Nanaimo bars are a Canadian dessert staple! There is probably nothing as famous as a Nanaimo bar when it comes to Canadian dessert cuisine, except perhaps for the butter tart. This buttercream custard-filled bar is a dessert lover’s dream!
Why I Think You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Nanaimo bars are an easy, no-bake dessert bar that is unique and delicious! You definitely have to try this Canadian treat at least once!
- These bars freeze perfectly, making them excellent for your holiday baking.
Nanaimo Bars: The Famous Canadian Dessert
The Nanaimo bar is a no-bake bar dessert that is (supposedly) named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. There are a few arguments over where it came from, but we all agree that it was made famous by Nanaimo at the least. It consists of a walnut and crumb-based bottom layer that is pressed into a pan. That layer is then topped by the middle layer, which consists of custard-flavored buttercream icing (which is the best part!) and then covered with melted chocolate. The melted chocolate then hardens, creating a hard chocolate topping.
What is in a Nanaimo Bar?
The Nanaimo bar is a relatively easy bar to make since you don’t have to bake it, and it consists of these layers:
Bottom Layer
- butter
- sifted cocoa
- granulated sugar
- egg
- graham cracker crumbs
- unsweetened coconut
- finely chopped walnuts
Middle Layer
- icing sugar
- butter
- milk
- custard powder
Top Layer
- chocolate chips
- butter
How to Slice Perfect Nanaimo Bars
- Once the chocolate has set, scour a pattern of lines on top where you want to slice them.
- Place the pan of bars in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the bars are almost completely solid. The filling should be solid enough to slice.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the exact lines you scoured on top. You will get perfect squares without cracking the chocolate!
- If the chocolate starts to crack, heat the knife under hot water, then use it to cut through the chocolate slowly.
How to Freeze Nanaimo Bars
I am sure these are so popular because Nanaimo bars are probably one of the BEST bars you can freeze!
- To freeze in one piece, place the entire pan into the freezer. Freeze for 30 minutes, then remove.
- Remove the bars using the parchment paper handles.
- Wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. If you have a large freezer bag, place the bars in it. Freeze for up to 3 months. Slice while semi-frozen to serve.
- To freeze in sliced bars, follow the tip for slicing perfect bars. Then, freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost to serve.
What to Use as a Replacement for Custard Powder
The real secret to a Nanaimo bar is the custard powder, but what if you don’t have custard powder? If you want to replace the custard powder in a Nanaimo bar, you can use instant vanilla pudding instead. It’s not the exact same, and the color won’t look the same pale yellow—be warned—but it will be very close!
Nanaimo Bars Tips & Tricks
- Cool the crust between steps. While you are making the middle filling, put the bottom crust in the fridge.
- Nanaimo bars must be kept chilled in the refrigerator as they can start to melt in the middle at room temperature! Serve them cold right before they are going to be eaten.
This Nanaimo bar recipe is one that my family has been using for years, and I hope you all try this recipe for one of my very favorite dessert bars!
Happy baking!
Love,
Karlynn
More Delicous Bars & Squares
Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- ½ cup salted butter
- ⅓ cup sifted cocoa
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten (this can be omitted)
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup shredded coconut sweetened
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
Middle Layer
- 2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- ½ cup salted butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons custard powder
Top Layer
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper, leaving some parchment paper hanging over the edge for handles.
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa together until it's smooth. Heat until the mixture is steaming hot.
- Temper the egg by adding a large tablespoon of the hot butter mixture into the beaten egg, whisking rapidly. Once you have whisked it in completely, pour the beaten egg into the hot butter and cocoa mixture, whisking rapidly to ensure that there are no lumps. This will cook the egg in the hot mixture.
- Mix in the graham crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. Firmly press into the bottom of the prepared 9×9 pan. Chill in the refrigerator while you get the middle layer ready.
- Get your middle ingredients together.
- Cream the icing, butter, cream, and custard powder together with a hand mixer, then spread onto the bottom layer.
- Melt the cup of chocolate chips and 2 tbsp of butter together in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup, heating on high power in 20-second increments, making sure to stir after heating each time.
- Once the chocolate is smooth, spread the chocolate on top of the middle layer evenly, then cool in the fridge for a few hours. The middle layer will set and the top layer will harden.
- Remove the slab of bars from the pan once chilled by lifting the parchment paper. Slice the bars on the paper and serve.
- Keep the bars refrigerated in a closed container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- This is a very old-fashioned recipe and has a raw egg in the base. For food safety reasons you can temper the egg in step three, and then make sure to cook it in the hot butter and cocoa mixture.
- Try dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate for the topping!
- If you want to cut the sweetness, you can use unsweetened coconut in the bottom layer.
Nutrition
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Alana says
Perfect. Balance of flavour. Loved making this!
Pam says
All of the layers in the recipe say bottom layer. You may want to correct that.
Penny says
Hi Karlynn
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I have never made Nanaimo Bars before…
And I wanted to make some for Christmas
Love Nanaimo Bars… but I find the store bought ones are Sooo Sweet!
