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These delicious, gluten free Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread slices have a sweet oat biscuit base, gooey date caramel centre and a creamy chocolate topping. They are filling, satisfying and made with simple, wholesome ingredients. They are ‘no bake’ and can be eaten straight from the freezer for a quick, easy and healthy snack that’ll satisfy your sweet craving!
These healthy millionaire’s shortbread slices have been a life saver in the post-Christmas aftermath!
My sweet tooth isn’t going anywhere, even when I’m trying to be ‘healthy’ so a sweet treat that is satisfying and ‘you-wouldn’t-know-it-was-healthy’ is an absolute must. These shortbread slices turned out even better than I could have hoped!
They’re easy to make, contain just 8 simple, natural ingredients, taste absolutely delicious and the best bit… you can eat them straight from the freezer – providing an instant, sweet-fix that will satisfy your cravings before you reach for a generous helping of Victoria Sponge Cake.
Updated: 23rd June 2026
Quick Links:
- The full recipe
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- What you’ll need to make this recipe
- Success tips
- How to store
- FAQs
- More healthy snack recipes to try
👋 Hi, I’m Tara!
I’m the recipe developer behind A Vegan Visit — usually found testing in the kitchen with flour on the floor and a tiny sous chef by my side. I’ve been creating vegan recipes for over 10 years. Read my full story here →
Looking for some more healthy vegan sweet treats? Try our super simple 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Freezer Fudge, our peanut butter-stuffed Snickers Dates and our Chewy Dairy Free Oatmeal Cookies!
Why you’ll love this Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread
They taste indulgent… but are made with wholesome ingredients. They’ve got all the things we love about the classic British treat, but with a healthy twist. The sweet biscuit base, gooey caramel centre and creamy chocolate topping are made with just 8 simple ingredients including oats, medjool dates and dark chocolate.
No baking required! Unlike traditional millionaire’s shortbread, this recipe is no-bake. The layers are mixed, spread and chilled until set, making it an easy recipe for beginners and a brilliant option for when you don’t want to switch on the oven.
Perfect for satisfying a sweet craving. Thanks to the fibre-rich oats and naturally sweet date caramel, these slices are filling and satisfying. I love to keep a batch in the freezer because one small square is usually enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.
They’re ideal for batch making. This recipe makes a generous tray and the slices freeze beautifully. In fact, I rather love eating them straight from the freezer – the caramel goes deliciously chewy and the chocolate topping has a good snap to it. Perfect for a quick grab-and-go treat.
They’re gluten free and naturally sweetened. Made with oats, medjool dates and dark chocolate, these millionaires shortbread slices are naturally sweetened and can easily be made gluten free using certified gluten free oats, chocolate and plant milk.
What you’ll need to make these Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbreads
Ingredients
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Refrigerated items: Your dairy free milk of choice (we use almond milk)
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Pantry items: Rolled oats (to make oat flour), coconut oil, maple syrup, coconut cream, 70% dark chocolate, salt and sticky medjool dates.
Ingredient note 1: Make oat flour for this recipe by blending rolled oats in a food processor until they are the consistency of flour.
Ingredient note 2: Coconut cream – We use just the thick white part from a tin of full fat coconut milk.
Equipment
🧑🍳 Equipment I Use
- Food processor — essential for blending the oats into flour and blitzing the dates into a smooth caramel. This one is a workhorse that I’ve had for over 10 years!
- 20cm square baking tin with removable base — the removable base makes it much easier to lift out the shortbread
- Airtight containers — store these millionaires slices in the freezer and eat straight from frozen for an instant sweet fix. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent them sticking together
Tips for making these Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbreads
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The biscuit layer for the base is made by simply mixing together oat flour, melted coconut oil and maple syrup. Press this mixture into your lined baking tin firmly, making sure to go right to the edges and into the corners for a neat finish.
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The date caramel layer is made with medjool dates, coconut cream, melted coconut oil and salt. You’ll need to blend the caramel for 2-3 minutes and wait for it to transform from light coloured and bitty to a thick, sticky and smooth caramel in a deep gold colour – trust the process here, it’ll happen!
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For the chocolate layer we recommend using a 70% dark chocolate combined with a stable dairy free milk such as almond milk or oat milk from a carton. We add milk for two reasons – to make the top layer creamier and also to make it slightly softer so that it’s easier to cut up and eat. Use the type of milk you get in a carton here (e.g. the type you can add to a cup of tea) in order to get a silky smooth texture and glossy appearance. Avoid using tinned coconut cream as this has a tendency to cause the chocolate to seize (go grainy).
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Setting: Allow the layers to set in the fridge or freezer before adding the next. This will give you a neater finish with clearly defined layers.
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Serving size: This recipe makes a big batch – you can either slice it into 12 generous shortbreads or into 24 smaller, bitesized fingers. I recommend the latter, especially if you plan to eat them from the freezer to satisfy sweet cravings – I’ve found the smaller size to be perfect for that!
How to store Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread
These millionaire’s shortbread slices keep well both in the fridge and freezer, making them ideal for batch cooking.
