Nanaimo Bars

The classic Canadian treat of Nanaimo Bars is a no bake three layer recipe with a chocolate coconut base, custard buttercream filling and melted chocolate topping for a great recipe you and your loved ones will be impressed by. These delicious bars can be made ahead (as they require chilling) and can be cut into small pieces to serve a bunch!

History of Nanaimo Bars

The history of Nanaimo Bars isn't exactly clear, even to the locals of the City of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Though the first confirmed copy of the recipe sits in the museum there. Despite it's mysterious origins, let's make no mistakes, this bar is as Canadian as Maple Syrup and it's just as sweet too.

Ingredients and substitutions for Nanaimo Bars

• Graham crackers: Graham cracker crumbs makes the perfect base with their light and whole wheat flavor. If you are unable to obtain graham crackers, a great substitute in equal measure would be digestive biscuits or even oreos!
• Cocoa powder: High quality unsweetened cocoa powder is used here and works perfectly to compliment the flavors in the graham crackers.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar dissolves into the crushed biscuit base and the best for the filling is light confectioner’s or icing sugar.
• Ground almonds: Almond meal or almond flour might be what you refer to as what is called ground almonds here. Finely ground almonds create a beautiful and soft flavor and texture within our base.
• Desiccated coconut: Desiccated is easiest to source in many places and gives our bars a slight depth in flavor complimentary to the chocolate, however, you could substitute with shredded coconut.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is used for every stage of this recipe, but if all you have on hand is salted, that works as a fine substitute, just leave out any salt suggested in the recipe.
• Custard powder: Plain old custard powder with it's light sweetness and starches helps give our bars their signature flavor.
• Salt & Vanilla extract: The flavor powerhouses, just a little of both of these adds a depth to the bars that creates a well rounded flavor.
• Dark chocolate: High quality dark chocolate was used here, the type you would snack on instead of baking chocolate due to it having less additives and balancing out the rich flavors in the base and filling. You could replace in equal measure with semi-sweet chocolate instead.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Nanaimo Bars:

Step 1: The base: Stir the melty butter with the salt, extract and cocoa powder and stir together.

Step 2: Dry ingredients: Stir the dry ingredients until it resembles rough breadcrumbs, tossing into your lined baking tin and pressing down firmly.

Step 3: Custard: Cream butter, custard powder and sugar until smooth.

Step 4: Cream: Add a little of the cream, vanilla extract and salt and whisk. Pour in the remaining cream and whisk until smooth, spooning on top of your base and smoothing out.

Step 5: Chocolate sauce: Combine the butter and melty chocolate until smooth.

Step 6: Chocolate layer: Pour over the custard and smooth out. Refrigerate, preferably overnight.

Step 7: Serve: Cut into equal portiong, and serve alongside your favorite hot beverage.

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Nanaimo Bars

Sylvie Taylor

Nanaimo bars are a Canadian treasure and for good reason! These will impress anyone with a sweet tooth with the biscuit base, soft custard filling and that nice chocolate topping!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Chill time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 12 -16 bars

Calories 322 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Base

• 113 grams / 4 ounces butter melted
• 37 grams / ⅓ cup plain cocoa powder
• 50 grams / ¼ cup superfine sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 100 grams / 1 cup graham crackers finely crushed
• 50 grams / ½ cup ground almonds
• 100 grams / 1 cup desiccated coconut

Custard buttercream filling

• 113 grams / 4 ounces butter very soft
• 25 grams / 3 tablespoons custard powder
• 240 grams / 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 72 grams / 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Chocolate topping

• 150 grams / 5.3 ounces dark chocolate melted
• 15 grams / 1 tablespoon butter melted

Instructions

 

• Line a 18×18 cm or 7×7 inch square baking tin with parchment paper and set aside.

Base

• Place the melted butter, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla extract and salt into a bowl and stir together until well combined and smooth.
• Add the graham crumbs, almond meal and desiccated coconut and combine until no dry patches remain in the edges of the bowl and the mixture holds together.
• Spoon into the prepared tin and press down firmly into a nice even layer. Set aside.

Custard buttercream filling

• Place the very soft butter, custard powder and sugar in a bowl and whisk to until the butter is broken up and mixed through the sugar, approximately 2 minutes.
• Add in 2 tablespoons of the cream, vanilla extract and salt.
• Whisk to combine until smooth, adding in the remaining 3 tablespoons of cream to fully whip until the custard buttercream is smooth.
• Spoon into the center of the top of the base and spread outwards slowly until the creamy custard filling is even. Set aside.

Chocolate topping

• Meanwhile, stir the melted chocolate and butter together until smooth and pour the top layer over the custard filling, tapping the base of the tin to spread out the chocolate nice and evenly.
• Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for several hours or overnight.
• Remove and slice into even squares with a sharp knife that has been warmed with warm water to avoid your bars cracking.
• Serve.

Notes

• Graham crackers: These the perfect base for these bars with their light and whole wheat flavor. If you are unable to obtain graham crackers, a great substitute in equal measure would be digestive biscuits or even oreos!
• Almond meal: Ground almonds or almond flour might be what you refer to as what is called almond meal here. Finely ground almonds create a beautiful and soft flavor and texture within our base.
• Desiccated coconut: Desiccated is easiest to source in many places and gives our bars a slight depth in flavor complimentary to the chocolate, however, you could substitute with shredded coconut.
• Custard powder: The traditional ingredient that gives our bars a depth of flavor and balances the full on butter flavor in the filling.
• Dark chocolate: High quality dark chocolate was used here, the type you would snack on instead of baking chocolate due to it having less additives and leaving a more complimentary flavor to the bars.
• Cutting your chocolate topping without cracking it: Using a knife that has been run under warm water and wiped dry and marking slowly to lightly warm the chocolate without cracking it. This is best done for each cut you make.
• Baking tin: A square baking tin was used, though a rectangle tin would also work well.
• You can make these ahead: You can prepare them in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. This makes them perfect for parties or any time you want to have a sweet treat on hand.

Adapted from Butter Me Up Brooklyn and Nanaimo

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcal

Keyword chocolate, custard, eggless, no bake dessert

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