Eat Like the 1% With This Millionaire Sundae Recipe

When I studied abroad in England, my roommate used to get millionaire sundaes from the local supermarket, Sainsbury’s, and loved them so much that there wasn’t a day when we didn’t have a stock in the fridge. Millionaire sundaes are a play off of millionaire shortbread cookies made with shortbread topped with a layer of delicious caramel and chocolate.  

Unfortunately, I never got to try them since the Sainsbury’s millionaire sundaes contain beef gelatin which I do not eat for religious reasons. So, to satiate my curiosity and to surprise my roommate for her birthday last year, I recreated the sundae using a photo I took prior to completing our time abroad.

The replicated version does not contain eggs or gelatin which are common ingredients in a mousse. This makes it vegetarian and allows me to finally try the millionaire sundae my roommate so adored. 

Millionaire Sundae

• Prep Time:20 mins
• Cook Time:4 hrs
• Total Time:4 hrs 20 mins
• Servings:4
• Medium

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4-5 graham crackers
• 4 3.25 ounce butterscotch pudding cups
• 4 tablespoons white chocolate shavings

• Step 1

  In a small saucepan, add 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Add in butterscotch chips and heat at medium low.

  

• Step 2

  Stir butterscotch chips and whipping cream mixture until the chips have almost completely melted. Remove from heat. Transfer mixture into a small heat safe bowl and set aside.
  
  #SpoonTip: Wash or soak your pan in water immediately after transferring the butterscotch mixture to prevent hardening.

  

• Step 3

  In another small saucepan, pour 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream. Bring the cream to a simmer over medium low heat.

  

• Step 4

  Once the cream simmers, remove the pan from the heat and add in chocolate chips. Let the chocolate chips and cream sit for 2-3 minutes, then mix until homogenous. Transfer the chocolate ganache to a small bowl and set aside.

  

• Step 5

  Transfer the remaining 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream to a large bowl. Beat the cream using a whisk or beater on low speed.

  

• Step 6

  Once the cream has increased in volume and thickens to the point where you see a drizzle trail if you lift the whisk, add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
  
  #SpoonTip: Adding sugar to the cream before air has been whipped into it increases the amount of time needed to whip the cream, so by adding the sugar in later, you end up whipping the cream for a shorter amount of time.

  

• Step 7

  Continue whipping the cream mixture until soft peaks have formed. Then, split whipped cream equally amongst two bowls.

  

• Step 8

  Add one spoonful of whipped cream to chocolate ganache mixture and one spoonful from the other bowl to the butterscotch ganache mixture. Mix the whipped cream and respective ganaches together until no more whipped cream is visible. Then, add the aerated chocolate and butterscotch ganache to their respective bowls of whipped cream. Fold each mixture until no white streaks are visible.

  

• Step 9

  Transfer the chocolate and butterscotch mousse to containers and place in refrigerator to set for 3-4 hours.

  

• Step 10

  Crush graham crackers into crumbs. Transfer to a baking tray and bake at 250°F for 3 minutes to brown them. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

  

• Step 11

  After the mousse has cooled, it is time to layer the dessert! Add 2 tablespoons toasted graham crackers into the bottom of four glasses.
  
  Spoon or pipe alternating layers of the butterscotch mousse and butterscotch pudding. If you are feeling ambitious, try making a checkered or spiral pattern. Lastly, spoon the chocolate mousse on top of the butterscotch layers.

  

• Step 12

  Top with white chocolate shavings. Return the sundaes to the refrigerator to chill. Serve cold and enjoy!

  

After making these sundaes for my roommate's birthday, she gave her stamp of approval saying that they taste even better than the ones she got while we were studying abroad. 

Sweets are no stranger to me with my family's holiday tradition of making fudge or the chocolate truffles recipe I drafted to resemble those of Monica Geller in the hit sitcom Friends. This millionaire sundae offers the perfect balance of chocolate and caramel flavors to create a simple yet sophisticated dessert. 

This sundae is rich, airy, creamy, and crunchy all at the same time. Thus, this millionaire sundae is a decadent treat perfect for any occasion—whether it be a birthday, or simply a Sunday’s sundae.