A buttery gluten-free buckwheat and cashew crust topped with creamy date caramel and covered in rich chocolate ganache: these healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars taste decadent while containing lots of nutritious ingredients. Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and only eight ingredients. Paleo option, too.
Posting on a Tuesday? Me? I know it’s very unusual and actually not pleasing my mind – three posts in a row … – but even I can make exceptions. Especially when two special occasions collide. First would be today being World Vegan Day. This isn’t to force anybody into choosing a certain diet but I simply enjoy sharing delicious plantbased recipes. Secondly, today I’m collaborating with some other lovely blogging ladies for our first …
Bloggers Gonna Blog Friendsgiving Collab!
Granted, I was hesitant to join in a virtual Thanksgiving celebration. As you might know this is a holiday not celebrated in Germany. We do have the occasional ‘Erntedankfest’ [which literally translates to Thanksgiving] but it’s nothing official and I don’t know a single person honoring this day at their home. Anyway, I figured every holiday feast needs dessert and that I could do. Allow me to present: Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread.
Way different from my recent flourless hazelnut shortbread this is it. The kind of treat you’d whip up for a holiday or take the time to really savour on an ordinary day. Funny story: my first time trying this British classic was as a special Britain-themed week at Lidl [for those not familiar with it: a discounter] of all places. Very gourmet, I know. [Read: not.] I got my whole family obsessed with these caramel-topped and chocolate-covered slices of decadence. For some reason Lidl stopped carrying the shortbread during future British weeks despite them clearly being a popular item and gone very quickly every time.
But we wouldn’t be bloggers if we let stores decide our food choices, right? Given my ‘history’ of no-bake brownies and bars it’s a riddle why I’d yet to try and recreate the Millionaire’s Shortbread. Luckily, I did after all and – dare I say it? – these are even better. Buckwheat and cashews are combined with a special ingredient to create the gluten-free shortbread crust here: cacao butter. I just wanted to see if I could use it instead of coconut oil, not expecting anything. But: wow! The cacao butter, despite using a small amount only, lends a truly buttery taste to the shortbread base. Naturally sweet date caramel stands in for the typically sugar-laden variety. My favourite chocolate ganache finishes everything off for an amazing taste experience.
Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas or just an average day when you’re reading this: Make this Healthy No-Bake Millionaire’s Shortbread and be sure to have everybody get back for seconds.
Healthy No-Bake Millonaire’s Shortbread
Shortbread base:
- 1/4 cup [40 g] raw buckwheat groats
- 3/4 cup [100 g] cashew nuts
- 1 heaped tbsp/25 g cocoa butter, melted [can sub coconut oil]
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Caramel
- 1 cup [150 g] dates
- 1 heaped tbsp of peanut butter [coconut butter works, too]
- Pinch of salt [omit if your nut butter is salted]
- 2-3 tbsps water
Ganache Topping
- 2 oz dark chocolate
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsps coconut cream or soy cream [~ 75 ml]
- In a high speed blender or food processor, blend the cashews and buckwheat groats into a fine flour-like consistency.
- Add to a bowl and mix with the melted cacao butter, kneading to form a dough. Press into an 8 x 8 inch pan and set into the fridge to harden.
- Prepare the date caramel by processing the dates in your blender until crumbly, Add in the nut butter, minimum amount of water and salt and process into a smooth caramel.
- Spread the caramel onto your ‘shortbread’ crust and chill in the fridge again.
- While the base is chilling in the fridge, prepare your ganache layer. Finely chop the chocolate bar and set aside.
- Bring the coconut milk to a boil either on the stove or in the microwave. Pour over the chopped chocolate and (!!!) let sit for three minutes. Do NOT stir before.
- Stir to fully combine all ganache ingredients. Top the chilled base with ganache and refridgerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting into it.
I’m linking up with Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays,Healthy Vegan Fridays, Meatless Mondays.
.. .and because dessert alone doesn’t make a whole Thanksgiving feast don’t miss out on what everybody else is bringing to the Bloggers Gonna Blog Friendsgiving party:
https://static.inlinkz.com/cs2.js
Happiness-inducing today: Music. It’s been an ugly grey and rainy day. Stressful with some anxiety thrown in, too. But setting out for short walk after work, just catching some fresh air and listening to brighter tunes helped a little.