I have had homemade ones… and they was so good… of course way better!
I made your recipe…. and they are Absolutely Delicious!
Thank you 🙏🙏
Penny
Sarah says
Really great recipe. I used unsweetened coconut in the base and it is plenty sweet.
Mike Twining says
Can I leave out the raw egg?I would not feel comfortable with an uncooked egg in the base
Vickie says
I use Egg Beaters instead of raw egg.
Karlynn J says
Absolutely! A lot of people leave it out nowadays, you don’t really need it to bind the base together.
Karlynn J says
Hi Mike,
I have adjusted the recipe for instructions on how to temper the egg in step three, and then making sure that you cook it in the hot butter mixture. It’s the same concept that you make puddings with, ensuring that the egg is cooked and then using it to bind together the base ingredients.
A lot of these old-fashioned recipes do use raw eggs, and can be adjusted sometimes !
patricia prudhomme says
Can real custard be used or will it be to soft .
Karlynn J says
You have to use the powder, real custard is too soft:
Debbie says
I am going to make these sometime over the Christmas season. I was born and raised in Kamloops, British Columbia and my parents moved to Nanaimo in 2007 when my dad retired after teaching for 30+ years. Nanaimo bars have always been my downfall. I moved down to the USA after graduating from college and still live in the USA but I will try the recipe with vanilla pudding instead of custard because ordering custard online in very expensive!
BarbiAnne says
Custard powder is an egg custard base in powder form, it has a really good vanilla flavor. It’s used a lot in Ireland, Scotland and England for many, many desserts when they don’t have time to make custards by hand or as an additive to make a dessert thicker. A touch also can be added to protein drinks or blended coffees for a little added flavor. I hope this helps ?
Kate says
I thought the Canadian version used heavy cream instead of milk… along with the custard powder?
Deb says
WHAT IS CUSTARD POWDER????
Leigh says
My personal memory of ‘Nanaimo Bars’ comes from childhood, some 55 years ago.
It was a tradition to get these treats on the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo…and I had always assumed they were developed by some clever chef on the B.C. Ferries system and named for the port of arrival.
My Mom often made them at home, too, like most British Columbian Moms in those days.
We always used ‘Birds Eye’ custard powder.
Deb says
WHAT IS CUSTARD POWDER????
Pamela Houdashell says
I would also like to know what custard powder is.
Lynda says
From what I can tell o. google its like a powdered mix to make custard. Much like the powdered mix we use to make pudding. Google it, you can easily make your own with average pantry ingredients.
Chris says
I’ve always thought that Canadians were the sweetest people, and now I know why! I’m definitely making these for the family this weekend. Thanks for sharing dear!
Chris says
Oh, now I have a question. What is custard powder? I don’t know that I’ve seen it in the States?
Brenda says
Yet again a kitchen magpie, no fail recipe that takes me back to my prairie childhood. She really has perfected these food staples and her Nanaimo bar recipe will not disappoint.
Lynda says
I think the labels for the layers are mixed up in the recipe
Cindy says
I agree.
Margaret Buffie says
Hello from Winnipeg. Just found your site today when I was looking for the source of whipped “shortbread”. I make traditional Scottish shortbread and wondered where the shipped form began. I think it was in the 30’s or 40’s but no real proof.
One question: Is it me(?) or is your list of the three levels for Nanaimo bar upside down. You say the bottom layer (of crumbs etc) is the “top layer.” and the chocolate and butter layer is the bottom layer in your recipe. Nanaimo bar has been around for quite a long time before the Bridge cookbooks. Great books. I have all of them. I found Nanaimo Bars in one of my mother’s old church recipe books put out by the women’s auxiliary – c 1940 – and I also have an old CCF cookbook I found a long time ago in a book sale (the CCF is of course, now the NDP.) A terrific book with many local recipes. Not sure of the date, but the CCF cookbook was probably printed at least 50 years ago. I am looking forward to seeing some of your recipes! Love the site.
Margaret Buffie says
That’s whipped, not “shipped”! Lol. I will try your version of Nanaimo as my old recipe is too dry/ crumbly on the bottom and it falls apart.
Alycia says
Semi sweet chocolate chips for the top layer?
mrsnewton says
I love making these for my kids.
TB says
This recipe was great! Best nanaimo bars ever! .
Shelly says
These look so good! I’m wondering if I have to cook the base layer for a bit so the sugar will dissolve???
Thanks!
B Hamilton says
I have used this recipe many times. Turns out perfect every single time. A little chilling between layers does help for sure but I usually can’t wait that long..lol. Also I found it a lot nicer without the walnuts in the crust, i sprinkle them on top of the chocolate instead. Sooooooo good. Way better then store bought variety.
Skeeezx says
hi great recipe just wondering if base and middle need to be chilled before trying to apply icing my attempt did nothing but smear and mix with the middle…thanx again
Seagullgal2002 says
First time making this and its chilling now cant wait
Jennifer says
These look AMAZING!