Bakery Case · No-Bake Dessert Bar

Nanaimo Bar

Name: Nanaimo Bar recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 16 squares servings
Ingredients: For the base: 115 g butter, 50 g caster sugar, 30 g cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, 1 egg, beaten, 190 g graham cracker crumbs (about 1¾ cups), 85 g unsweetened desiccated coconut, 55 g chopped almonds or walnuts; For the middle layer: 115 g soft butter, 45 ml double cream (or whipping cream), 2 tablespoons (about 20 g) custard powder such as Bird's, 240 g icing sugar, sifted; For the top: 115 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped, and 15 g (1 tablespoon) butter; Chilling time: about 1 hour 15 minutes in total

Photo: Stephanie Spencer / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

The earliest known printed recipe, in a 1952 cookbook put together by the Women's Auxiliary of the Nanaimo hospital, simply called it a 'chocolate square' — the city's name came later.

Three layers — a crumb base of graham wafers, cocoa, coconut and nuts, a custard-flavored buttercream, and a top of melted chocolate — are set cold and cut into small squares, no oven required. Bakeries and market stalls across BC sell them individually wrapped.

Why it's made this way: The bar is named for and traced directly to the Vancouver Island city of Nanaimo, where it's still the town's signature culinary export.

What is Nanaimo Bar?

A Nanaimo bar is a no-bake dessert square in three layers: a firm base of crushed graham crackers, cocoa, coconut and nuts; a middle of pale, sweet buttercream flavoured with custard powder; and a topping of set chocolate. It is cut into small squares and sold in bakeries, cafes and market stalls in British Columbia and across Canada.

It is named after Nanaimo, a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and is commonly said to have originated there, though the exact origin story is not settled. The earliest known printed recipe, in a 1952 cookbook compiled in Nanaimo, called it a 'chocolate square', and a similar recipe appeared under the Nanaimo name soon after. Many versions exist, with different nuts, fillings (mint, peanut butter, coffee) and toppings.

How to make Nanaimo bars

Serves 16 squares · prep 30 min · cook 10 min

Ingredients

For the base: 115 g butter, 50 g caster sugar, 30 g cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, 1 egg, beaten, 190 g graham cracker crumbs (about 1¾ cups), 85 g unsweetened desiccated coconut, 55 g chopped almonds or walnuts
For the middle layer: 115 g soft butter, 45 ml double cream (or whipping cream), 2 tablespoons (about 20 g) custard powder such as Bird's, 240 g icing sugar, sifted
For the top: 115 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped, and 15 g (1 tablespoon) butter
Chilling time: about 1 hour 15 minutes in total

Method

Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on two sides to lift the bars out.
Make the base. Put the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Stir until melted and smooth. Add the beaten egg and keep stirring for about 3-5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and reaches 71 °C if you have a thermometer. This cooks the egg through, so the base is safe to eat. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the crumbs, coconut and nuts until evenly mixed. Press firmly and evenly into the tin with the back of a spoon. Chill for 20 minutes.
Make the middle layer. Beat the soft butter, cream and custard powder until smooth, then beat in the icing sugar a little at a time until you have a thick, smooth buttercream. Spread it over the base in an even layer and chill for 20-30 minutes, until firm.
Make the top. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until smooth. Let it cool for 5 minutes so it is warm, not hot, so it does not melt the buttercream. Pour over the chilled middle layer and tilt the tin to cover.
Chill for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate is just set but not rock hard. Lift out and cut into 16 squares using a large knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Keep chilled.

Tips

Pack the base firmly. Loose crumbs make bars that fall apart when cut.
If you would rather avoid egg, leave it out and stir 2 tablespoons of milk into the melted butter mixture instead. This is our own approximation, not the traditional recipe: the base will be slightly less firm, so chill it a little longer before adding the middle layer.
Do not let the chocolate set completely hard before cutting, or it may crack. Cutting after about 30 minutes with a hot knife gives a clean edge.
Graham crackers are a North American product. Digestive biscuits are the usual substitute in the UK, giving a similar though less sweet base.

Regional versions

Mint, peanut butter, coffee or Irish cream flavours are common in the middle layer.
Some recipes use walnuts or pecans in the base, or leave out the nuts entirely.
Cut into smaller squares for a party; 25 pieces is easy from a 20 cm tin.

Questions

What is in a Nanaimo bar?

A graham cracker, coconut, cocoa and nut base; a middle layer of buttercream flavoured with custard powder; and a chocolate topping.

Do Nanaimo bars need to be baked?

No. They are no-bake and are set by chilling, although the base is cooked briefly over gentle heat if it contains egg.

How long do Nanaimo bars keep?

Stored in an airtight container in the fridge they keep for about a week, and they can also be frozen for a few weeks.

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