperature for a bit.
- If you caramel is very soft even after being in the fridge, you didn't boil it for long enough or at a hot enough temperature!
- Original recipe
- Base: 200g vegan butter, 100g caster sugar, 275g plain flour
- Caramel: 100g vegan butter, 100g light brown sugar, 600g vegan condensed milk
- Topping: 200g vegan dark chocolate, 100g vegan white chocolate
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi Jane
Thank you for this fantastic recipe!
I’ve a small issue with the texture of the set caramel, it’s quite grainy. I’ve made the recipe twice now and both times I’ve produced a grainy caramel. Any wise words greatly appreciated 😊
That often means the sugar isn’t being dissolved on a low enough heat, so when it’s turned up it creates a grainy texture!! x
The brand Carnation now do a vegan version of condensed milk. You can get it in morrisons or waitrose
Yep they do indeed!
Wooo! Just made these today. Perfect! First time, I tried making own condensed milk, turned out a flop. Tasted great, but it never set and I had to eat them with a spoon. This second time round, I ordered that condensed milk, and perfect. They are a dream!!!
Do you know what temperature the caramel should get to on a sugar thermometer?
I’m afraid not – I never do millionaires style caramel by temperature!
These turned out amazing! My daughter is gluten and dairy free due to having IBS so I edited this to gluten free as well so the whole family could enjoy it and it tastes so good!! My eldest son is usually fussy when it comes to free from stuff but even he enjoyed these!
Can’t wait to take some into work to give to my work mate who has the same as my daughter.
I’ve just put this into the fridge to set and reread the method and I only boiled it for 7 minutes!! I’m really worried it’s going to be stringy and not set!! I thought it was 5-7mins not 7-8.. anyway that will teach me to read properly FIRST!! Fingers crossed they set ok!!
Let me know how they turn out!! x
Well… strange I think the word is 😂 I’ve made your dairy free oreo brownies topped with the caramel and a chocolate and Oreo crumb!! It look amazing. The caramel just isn’t like normal caramel, it’s not chewy as such but doesn’t melt in your mouth either. Kind of like a very soft toffee sweet? So a bit of a glue like texture? Maybe I didn’t cook for long enough though. X
Have you found a supermarket which does sell the vegan condensed milk? Or do you get it online?
Thank you!x
I haven’t personally, I usually but it online!
Ocado/Waitrose stock it.
Most large supermarkets stock it. I discovered it in Tesco this week and am trying it out in this recipe tomorrow.
I’m lactose intolerant due to crohns disease and haven’t had these treats in decades, im so excited to try them, they’re my all time favourite 😍
Can i replace the condensed milk with coconut cream?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried this, sorry!
Hi Jane, I was wanting to make this version of shortbread as I have lots of Stork but no actual butter at the moment, however I am not vegan, so don’t need to worry about the vegan condensed milk. I have a regular tin of condensed milk so could I just substitute the same quantity of Stork for butter from one of your regular millionaires shortbread caramel recipes?
Many Thanks
Hiya! If you mean can you substitute the butter for stork in the shortbread, then yes!
Hey there. I made the condensed milk using non sweetened soya turned out great the fourth time hahahaha. Took a few attempts to get the time and temperature spot on.
Have to be careful not to over cook the c/milk as it goes stringy (still tasty)
I stuck to the recipe and it all worked out great thank you.
Hi! I don’t have any Stork butter at the moment, can I use normal margarine? The Pure spread?
X Hannah
Yes, that should be fine!
Hello, I made these and they look great but are so so chewy that we can’t eat them it’s like chewing a gummy sweet or fat, what do you think I did wrong, tastes nice just texture all wrong, I dud make my own condensed milk using 1 tin of coconut milk with 150g sugar reduced for 30 mins
It might be the homemade condensed milk in all honesty. The sugar may be different, and the preserving process is different, so the ratios are probably off!
Hi Jane. I followed the recipe to the tee… however I boiled my caramel on a high heat for 10 mins. It was delicious but still stringy & quite gooey. Should it set firm like non vegan caramel.
They still taste delicious just don’t look so good.
I would say it just needs boiling for a bit longer! If your temp was maybe a bit lower than mine for example, it may have needed a bit longer! X
Hi Jane I made these last night, they were great to make my only problem was that the caramel turned a dark colour but didn’t really thicken up, I carried on with the recipe and put them in the fridge to set. When I took them out of the fridge to cut this morning the caramel was still quite runny is there anything i can do next time because i will be making them again. My daughter said they were delicious 😋
Hey! If you used the correct ingredients, and the same condensed milk I did, the only real reason that it wouldn’t set is if it wasn’t boiled for long enough! If your temp was lower than mine for example, it would naturally take a little longer! xx
Hi Jane, Ive looked for a recipe for vegan millionaires without dates/coconut options so love that I’ve found this. Quick question, why does this need 600g of condensed milk when a dairy option is 397? Only asking as I have one tin of this in my house 😐
I found it works so so so much better with the 600g, and with the other ingredients. I found it too sticky, and that it didn’t set nearly as well with only one tin (which is usually 320g, less than regular condensed milk at 397g)