A few weeks ago we ran across a recipe for Nanaimo Bars. Our first thought was, how on earth do you pronounce that and where can we get some now! The pictures of these snacks were all we could think about for days and not ever having been to Canada (unless Niagara Fall counts), we were unfamiliar with what we now know to be quite the indulgent treat.
Apparently Nanaimo bars are quite the thing in Canada. So much in fact that most take them for granted or wouldn't know of their non-existence outside of their northern country. The ingredients in this recipe are all pretty basic and you'll probably have most of them in your pantry, except one. Custard Powder. Bird's Custard Powder makes tasty custardy like pudding that's used outside of the US. It's not something you find on your local supermarket shelves, so if you wish, you may substitute vanilla pudding powder. We went all out and found our Bird's Custard Powder at World Market for just under $4. It's the main flavoring (outside butter) in the middle layer, so we wanted to make sure it was spot on for our first try.
The results were more than decadent and this recipe can be adapted in all sorts of ways. The creamy middle layer allows for extra things like cinnamon, peppermint or orange to be added to give an extra kick to these already perfect sweets.
Nanaimo Bar Recipe
Yields: 40-64 bars
Adapted from: City of Nanaimo via Eclectic Cook
Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cups finely chopped almonds
1 cup coconut
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken (Roughly 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.
Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons and 2 Tsp. cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.
Third Layer
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Cut into 1 inch squares (trust us, their quite rich) and serve slightly chilled and with a tall glass of milk!
Enjoy!
Related: Cranberry and Chocolate: Decadent Thanksgiving Desserts
(Images: Sarah Rae Trover)
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It's pronounced na-NEYE-moe, and yes, they ARE delicious!
Yep. Nah-NYE-moe. I love them - I always get one when I travel up to BC and ride the ferries.
My aunt always orders a big tray of these (I think they get shipped frozen) and puts them out after Thanksgiving dinner. Honestly, I look forward to them more than pie.
Anytime I make them, I just buy the box mix. Good ol' Robin Hood! I love nanaimo bars.
They're a favourite (yup, that's the Canadian/British spelling) for fundraising bakesales. No one can resist walking by a tray of them without buying one.
Haha, I'm Canadian and I didn't even know it was a "Canadian" thing! One of those that take them for granted I guess.
Gasp! How is it that I have all of those ingredients on hand (even the Bird's Custard powder) and a free afternoon just begging for a kitchen project? Thank you, fate. This will be fun.
I had no idea this was a Canadian thing, so I guess I did indeed just take it for granted. These are a holiday-time staple in my house (courtesy of my mom). There are three versions: the 'plain' kind, mint flavoured (with green in the centre), and cherry flavoured (pink in the centre, with chopped candied cherries). I loved all versions when I was a kid, but now I just can't handle their sweetness beyond maybe one small piece per year.
Most grocery stores carry tins of custard powder in the baking supplies section, right near the baker's chocolate and such. It's kind of an old-timey thing.
the best thing about living in Nanaimo is that you can buy these pretty much everywhere.. so I've actually never made them myself. :)
I too didn't realize these were a "Canadian" thing.. apparently Butter Tarts are too.. is that true?
You can buy Nanaimo bars in any grocery store here.. that's so weird to me that anyone wouldn't have heard of them! I love little cultural differences between our two countries when we're so close in most ways!!
And yes, they are decadently delicious!!!
I'm a Nanaimoite, born and raised, and I must say, we're pretty proud of our little squares. I used to work in a downtown Nanaimo diner and everyone once in a while we'd get the odd foreigner excitedly ask if we served them. Good thing we did, haha. I've heard that some Americans call it a New York Slice.... I always thought that was pizza...
nanaimo bars are so incredibly delish...and i am canadian.
I think we should all head over to karenenen's house!
Otherwise, what's the best way to cut these?
We've got to keep some secrets from our southern neighbours, don't we? =) But really, how could this national treasure of a recipe not have crept south (along with Ketchup flavoured potato chips). Yumm. I guess I know what I'm serving for dessert tonight (Nanaimo bars, not ketchup chips).
