Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (2024)

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Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian classic! Decadent, sweet, creamy and delicious dessert bars from our neighbors to the north. I first discovered the Nanaimo Bar recipe from an Internet friend from Canada who clued me on as the perfect Christmas dessert (or anytime of the year!)

The Canadian Nanaimo Bar is a bar dessert with a graham cracker, coconut, chocolate crust topped with a layer of custard and then a layer of chocolate which equals yummy to me.

Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (1)

How To Make Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate (I used Tollhouse semi sweet chocolate chips)

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp.vanilla

2 cups graham crumbs

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

2 tablespoons Bird’s Custard Powder (double if you love a custard layer)

3 tablespoons milk

2 cups confectioners sugar

This dessert is not difficult to make, but it does take time as there the layers must set in the refrigerator.

Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (2)

Directions

  1. Oven temperature 350 degrees.
  2. Line a 9 inch square dish with parchment paper.
  3. In a microwave safe bowl melt 1/3 rd or 2 ounces of the chocolate with 1/2 cup of butter until the butter is melted. All microwaves differ especially when melting chocolate. I usually begin with 30 seconds and increase the intervals by 15 seconds until the chocolate and butter have melted.
  4. Add vanilla and eggs into the bowl. Mix.
  5. Add nuts, graham crackers and coconut. Gently mix.
  6. This will form the Nanaimo crust. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and gently press to form the bottom crust.
  7. Bake at 8 minutes.
  8. Cool.
  9. Now make the custard layer. (I double the custard powder and milk as I love a thick custard layer.)
  10. Add the milk and custard powder to the bowl and whisk.
  11. Add 1/4 cup of the softened butter and mix.
  12. Add the sugar gradually and beat until the mixture is smooth.
  13. Spoon on top of the cooled crust.
  14. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.
  15. Now make the third layer.
  16. Microwave 4 ounces of chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter until melted and smooth.
  17. Remove the Nanaimo crust from the refrigerator and spread on top.
  18. Refrigerate a few hours until the Nanaimo Bars have set.
  19. Cut into small servings as this is a very sweet dessert.

Canadian Nanaimo Bar Tips

Doubling the custard added a nice layer of custard in the bar. I highly recommend the pan is lined with parchment paper for ease of clean up and ease of cutting the bar once set. Next time I would also try decreasing the sugar as recommended by the reviewers.

The final verdict! The Nanaimo was worth the wait of waiting for the delivery of the custard powder. The bar is very rich so one bar does go along way. I loved the custard filling in the middle of the dessert bar and was glad I doubled the custard filling. The most difficulty I had was tracking down custard powder versus making the dessert bar.

After a little research I found recipes for mint Nanaimo Bars, Jello Nanaimo Bars, peanut butter Nanaimo bars which I will be interested in trying in the future. I am adding the Nanaimo Bar Recipe to my list of Christmas Cookie Bars.

Where To Find Bird’s Custard Powder

Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (3)My first road block into gathering the ingredients for the Nanaimo Bar was finding custard powder. I love custard and the image of a custard layer in the Nanaimo image was enticing enough. I checked the specialty stores and struck out.

I read reports on the internet of Kroger and Cost Plus carrying custard powder and strike 2 and 3. I considered driving to Canada … which actually is not that far flung for those of us in border states and fairly common.

Slightly deterred, but still on the hunt for Bird’s Custard Powder I of course utilized our friend in a time of need (aka as Amazon Prime) and struck custard powder gold. Yeah!

I’m looking forward to using this new ingredient in my repertoire for more goodies!

Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (4)

Print Pin

Nanaimo Bars

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Nanaimo Bars

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Setting time 2 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours

Author The Savvy Age

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate I used Tollhouse semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp.vanilla
  • 2 cups graham crumbs
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts I used pecans
  • 2 tablespoons Bird's Custard Powder double if you love a custard layer
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions

  • Oven temperature 350 degrees.

  • Line a 9 inch square dish with parchment paper.

  • In a microwave safe bowl melt 1/3 rd or 2 ounces of the chocolate with 1/2 cup of butter until the butter is melted. All microwaves differ especially when melting chocolate. I usually begin with 30 seconds and increase the intervals by 15 seconds until the chocolate and butter have melted.

  • Add vanilla and eggs into the bowl. Mix.

  • Add nuts, graham crackers and coconut. Gently mix.

  • This will form the Nanaimo crust. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and gently press to form the bottom crust.

  • Bake at 8 minutes.

  • Cool.

  • Now make the custard layer. (I double the custard powder and milk as I love a thick custard layer.)

  • Add the milk and custard powder to the bowl and whisk.

  • Add 1/4 cup of the softened butter and mix.

  • Add the sugar gradually and beat until the mixture is smooth.

  • Spoon on top of the cooled crust.

  • Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.

  • Now make the third layer.

  • Microwave 4 ounces of chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter until melted and smooth.

  • Remove the Nanaimo crust from the refrigerator and spread on top.

  • Refrigerate a few hours until the Nanaimo Bars have set.

Notes

Cut into small servings as this is a very sweet dessert.

Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (5)

Day One: Scrumptious Hello Dolly Bars

Day Two: Original Fantasy Fudge Recipe (not the imitation!)