Fridge. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The caramel layer will remain soft and gooey and the chocolate topping will stay firm.
Freezer. These freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Portion the slices up first and store them in a freezer bag with a piece of parchment paper between slices to prevent them from sticking together. I personally love to eat them straight from the freezer! The caramel goes deliciously chewy and the topping has a satisfying snap to it.
Can you eat them straight from the freezer? Yes! No defrosting required. One small square straight from the freezer is usually enough to satisfy a sweet craving instantly. If you prefer them at room temperature, just leave the slices out for 30 minutes to defrost before serving.
FAQs
Are these millionaire’s shortbread slices gluten free?
Yes, this recipe can easily be made gluten free. The recipe uses oat flour rather than plain flour, which is naturally gluten free – however oats are often processed in facilities that also handle wheat, so if you’re coeliac or sensitive to gluten, make sure to use certified gluten free oats and oat flour. Also check that your other ingredients (such as the dark chocolate and dairy free milk) are certified gluten free before using.
Can I use a different type of date?
Medjool dates work best in this recipe because they are naturally soft, sticky and sweet, which makes them easy to blend into a smooth caramel without needing to soak them first.
If medjool dates aren’t available, you can use regular dried dates (e.g. Deglet Nour), but you’ll need to soak them in boiling water first for 20-30 minutes to soften them before blending. The caramel may be slightly less rich and sweet than with medjool dates.
Can I substitute the coconut oil?
Coconut oil plays an important role in this recipe and is unique because it goes solid at cool temperatures (unlike other oils). The coconut oil helps to firm up the biscuit base quickly in the fridge and gives the caramel layer its ‘set’. I therefore wouldn’t recommend substituting it for another oil, since the slices won’t set in the same way.
Can I make this without a food processor?
A food processor or high-powered blender is essential for making the oat flour and the date caramel layer – the dates need to be blended for 2-3 minutes to break down fully into a smooth, sticky caramel, and this isn’t achievable by hand.
More delicious healthy snack recipes to try
I hope you LOVE this recipe! If you try it be sure to leave a comment and rating below and tag @aveganvisit on social media – I love to see your re-creations! Enjoy 🙂 x
The Healthy Millionaire’s Shortbread Recipe:
Healthy Millionaire's Shortbread
Ingredients
For the biscuit layer:
- 390 g rolled oats (gluten free if required)
- 100 g coconut oil (melted)
- 150 g maple syrup
For the caramel layer:
- 425 g medjool dates (pitted weight)
- 100 g coconut cream (the thick white bit at the top of a can of coconut milk)
- 85 g coconut oil (melted)
- ¾ tsp salt
For the chocolate layer:
- 175 g 70% dark chocolate (gluten/soy free if required)
- 100 ml dairy free milk* (gluten/soy free if required (don't use coconut cream*))
Equipment
- 20cm (8") Square Baking Tin (with a removable base)
- Food Processor
Instructions
- Add the rolled oats to a blender or food processor and blend to a fine flour. Add the flour to a bowl with the remaining ingredients for the biscuit layer and stir together until combined.390 g rolled oats, 100 g coconut oil, 150 g maple syrup
- Line a 20cm square baking tin with non-stick parchment paper and press the biscuit mixture into the base firmly to make a thin layer. Be sure to press the mixture right to the edge and into the corners for a neat finish.
- Put the baking tin in the fridge to firm up the biscuit layer whilst you make the caramel. It should firm up quickly due to the coconut oil it contains.
- Add the caramel ingredients to a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. The caramel will change colour and consistency when it is ready - from a light colour and bitty texture to a deep gold, sticky and smooth texture (see the recipe video below for an example).425 g medjool dates, 100 g coconut cream, 85 g coconut oil, 3/4 tsp salt
- Smooth the caramel on top of the firm shortbread in the tin. Place the tin in the freezer to set for 30 minutes (we do this to partially freeze the caramel which prevents the caramel mixing with the melted chocolate when we add this later on).
- Heat a small saucepan of water to a simmer and place a bowl on top of the saucepan to create a ‘bain-marie’. Add the chocolate and dairy free milk to the bowl and allow it to melt gently.175 g 70% dark chocolate, 100 ml dairy free milk*
- Once the chocolate has melted, stir the chocolate and milk together until the mixture is glossy and fully combined.
- Pour the dark chocolate over the partially frozen caramel layer and spread out with a pallet knife or spoon.
- Put the tin back in the fridge to set the chocolate layer for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the Millionaire's Shortbread from the baking tin and place it on a chopping board. Heat a large knife in some hot water, dry it off and then slice the shortbread into 12 large squares or 24 bitesize fingers, depending on your preference.
- Store the shortbreads in the fridge if you intend to eat them within the next few days. Alternatively you can freeze the slices once portioned up - I like to eat them straight from the freezer!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Tara
Hi, I’m Tara. I share comforting vegan recipes with a healthy twist – nourishing, approachable and designed for real life. I’m so pleased you’re here!
