Vegan Millionaire Shortbread (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Millionaire Shortbread (Caramel Slice) is the best sweet treat: a "buttery" shortbread base topped with gooey, fudgy caramel and silky-smooth chocolate. It's not too sweet, much healthier than the traditional version, and refined sugar free too. It's a make-ahead dessert that's super easy to make, perfect for sharing and makes a great edible gift!

Millionaire Shortbread (also known as Caramel Slice) used to be a big favourite of mine, so I was keen to recreate a vegan and gluten-free version! It did take quite a bit of testing, but I found the best result was to use a shortbread base inspired by my Shortbread Cookies recipe and a caramel layer loosely inspired by my Fudge recipe.

The shortbread base

The shortbread base is made using a combination of ground almonds (almond meal) and brown rice flour. The ground almonds create a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture, whilst the brown rice flour creates a crispy, crunchy texture.

You need to use brown rice flour, not white rice flour, which creates a soft cookie (like my Sugar Cookies) rather than a crunchy one.

The caramel layer

The caramel layer is made using blended up cashew nuts for creaminess, coconut sugar for a toffee-like flavour, and cacao butter for a fudgy texture.

You can get hold of both coconut sugar and cacao butter online, in local health stores or large supermarkets.

The chocolate layer

The chocolate layer is made using melted chocolate (check that it's vegan/gluten-free if necessary). Adding a tiny bit of coconut oil makes it much easier to slice afterwards (more tips on that below), makes it shinier and gives it a more melt-in-your-mouth texture.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

• Mix together the ingredients for the dough in a glass mixing bowl.

• Transfer into a square baking tin.

Tip: Line the tin with greased baking paper to make it easier to remove after.

• Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges, then use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.

• Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

• Leave to cool as you make the caramel, although it doesn't matter if it hasn’t cooled completely before putting on the caramel.
• Place all the ingredients for the caramel into a food processor.

Tip: If your food processor isn’t very powerful, it may have trouble with the cacao butter. In this case, melt the cacao butter first using a bain-marie before adding to the food processor.

• Whizz until completely smooth - you might need to mix it around a few times.

• Transfer the caramel onto the shortbread base, pushing it all the way to the edges.
• Use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.

• Place in the fridge to firm up slightly while you melt the chocolate.
• Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil.

• Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir regularly until melted - make sure not to overheat it as the chocolate will ‘split’ if you heat it too much.
• Carefully pour the melted chocolate mixture on top of the caramel layer.

• Tip the baking tray from side to side so that the surface is completely covered all the way to the edges.

• Place in the fridge for at least a few hours until completely firmed up.
• Cut into squares once it’s completely firmed up.

Tips for slicing

• Adding the coconut oil to chocolate layer is essential for easy slicing.
• Make sure to use a hot knife when first slicing, as otherwise the chocolate topping will shatter as you try to slice into it.
• Pour boiling water over your knife then dry it.
• Carefully cut through just the chocolate layer with this knife.
• Don’t slice all the way through as otherwise the melted chocolate on your knife will be smeared all over the other two layers.
• Wash the knife to get rid of the chocolate then slice all the way through with a clean knife.

How long does this keep for?

This keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days. It makes an excellent make-ahead dessert for entertaining and parties!

Substitutions you can make

• You can replace the coconut oil with coconut butter.
• You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
• The ground almonds (almond meal) can be replaced with ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds.
• For a refined sugar free version, use a refined sugar free chocolate.

Substitutions to be careful of

The brown rice flour CANNOT be replaced with white rice flour or any other gluten-free flour - it is essential for the shortbread base to keep its shape and texture.

More vegan dessert recipes

• Chocolate Lava Cake
• Apple Crumble Bars
• Coconut Macaroons
• Strawberry Trifle
• Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Bars
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Yule Log
• Vegan Baked Cheesecake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Vegan Millionaire Shortbread (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Millionaire Shortbread (Caramel Slice) is the best sweet treat: a "buttery" shortbread base topped with fudgy caramel and silky-smooth chocolate. It's super easy to make and is a great edible gift!

4.50 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: vegan caramel, vegan dessert, vegan millionaire shortbread

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 16 squares

Calories: 380.98kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the shortbread base:

• ▢ 30 g (⅛ cup) coconut oil  (or sub coconut butter)
• ▢ 10 tablespoons maple syrup  (or sub any other similar sweetener)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
• ▢ 150 g (1 cup) brown rice flour **
• ▢ Generous pinch salt to taste

For the caramel layer:

• ▢ 300 g (2 cups) cashew nuts soaked overnight in cold water or in boiling water for 15 minutes
• ▢ 150 g (1 cup) coconut sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons smooth almond butter (or sub any other nut or seed butter)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch salt to taste
• ▢ 60 g (2.1 oz) cacao butter *** (or sub coconut oil or coconut butter, though this will give it a coconut taste)

For the chocolate layer:

• ▢ 150 g (5.3 oz) dark chocolate (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary) ****
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

For the shortbread base:

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
• Add the maple syrup, milk, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well – add an extra splash of milk if it’s looking too dry to combine
.
• Transfer the mixture into a square or rectangular baking tin lined with greased baking paper – I used a 23cm/9inch square baking tin.
• Use your fingers to push the mixture all the way to the edges.
• Use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
• Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
• Leave to cool as you make the caramel, although it doesn't matter if it hasn’t cooled completely before putting on the caramel.

For the caramel layer:

• Drain the soaked cashew nuts.
• Place into a food processor with all the other ingredients.
• Whizz until completely smooth - you might need to mix it around a few times.
• Transfer the caramel onto the shortbread base, pushing it all the way to the edges.
• Use a spatula to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
• Place in the fridge to firm up slightly while you melt the chocolate.

For the chocolate layer:

• Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil.
• Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir regularly until melted - make sure not to overheat it as the chocolate will ‘split’ if you heat it too much.
• Carefully pour the melted chocolate mixture on top of the caramel layer.
• Tip the baking tray from side to side so that the surface is completely covered all the way to the edges.
• Place in the fridge for at least a few hours until completely firmed up (may take slightly longer depending on the temperature of your fridge etc).
• Cut into squares once it’s completely firmed up - you should be able to get 16 squares (see recipe notes for slicing tips!).
• Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

**You MUST use brown rice flour – white rice flour won’t create a crunchy shortbread-like texture.

***If your food processor isn’t very powerful, it may have trouble with the cacao butter. In this case, melt the cacao butter first using a bain-marie before adding to the food processor.

****For a refined sugar free version, use a refined sugar free chocolate.

Tips for slicing 

• Adding the coconut oil to chocolate layer is essential for easy slicing.
• Make sure to use a hot knife when first slicing, as otherwise the chocolate topping will shatter as you try to slice into it.
• Pour boiling water over your knife then dry it.
• Carefully cut through just the chocolate layer with this knife.
• Don’t slice all the way through as otherwise the melted chocolate on your knife will be smeared all over the other two layers.
• Wash the knife to get rid of the chocolate then slice all the way through with a clean knife.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Millionaire Shortbread (Gluten-Free)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 380.98 Calories from Fat 222

% Daily Value*

Fat 24.67g38%

Saturated Fat 9.34g47%

Cholesterol 0.28mg0%

Sodium 25.83mg1%

Potassium 268.44mg8%

Carbohydrates 36.3g12%

Fiber 3.37g13%

Sugar 17.54g19%

Protein 7.45g15%

Vitamin A 3.66IU0%

Vitamin C 0.09mg0%

Calcium 59.66mg6%

Iron 3.03mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.