Nanaimo Bars

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There’s no wonder why this Canadian treat has won hearts all over the world. These Nanaimo bars are a decadent dessert with a fudgy chocolate graham cracker crust, a creamy minty, custard filling and a rich, bittersweet chocolate topping. It makes the perfect treat to add to a dessert table, to a holiday platter or just to share with family and friends. 

My mom has been making these classic Nanaimo bars since I was a kid. They have appeared at every Christmas that I can remember and they are always a big hit. We have always added mint extract to our custard buttercream filling. It adds a fresh bite and is a nice balance to the rich chocolate. If you’re not feeling in the minty mood, you can substitute the mint extract for vanilla extract. 

Ingredients

• Graham wafer crumbs
• Coconut
• Walnuts
• Granulated sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Custard powder
• Cocoa powder
• Milk
• Icing sugar
• Semi-sweet chocolate
• Egg
• Pure mint extract

Substitution

This ultimate Nanaimo bar recipe is made using mint extract. If you’re not in the mood for a minty bar you can substitute the mint for vanilla extract.

Christmas Variation

Add crushed candy canes to the tops of the Nanaimo bars to create a holiday inspired dessert. Simply add the candy right onto the top of the melted chocolate and let it set.

Using Eggs in Nanaimo Bars

If you don’t want to use egg in the base of Nanaimo bars you can simply omit it and add more butter, approx. 2 tablespoons. Or instead of cooking the egg on the stovetop, you can bake the cookie base at 350˚F for 10 minutes. Let the base layer cool completely before spreading the custard filling on top. Baking the base will result in a drier, crumbly base compared to the fudgy no-bake version.

Tips For the Perfect Homemade Nanaimo Bars

1. If you can’t find graham wafer crumbs you can make your own. Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form.
2. Make sure to chop your walnuts nice and fine. If the nuts are too big it makes it difficult to cut the bars cleanly.
3. Use finely shredded coconut. If the coconut strands are long and large, again, it will be difficult to cut the bars. You can finely chop the coconut or use your food processor.
4. Make sure your chocolate coconut base has enough liquid to stick together. If it seems dry add a little melted butter, approx. 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Make sure each layer is nice and chilled before adding the next. This will avoid the layer bleeding into each other.
6. Use an offset spatula to spread each layer evenly. This simple tool makes life much easier and is my top tool in my baking kit!

How to Easily Cut Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars can be tricky to slice into nice clean cuts without the top breaking and the filling squishing out. It’s important not to cut them too soon as you need the bars to be nice and firm. But that also makes it tricky to cut the tops. The best way to achieve this is to score your chocolate topping. Here’s how; once you’ve added chocolate topping, refrigerate the bars for approximately 20-30 minutes until the chocolate is starting to set. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the chocolate topping into 36 bars. Make sure not to cut the custard layer. Place the pan back into the fridge for an additional 20-30 minutes or until fully firm. When ready to cut, cut along the scored lines using a long sharp knife, wipe the knife clean between each cut.

How To Make Nanaimo bars

Step One: Prep all your ingredients and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Finely chop (or use a food processor) nuts, graham crackers and even coconut if it’s too large.

Step Two: Melt the butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk in the sugar and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and slowly add in the egg while whisking vigorously. Return to heat and continue to cook for a further 1-2 more minutes until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Add the graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, and chopped nuts. Using a fork mix until well combined and the mixture comes together. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Using the palm of your hand press the mixture into an even layer and refrigerate until firm.

Step Three: Make your filling. First, make sure to sift the icing sugar for your creamy custard filling! This step is very important to create a smooth filling. Using a stand mixer (or an electric mixer) cream butter, custard powder and mint extract in a mixing bowl, beat until smooth and combined. Add icing sugar alternately with the milk, making 3 additions of sugar and 2 of milk.

Step Four: Using an offset spatula spread the filling over the bottom layer. Refrigerate until firm, approx. 1 hour. When the filling is firm make your chocolate topping. In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water, melt chocolate with butter until smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the filling and using an offset spatula spread the topping evenly over the filling. Refrigerate until chocolate is almost set, approx. 20-30 minutes. Then using a sharp knife slice into bars.

More Canadian Dessert Recipes

1. Butter Tart Squares
2. Raspberry Date Squares
3. Mini Maple Walnut Cupcakes

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