This post was created in partnership with the American Pecan Council. All opinions are our own. Ever had Millionaire bars? Sometimes called Millionaire’s shortbread, they’re a layered bar of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate, similar to the Twix candy. But this cookie originates from the British Isles and it’s a delicious homemade treat. For our rendition of this famous bar, we’ve transformed it into an easy dessert and replaced the caramel layer with pecan butter! Our friends have been literally begging for the recipe. So without further ado…let’s make millionaire bars!
Why bake with pecans?
This year, American pecan farmers are asking you to pledge to make one more pecan dish this holiday season – beyond the pecan pie! They’ve launched the Super American Pecan-a-thon and are asking people to #PledgePecans – to make one more recipe with pecans in the spirit of supporting the farms and families that harvest pecans in America. To pledge, simply watch the Pecan-a-thon (an online variety show starring pecan growers), or click / download a recipe. This holiday is the perfect time to take advantage of exploring all the nutritious, delicious and versatile possibilities of cooking with pecans. Will you #PledgePecans this holiday season? All you’ve got to do is make this pecan butter millionaire bars recipe—or another recipe at AmericanPecan.com/PledgePecans! These pecan butter millionaire bars are perfect for Thanksgiving as an alternative to pecan pie, as a Christmas cookie, and as a sophisticated New Year’s Eve recipe.
Tips for making these millionaire bars
The origin of the name millionaire bars is hard to prove: most sources claim it’s because of the rich ingredients inside! For this version, we’ve transformed these millionaire bars into an easy dessert recipe that’s a bit lighter than the original. And the best part is that instead of a caramel layer, it’s got pecan butter instead! The filling is so tasty, and it makes for a sort of cross between pecan bars and shortbread millionaire bars. Whatever the case, it’s an incredibly crowd pleasing dessert. A few tips for these pecan butter millionaire bars.
You can use either butter and sugar, or maple syrup and coconut oil. Either works! The second option makes these into vegan millionaire bars. Make homemade nut butter or sub store-bought! You can use any type of nut butter. We made homemade pecan butter, which requires a food processor. Or opt for store-bought peanut butter!It takes a while to press the shortbread crust. Just keep pressing until it fills the entire bottom: we used a shot glass to roll the dough out into the pan. You can cut these into any size you’d like! We found we liked the 1 inch by 2.25 inch rectangle. This makes 36 small millionaire bars: the perfect size for us!
This recipe was updated…
We updated this millionaire bars recipe in December 2020 to address consistencies with homemade pecan butter across kitchens all over the world.
Looking for pecan recipes?
Outside of these pecan butter millionaire bars, here are a few of our favorite pecan recipes:
Candied PecansGlazed PecansMaple Pecan GranolaInstant Pot Acorn Squash with PecansBrussels Sprouts with PecansPecan Energy BarsCinnamon Pecan Muesli Recipe
This millionaire bars recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant based, dairy free and naturally sweet.
Looking for easy vegan dessert recipes?
Here are a few of our favorite easy vegan dessert recipes in addition to these pecan butter millionaire bars: No reviews
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour* ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ cup granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) ½ cup melted unsalted butter (or room temperature coconut oil)
For the nut butter layer
¾ cup homemade pecan butter or creamy peanut butter ¼ cup unsalted butter (or coconut oil) ⅓ cup granulated sugar (or pure maple syrup) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the chocolate layer
4 ounces or 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (vegan if desired) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
Balsamic Blackberry Vegan Cheesecakes (made with pecans!)Chocolate Sweet Cherry Vegan Tarts (made with pecans!)Chocolate Tahini Vegan No Bake CookiesBliss BitesMaple Vegan BlondiesEasy Bananas Foster (use vegan variation)
Updated: December 2020
