Nanaimo bars
No-bake Canadian slice of chocolate-coconut base, vanilla custard buttercream and a chocolate top
Named after the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, these three-layer bars have been Canada's favourite tray bake since the 1950s, when the recipe appeared in local community cookbooks. A crumbly base of biscuit crumbs, cocoa, coconut and nuts is topped with a thick yellow custard-flavoured buttercream and a snap of dark chocolate. They're made for church sales, Christmas cookie tins and coffee breaks, and need no oven. Chef's tip: dip the knife in hot water and wipe it between cuts; it slices through the chocolate cleanly without cracking it.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the base
- 4 oz butter
- 1 ¾ oz sugar
- 1 ⅜ oz cocoa powder
- 1 eggbeaten
- 7 oz digestive biscuit crumbsor crushed graham crackers
- 2 ⅞ oz desiccated coconut
- 1 ¾ oz walnuts or almondsfinely chopped
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz buttersoft
- 2 tbsp custard powder
- 3 tbsp double cream or milk
- 9 oz icing sugar
For the topping
- 4 oz dark chocolate
- ⅔ oz butter
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper.
Step 2: Melt 4 oz butter, 1 ¾ oz sugar and 1 ⅜ oz cocoa powder in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk in 1 egg and stir for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly; this cooks the egg.
5 minStep 3: Off the heat, stir in 7 oz digestive biscuit crumbs, 2 ⅞ oz desiccated coconut and 1 ¾ oz walnuts or almonds. Press firmly and evenly into the tin with the back of a spoon. Chill for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Beat 2 ⅞ oz butter, 2 tbsp custard powder and 3 tbsp double cream or milk, then beat in 9 oz icing sugar until light and smooth. Spread evenly over the base and chill for 20 minutes until firm. Common mistake: pouring the chocolate on a soft filling; the layers smear together.
Step 5: Melt 4 oz dark chocolate with ⅔ oz butter over low heat, cool for 5 minutes, then spread over the filling in a thin, even layer.
Step 6: Chill for 1 hour until set, then let stand for 5 minutes and cut into 16 squares with a hot, dry knife.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nanaimo bars take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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