Nanaimo Bars

By Sara Bonisteel

Nanaimo Bars
Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Christine Albano.
Total Time
30 minutes, plus 1½ hours’ chilling
Rating
4(1,405)
Comments
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The Nanaimo bar is a tremendously sweet, no-bake layered bar cookie from Canada made almost exclusively of packaged ingredients. The buttercream layer gets its yellow hue from custard powder, a vital ingredient that makes this a true Nanaimo bar. Use an offset spatula to give the chocolate top a surface as smooth as freshly Zambonied ice. The novelist Margaret Atwood included this recipe, from the chef Susan Mendelson, in her “Canlit Foodbook,” a fund-raising book that featured food from literature, as well as author recipes. Ms. Atwood prefers walnuts in this recipe, but any combination of walnuts, almonds or pecans will do. We’ve added a smidge more cocoa and the optional addition of salt — but leave it out for the true Nanaimo bar experience.

Featured in: A Bite-Size Square of Canada’s History, Culture and Craving

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Ingredients

Yield:16 bars

    For the Base

    • ½cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into pieces
    • ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
    • 1large egg
    • 3tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2cups/235 grams graham cracker crumbs
    • 1cup/85 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
    • ½cup/50 grams finely chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans (or a mixture)

    For the Buttercream

    • ¼cup/60 grams unsalted butter (½ stick), at room temperature
    • 3tablespoons heavy cream
    • 2tablespoons custard powder, such as Bird’s
    • 2cups/245 grams confectioners’ (icing) sugar

    For the Chocolate Topping

    • 4ounces/115 grams semisweet chocolate, broken into ½-inch (1¼-centimeter) pieces
    • 2tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

344 calories; 23 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 164 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Line an 8-by-8-inch (20-by-20-centimeter) metal baking pan with parchment, allowing parchment to overhang by about 2 inches (5 centimeters) on two sides.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the base: In a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of boiling water, whisk butter with granulated sugar, egg, cocoa powder and vanilla until melted. Continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts until the mixture is well combined and resembles wet sand.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer mixture to the parchment-lined pan and use your fingers to press it into an even layer. Transfer pan to the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 15 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add heavy cream and custard powder and mix until combined, scraping sides and bottom of the work bowl as needed. Add 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar and mix on low until combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed, then mix on medium-high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Remove pan from refrigerator. Dollop the buttercream on top of the base layer then gently spread it evenly on top using an offset spatula. Transfer pan to the refrigerator to chill until buttercream is set, about 30 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Prepare the topping: In a small, heavy saucepan or a double boiler, heat the chocolate and butter over low, stirring often, until melted and evenly combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Take pan from refrigerator and pour chocolate on top of buttercream layer. Working quickly and carefully, spread the chocolate evenly over the buttercream using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.

  8. Step 8

    Return pan to refrigerator and chill until chocolate hardens, about 25 minutes.

  9. Step 9

    To serve the bars: Lift excess parchment to remove Nanaimo square from the pan. Cut into 16 2-inch (5-centimeter) squares. Store bars in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator for a few days, or wrap well and freeze.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,405 user ratings
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Comments

Diane

Semisweet chocolate is too sweet for the chocolate topping. Use bittersweet chocolate instead. Offsets the sweetness of middle layer. Per 70 yr old recipe I use.

Phillipa Rispin

If you leave out the custard center layer, you’ll still get something that tastes good, but it is NOT a Nanaimo bar. That center layer is a vital component; otherwise, it’s not a Nanaimo bar. Call it something else.

Leslie

Use half the amount of sugar. 2 Tbsp sugar for base. 1 cup conf sugar for middle layer. Also use 2 Tbsp corn starch with 1/4 tsp vanilla instead of custard powder.

MaureenTips and background information

I’m not only Canadian, but I grew up on Vancouver Island where Nanaimo is located and am a third generation Vancouver Islander. I now live outside of Vancouver which is only a ferry ride away from Nanaimo. I have eaten far more than my fair share of them. And, they are very, very sweet. There are some important ways to cut the sweet: 1) Bird’s Custard Powder is a necessity. It hails from the UK and is used as a shortcut to make the classic dessert Trifle. Custard has eggs in it. Bird’s is just essentially corn starch with some flavouring (a blend of real vanilla and artificial vanilla) and food colouring to make it look like it has eggs in it. Bird’s also has no sugar in it. There are some suggestions to replace the custard powder with vanilla instant pudding powder - DO NOT DO THIS as there is sugar in instant pudding. 2) do not use semi sweet or milk chocolate. Either use dark chocolate 70% or bitter sweet chocolate. 3) use walnuts instead of pecans as they are also not as sweet. 4) make sure you use unsweetened coconut. If you follow these tips, your Nanaimo bars will still be very sweet, but will not put you into a diabetic coma unless you eat too many, which would be on you.

Liana

Canadian here who made these on Canada Day. I’ve made them before and the description is correct in calling them tremendously sweet. I cut the sugar in the buttercream in half, used salt in each component and made the chocolate topping using 70% - tremendously delicious.

Nancy in Tucson

I looked at the prescribed quantity of ingredients for the topping, 4 oz of chocolate and 2 TB of butter, melting in my little pan and realized it would barely glaze the custard surface. I had to double the chocolate and butter to achieve the same thickness of chocolate topping shown in the picture. Anybody else?

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