These no-bake Nanaimo Bars are a basic Canadian deal with with a chocolate coconut graham cracker base, creamy custard filling, and a easy chocolate prime. A recipe straight from my Canadian roots!
Nanaimo Bars are a real Canadian basic. They’re made with three easy layers: a chocolate coconut graham cracker base, a custard buttercream middle, and a shiny chocolate topping. No oven wanted, and the flavour mixture is all the time a success.
This iconic deal with is known as after the town of Nanaimo in British Columbia, the place it first turned in style within the mid-Twentieth century. Since then, the recipe has unfold throughout Canada and past, incomes a spot at bakes gross sales and potlucks alongside different Canadian classics like maple leaf sandwich cookies and old style butter tarts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Triple layer dessert: From the wealthy chocolate topping to the creamy custard center and chewy coconut-graham base, each chew of a Nanaimo Bar is stuffed with flavors and textures.
- Nostalgic: Rising up in Canada, these bars have been a vacation favourite. This straightforward, no-bake recipe brings again recollections in each creamy, chocolatey chew.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: Utilized in all three layers of Nanaimo bars for richness and construction.
- Sugar and cocoa powder: Sweetens and flavors the bottom with a deep chocolate style.
- Vanilla and egg: Helps bind the bottom and enhances the flavour.
- Graham cracker crumbs: The inspiration of the underside layer, including a barely candy crunch.
- Coconut and walnuts: These each give texture and a bit of chew to the bottom.
- Powdered sugar and custard powder: These are whisked with butter and cream to create the sleek, creamy center layer. Chook’s custard powder is conventional.
- Heavy cream: Provides richness to the filling and retains it fluffy.
- For the chocolate topping: You’ll want butter, milk, and good-quality semi-sweet chocolate to soften right into a shiny layer that units superbly.
Easy methods to Make Nanaimo Bars
Begin with the primary layer. Soften the butter in a medium pot over low warmth, then whisk within the sugar, cocoa, and vanilla till easy.
Take away pot from the warmth and shortly whisk within the overwhelmed egg. Return to the warmth for an additional minute or two, stirring till the combination thickens
Stir within the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, walnuts, and a pinch of salt.
Press the combination firmly into the ready sq. pan, then pop it within the fridge to sit back whilst you make the filling.
For the center layer, beat collectively the powdered sugar, custard powder, cream, and softened butter till easy and fluffy.
Unfold this custard filling evenly over the chilled base, then refrigerate once more to set.
Now for the third layer. Soften the chocolate with the butter and milk till easy, then let it cool simply barely so it spreads simply with out melting the filling. Pour it over the custard layer and easy it out with a spatula. Refrigerate till agency.
As soon as all the pieces is ready, lower the Nanaimo bars into squares with a pointy knife. Wipe the blade between cuts for clear edges, and serve chilled or at room temperature.
recipe Ideas
- Let every layer agency up within the fridge earlier than including the subsequent. It doesn’t take lengthy, but it surely helps preserve the layers neat and even.
- Rating the highest layer when the chocolate is partially set (about half-hour after spreading). This makes slicing simpler and prevents the chocolate from cracking as soon as totally chilled.
- For genuine taste, use custard powder within the filling. Vanilla pudding isn’t the identical and gained’t provide you with that basic Nanaimo bars style.
- Should you favor, soften the chocolate in a double boiler as a substitute of instantly on the range for further management.
- Should you discover the Nanaimo bars too candy, strive utilizing darkish chocolate for the topping and add a light-weight sprinkle of flaky sea salt for steadiness.
Variations
- Swap the walnuts with pecans, almonds, and even hazelnuts for a distinct taste.
- Attempt digestive biscuits rather than graham crackers.
- Add a bit of vanilla extract to the filling for further taste.
- Change up the topping with milk, darkish, and even white chocolate relying in your choice.
Wealthy, creamy, and irresistibly nostalgic, these Nanaimo Bars convey collectively all of the layers we love in a single good chew. Take pleasure in them chilled, slice generously, and share a bit of Canadian sweetness with everybody at your desk.
FIRST LAYER
- ½ cup butter
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsweetened dutch processed cocoa (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 giant egg overwhelmed (room temperature)
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup coconut unsweetened
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
SECOND LAYER
- 2 cups powdered / icing sugar
- 2 tabelspoons custard powder
- 3 tablespoons cream (heavy, entire or whipping cream at the least 30% fats content material)
- ¼ cup butter (softened)
THIRD LAYER
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons milk (2% or entire)
- 4 ounces semi candy chocolate (chopped) good high quality
FIRST LAYER
-
In a medium pot soften the butter over low/medium warmth, whisk within the sugar, cocoa and the vanilla till easy. Take away from the warmth and slowly add the overwhelmed egg, whisking fast and exhausting, place the pot again on the warmth (low/medium) and proceed to prepare dinner for roughly two minutes or till the combination thicken and is easy.
-
In a small bowl whisk collectively the crumbs, coconut, chopped nuts and salt.
-
Take away from the warmth and stir within the crumb combination, mix effectively. Press the combination right into a frivolously greased and floured 8 inch sq. pan. Chill whereas making the 2nd layer.
THIRD LAYER
-
In a medium pot soften collectively the butter, milk and chopped chocolate till easy. Let cool, then unfold evenly over the 2nd layer. Refrigerate for at the least 1 hour or till agency. Lower and serve. Take pleasure in!
Easy methods to retailer Nanaimo Bars?
Maintain them lined within the fridge, the place they’ll keep contemporary for as much as 1 week or freeze in a single layer, then switch to an hermetic container with parchment between layers. They’ll preserve for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than serving.
Energy: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fats: 20g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.4g | Ldl cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 194mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg | Phosphorus: 82mg
recipe FAQs
This often occurs if the powdered sugar isn’t sifted or if the custard powder isn’t effectively blended in. Make sure you beat the filling till easy and creamy.
Search for it within the baking aisle or worldwide part of most grocery shops. Chook’s custard powder is the normal model utilized in basic Nanaimo Bars. You could find it on-line if wanted.
An 8-inch pan sometimes makes 12 bars. They’re fairly candy, so chances are you’ll wish to lower them smaller and serve with a cup of espresso or tea.
Maintain them lined within the fridge, the place they’ll keep contemporary for as much as 1 week.
Sure! Freeze in a single layer, then switch to an hermetic container with parchment between layers. They’ll preserve for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge earlier than serving.
Associated
It’s All About Pasta
Wonderful pasta recipes to make your mouth water!
Genuine Italian Desserts
75 Conventional Desserts Made Simple
