Made up of a graham cracker coconut bottom layer, a creamy sweet middle custard layer, and a milk chocolate layer on the top, Nanaimo Bars are a traditional and tasty Canadian treat!
Growing up in Western Canada, Nanaimo Bars were something that someone always brought to parties and potlucks. They were a staple of my childhood!
Nanaimo Bars are rich and decadent. A sturdy baked graham cracker base layered with a light and velvety sweet icing layer that is topped with just the right amount of chocolate, these squares are perfect for sharing and a great party treat.
What you’ll need to make Nanaimo Bars
- graham cracker crumbs
- sweetened shredded coconut
- cocoa powder
- sugar
- butter
- egg
- instant vanilla pudding powder (or custard powder)
- vanilla extract
- powdered confectioners sugar
- milk
- chocolate chips
FAQ about Nanaimo Bars
How do you pronounce “Nanaimo” and What does it mean?
Nanaimo (pronounced nuh-NYE-mo) is a city on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. While it is a great little city, it is probably best known for being the origination of the Nanaimo Bar recipe.
The New York Times did a great story about how Nanaimo Bars came to be a Canadian staple. The story is very interesting and can be found by clicking here.
How many versions of the Nanaimo Bar Recipe are there?
Probably too many to count! Some are no bake, some include nuts in the crumb base layer, some include alcohol and some include peanut butter, mint or other extracts.
The middle layer can be tinted with food coloring or left neutral and vanilla pudding powder makes the middle layer more of a white color than the traditional yellow that occurs when using custard powder.
The recipe has been adapted many times as it traveled across Canada and the United States.
What is Custard Powder?
Custard Powder is an ingredient that is most often found in recipes and cookbooks from the UK, Austrailia and Canada. It is a powdered mix used to make custard, much like instant pudding here in the US. Since it is harder to find in the US, we use instant pudding powder for convenience!
How to make Nanaimo Bars
Nanaimo Bars are rich and decadent. A sturdy baked graham cracker base layered with a light and velvety sweet icing layer that is topped with just the right amount of chocolate, these squares are perfect for sharing and a great party food.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×9 square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together graham crumbs, coconut, cocoa powder and sugar. Add melted butter and egg and stir until completely combined.
Using a spatula, press the mixture into the into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until firm. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on rack.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, instant vanilla pudding powder* and vanilla.
* Traditionally custard powder is used in an equal amount instead of instant vanilla pudding powder. This is an ingredient that is readily available in Canada and Great Britain. It can be a little harder to find in the US but if you are looking, it can be found in the international section of some larger grocery stores.
Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until completely blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl and repeat with remaining powdered sugar and milk. The mixture should be a spreadable consistency. If it is too thick, add additional milk 1 tsp at a time until spreadable.
Spread the mixture over the cooled base layer and then refrigerate for about one hour until firm.
Add the chocolate chips to a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, for one minute until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in butter.
Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the other layers in the 9×9 pan. Using the tip of a knife, score the chocolate to make it easier to cut into bars later.
Refrigerate until the top layer has completely set, about 30 minutes then cut into squares.
Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Other Sweet Bites You May Like
Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies – Salty and sweet with a caramel filled center, they are decadent and delicious!
Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies – deliciously crispy edges and chocolate in every bite!
Fudgy Salted Cookie Bars – a great balance of gooey chocolate and the perfect hint of flaky sea salt!
Butterscotch Ranger Cookies – a little bit of everything when you want something a little out of the ordinary.
Brown Sugar Candy – decadent and rich little bites of heaven.
Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients
Crumb Base
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 egg lightly beaten
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 2 tbsp instant vanilla pudding powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered confectioners sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
Topping
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp butter room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×9 square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together graham crumbs, coconut, cocoa powder and sugar. Add melted butter and egg and stir until completely combined.
- Using a spatula, press the mixture into the into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until firm. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on rack.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, instant vanilla pudding powder and vanilla.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and mix until completely blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl and repeat with remaining powdered sugar and milk. The mixture should be a spreadable consistency. If it is too thick, add additional milk 1 tsp at a time until spreadable.
- Spread the mixture over the cooled base layer and then refrigerate for about one hour until firm.
- Add the chocolate chips to a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval, for one minute until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Stir in butter.
- Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the other layers in the 9×9 pan. Using the tip of a knife, score the chocolate to make it easier to cut into bars later.
- Refrigerate until the top layer has completely set, about 30 minutes then cut into squares. Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition *
* The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Teena says
We love Nanaimo bars! One of our favourite desserts. You can buy Birds custard powder on Amazon if you can’t find it in the grocery store. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
The Bandit says
Hi Teena! That is a great point! Thanks for sharing! 🙂