• Lucas
• 18 May, 2026
• • Millionaire Shortbread
  • Brown Sugar Substitution
  • Demerara Sugar
  • Caramel Troubleshooting
  • Baking Ingredient Swaps
  • Claire Saffitz Recipe

Can You Substitute Brown Sugar for Demerara in Millionaire Shortbread?

You know that moment when you are halfway through a baking project and realize you are missing a key ingredient? It happened to a Reddit user last month who attempted Claire Saffitz’s millionaire shortbread but reached for brown sugar instead of demerara. They also swapped vanilla extract for vanilla bean and doubled the chocolate. The result? A caramel that took a long time to come together but was ultimately delicious. But was it really the same? The answer is both yes and no. Substituting brown sugar for demerara changes the chemistry of your caramel in ways that affect texture, cooking time, and flavor. As a baker who believes that understanding the “why” leads to better results (baking is chemistry you can eat), I want to walk you through exactly what happens when you make this swap and how to adjust your technique so you get the best millionaire shortbread every time.