I LOVE millionaires shortbread. It is something my Gran used to always make and bring when she visited. Recipes like that always feel extra special.
That’s really sweet. These kind of memories make food all the more special.
These look SO good. Dying to try them!!
Thank you, Jillian! I hope you get a chance to try them.
Gosh these look delicious. Thanks for sharing Chloe https://pinkiebag.com/
Thank you, Chloe!
OMG I need these in my house asap! Sound and look so dang good girl!
You do indeed. I’d offer to send you some but they’re long gone ;).
I don’t think I’ve ever had millionaire’s shortbread, but these look so, so good! *-* I need em’ in my life!
Oooh, you do! You’ve been missing out, girl ;).
This looks DELICIOSO! 🙂 That’s such a blessing that there are so many amazing options out there to make wonderful vegan treats; all my friends who are vegans do make veganism look really tasty! And I love that you use all the plants that God Almighty has so wondrously made and created for us to enjoy!
Emily, that’s such a wonderful way of wording it. It’s truly a gift to have all these foods aplenty.
I see this one millionaire shortbread bar recipe floating around Pinterest all of the time and it looks so good but I love how you healthified yours- they look awesome, too!
Which one do you mean? Now I’m curious to see it. I’m glad you like my spin on the classic, too.
These look so delicious! I love that you used such healthy ingredients!
Thanks, Aya! It was fun to turn this classic into a healthier treat.
I’m so happy you decided to join the virtual Friendsgiving! This looks to die for! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you, Nicole! I’m happy I joined after all, too. I hope you get to try these because they’re so good.
These seriously look amazing! I love shortbread but it’s really hard to find vegan. I’ll certainly be making these this holiday season. Great recipe!
Yay! Let me know if you try them, Ellie! I agree some foods are hard to find vegan in stores which would be nice for when you don’t have the time to make your own.
Holy sweetness. YUM. Love the use of cashews and buckwheat (my favorite!). Do you mean buckwheat groats? And you know I already love that ganache.
Ah, yes, thank you for pointing this out. It was right in a previous draft but I missed the ‘raw groats’ info in the final one. I edited it now.
You and me both with the ganache. It’s just so good.
I just made millionaires bars for the first time this summer and loved them. But I am really loving how healthy these are!!
That’s great! Which recipe did you use? I think there’s room for both the original and these healthier ones – it’s all about balance :).
I used a recipe for healthier ones from Fit Mitten Kitchen!
OMG these look dangerously delicious!! Happy Friendsgiving!
Dangerously delicious – I like it :). Happy Friendsgiving to you, too!
These looks so good! I am a sucker for anything caramel and these are calling my name! Happy Friendsgiving!!
Caramel is so good, isn’t it?! If they’re calling your name I’d say: make them ;). Happy Friendsgiving, Kelly!
These look AMAZING! I feel like I need to make a whole bowl of that ganache and eat it with a spoon 😉
Well, I wouldn’t judge you for that ;). I may or may not try to come up with reasons to make recipes featuring it just so I get to eat a spoon or two of the ganache …
These look downright addicting! I love recreating childhood favorites. 🙂
Coming up with new spins on classics is the best. And these might totally be addictive. But hey, they’re healthy!
Oh wow! I love millionaire bars! What a great idea!
Thank you, Allie!
These look amazing! And so easy-to-make too! And I agree: a walk and a little fresh air can really change your day. 🙂
It’s almost magical how some movement in fresh air can help pull us out of funks, no? I’m happy you like the look of these, too, and they really are easy to prepare.
Woah! I love how healthy you’ve made these! They look absolutely delicious, I seriously can not wait to try!
Oh, I hope you get to try these, Rebecca. They’re really good.
Yummy! I’ve never tried a buckwheat base (I usually use GF oats) so that’s new for me. I love how your photo makes me want to pick one right off the page! Thanks for sharing at Healthy Vegan Fridays 🙂
How did I miss that it was World Vegan Day??? I feel like a bad vegan… 😉
No Thanksgiving in Germany, huh? We do have Thanksgiving in Canada, but it’s the first weekend in October. We never really understood why Americans wanted it so close to Christmas.
These sound SO GOOD!!!!! I’m bookmarking to try sometime soon.
Thank you so much for sharing at Healthy Vegan Fridays! I’m pinning & sharing. I hope you are having a great week =)