Innocent Millionaire Shortbread

Millionaire shortbread was one of the few things I couldn’t resist in a cake shop but since being gluten free I’ve struggled to find a vegan version that isn’t overly sweet or whose base isn’t cloyingly stodgy. So I put my thinking cap on and came up with this delicious alternative. My innocent shortbread has all the hall marks of the original but none of the sins. Packed with nuts, coconut oil and raw cocoa, and getting its sweet caramel texture from dates, it’s a delicious treat. 

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

225g ground almonds

135g ground brazil nuts ( or use all almonds)

80g pitted dates

1 scoop Vanilla protein powder - 10g protein  - optional

5 tablespoons coconut oil - melted

For the caramel layer

100ml coconut oil - melted

120g almond butter

Pinch salt

170g pitted dates

2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the chocolate topping

100ml coconut oil (or 50g coconut oil and 50g cacao butter for a harder chocolate topping)

2 tablespoons honey

70g raw cocoa

Directions

To make the base

Line a 20 x 20cm / 8inch baking tray with parchment paper and set aside

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until they form a sticky paste. If you don’t have a food processor you can blitz each ingredient separately and combine in a separate bowl. I used to find adding the dates and oil together helped my nutri-bullet cope with the dates. I now have a Thermomix (my cooking robot) and its a dream as everything combines so easily!

Push the mixture firmly into the prepared tin and put in the fridge to chill.

For the caramel layer

Again combine all the ingredients in a food processor or Thermomix until you have a smooth, gooey, pale caramel mixture. 

Spoon the mixture over the base and even out so it is flat. Don’t over mix it or the oil will separate out. If this happens add a tea spoon of hot water and warm the mixture to re combine.

Place in the fridge to chill.

For the chocolate topping

In a saucepan over a low heat, melt the coconut oil (or oil and cacao butter) and add the honey at the last minute, you don’t want it to cook. Stir to combine then whisk in the cocoa with a balloon whisk. Keep whisking until all lumps have dissolved. 

Pour over the caramel layer and return to the fridge to chill. 

Once cool remove and cut into squares.

This is super rich so a small slice is plenty.

Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for a month.

I tend to put half in the fridge and half in the freezer in the hope that I can eek it out a little longer as once the family know I’ve made it they keep coming back for more!