Day Three: Top 3 Christmas Crack recipes

Day Four: Frozen Hot Chocolate

Day Five: Nanaimo Bars

Day Six:Christmas Puffcorn

Day Seven: DIY Christmas Vegetable Tree

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Comments

  1. Sandy KS says

    I have heard of thsi dessert but never tried them myself. It does sound yummy!!

    Reply

    • tab says

      It was yummy 🙂 – I can see why so many speak highly of this dessert.

      Reply

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Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are some facts about the Nanaimo bars in Canada? ›

The Nanaimo bar (/nəˈnaɪmoʊ/ nə-NY-moh) is a bar dessert that requires no baking and is named after the Canadian city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It consists of three layers: a wafer, nut (walnuts, almonds, or pecans), and coconut crumb base; custard icing in the middle; and a layer of chocolate ganache on top.

How long do Nanaimo bars last in fridge? ›

Seeing them in my fridge when I'm craving something sweet has been a miracle, honestly. In the Refrigerator: Nanaimo bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve straight from the fridge. In the Freezer: You can also keep your Nanaimo bars in the freezer for 2-3 months in an airtight container.

Why are Nanaimo bars so good? ›

The trifecta of sugary deliciousness in the original Nanaimo bar is what gives it its unmistakable appearance and buttery-chocolate flavour explosion, but its eye-catching triple-layer design and no-bake assembly also make it an excellent springboard for tasty variations and original creations.

Are Nanaimo bars shelf stable? ›

Keep our bars in a cool temperature under 20 C and you don't need to refrigerate them. Our co-founders travel all around the world with them - and they always arrive in perfect condition. Our bars have a shelf life of up to 5 months after production. Each box comes with its own Best Before date.

What is the story behind Nanaimo bars? ›

The first known recipe for Nanaimo bars appeared in the 1952 Women's Auxiliary of the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook and was labelled “chocolate square.” One year later, a similar recipe was published in Vancouver's Edith Adams' Cookbook, this time going by the name “Nanaimo Bar.” These are the bar's earliest known ...

What is special about Nanaimo? ›

Common favourites include the tidal lagoon at Pipers Park, sandstone rock formations at Malaspina Galleries, the Abyss fault line, and Ammonite Falls.

What are Nanaimo bars called in the USA? ›

This creamy, chocolatey treat's origin is elusive, shrouded in mystery, and claimed by many as their own. Of course, we know that Nanaimo Bars originated in Nanaimo, or they would be called New York Bars, or New Brunswick Bars.

What is a substitute for custard powder? ›

If a recipe lists custard powder and you don't have any, you can make some simple swaps to achieve the same effect. For each tablespoon of custard powder that's called for in your recipe, you can make your own custard mix with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch plus 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt.

What does a Nanaimo bar taste like? ›

A no bake bar made with three layers of pure decadence! You get a chocolatey, graham cracker-coconut base, a sweet cream filling, and they're finished with a layer of rich semi-sweet chocolate.

Are Nanaimo Bars a Canadian thing? ›

The Nanaimo bar. It's a sweet treat made from chocolate, custard, coconut and walnuts. Love it or hate it, it's uniquely British Columbian.

What is another name for Nanaimo Bars? ›

Other names for Nanaimo Bars include but are not limited to New York Slice, New York Special, Mississauga Bars, Edmonton Esks, Georgia Street Slices, Georgia Strait Smog Squares, London Fog Bars and London Smog Bars — coincidentally the London Fog (a hot drink consisting of steamed milk, vanilla syrup and Earl Grey Tea ...

How long do Nanaimo Bars last in the freezer? ›

Nanaimo bars freeze quite well. Wrap them individually in storage wrap, then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.

What is the worlds largest Nanaimo bar? ›

The completed bar weighed in at 530 pounds and measured eight feet long, 44 inches wide and three inches high. The family will submit their logs, photos, weights and measurements to the people at Guinness. They hope to receive the official certificate in the mail in a couple of months.

Who makes Nanaimo bar liquor? ›

Nanaimo Bar Cream | Forty Creek Whisky.

How many calories in a Nanaimo bar? ›

Nanaimo bars (1 square - 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 1") contains 40.8g total carbs, 39.1g net carbs, 18.4g fat, 2.5g protein, and 323 calories.

How did the Nanaimo bar get its name? ›

A B.C. baker's "ultimate" Nanaimo bars

It was first deemed the Nanaimo bar by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams in 1953 when she wrote that the dessert came from Nanaimo. This is important to note, Newman says, because other places such as Mississauga and England have tried to claim it as their own.

How did Nanaimo get its name? ›

In 1860 the settlement was renamed Sne-ny-mo (whence Nanaimo) from an Indigenous word meaning “a big, strong tribe,” which was applied to a tribal confederation. An important distributing center, Nanaimo is connected with Vancouver and the mainland by ferries.

How old is the city of Nanaimo? ›

Recognizing Nanaimo's 150 years of incorporation

In December 1874, the City of Nanaimo became the sixth municipality to be incorporated in British Columbia. Fast forward to 2024 and Nanaimo is known to be one of the fastest growing cities in Canada.

What is the drinking age in Nanaimo? ›

B.C. law prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 19.

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