And to cut them, carefully with a warm knife (warm it under the hot water tap). The chocolate may crack a bit anyway, but broken cookies have fewer calories, right?
Cherry nanaimo bars? I need that recipe!
my most favorite treat! i grew up eating these, made by my canadian mom, and after bringing them to numerous parties they are now my friends' favorites as well. as a kid, my mom would get mad at me when i would eat half a tray in one sitting and i would try to explain that i was powerless again their insane deliciousness.
and bird's custard powder really makes the difference. yum.
Yet another Canadian & Vancouver Islander here - the corner store by my office sells gigantic Nanaimo bars and it takes every ounce of will power I have not to buy one everyday. Teeth-achingly sweet, but a glass of milk on the side counteracts the sugar.
By the way, if you can't remember how to spell Nanaimo sing this to the tune of "bingo"...
Na-na-imo, Na-na-imo, Na-na-imo, Nanaimo is its name-oh.
There are also "reverse" Nanaimo bars, with white chocolate on top, dark chocolate or cocoa added to the middle, and a light-coloured bottom layer. Interesting variation.
As for Bird's custard powder, last time I went to make Nanaimo bars I was reluctant to buy a whole can of something I use so rarely, so I looked at the ingredients and found that it was - if I recall correctly - basically just coloured, flavoured and sweetened cornstarch! I didn't think the middle layer needed any extra sweetening and I didn't think the cornstarch component really seemed necessary so I just added some vanilla extract instead. I thought they turned out great.
my mom makes a variation on these: she replaces the semisweet choc top layer with unsweetened choc. adds a nice bitter note to the sugar-meth of the other two layers. if you use a good mexican choc (e.g. ibarra) its a 'nafta' bar!
You can find these in fine shops in Seattle as well. The first place I ever had Nanaimo bars. Now I make them each Christmas season as a little gift for my coworkers.
By the way, I trust that "Ni-gag-ra" Falls thing was just a simple typo. Although I do kind of agree with the sentiment...
They are delicious and used to be my favourite when I was growing up. I can longer eat them due to my allergies, but sometimes my mom makes "special" ones for me that are equally delicious.
Totally didn't realize they were a Canadian thing. They're pretty ubiquitous in Ontario and come in all kinds of flavours.
Ni-gag-ra! Ha! Too funny.
@teacupnosaucer - cherry almond nanaimo bars are to die for! You can find lots of variations of the recipe on the internet. One caveat - Nanaimo bars have to be made with butter, NEVER margarine.
like many above me, I had no idea this was purely Canadian. I always assumed they were named for the town in BC, but I thought they may have spread elsewhere or perhaps were maybe called something different!
I'll have to open up a chain of Poutine Parlours around the states, and put these on the desert menus! Spread the Canadian food gospel.
these are addictive!!!
i could never decide whether it was an terrible adulteration of a classic or heaven on earth, but the coffeeshop i worked in through college stocked Nanaimo bars in Irish Cream, Mocha, Mint, Lemon, White Choc, and Raspberry versions.
While i still think my grandmother's are the best, it was hard not to sample the different flavours at the shop on a regular basis.
Whenever my good friend makes these - we take a vote on which part is better: the NA (the chocolate on top), the NAI (the creamy middle) or the MO (the bottom crust)!
Mmmmm I made a special trip to get the custard powder today. I grew up in Washington state, and have eaten Nanaimo bars my entire life, but have never had them with the custard powder. They can't be bad!
Australians have a similar thing- the caramel slice. It's pretty much the same- biscuit base and chocolate topping but the middle layer is caramel based, not custard based.
I would adore these if it weren't for the bottom crust, which is a texture I don't care for. (I don't like coconut texture.)
I live in BC now, and I've totally forgotten that most Americans have never heard of these. Maybe I'll make them for Christmas for my Buckeye State family.
I live in Nanaimo and these are definitely a great treat, especially when made by a local bakery :D
I used to work at a Tim Horton's in Michigan and was constantly disappointed that no one ever bought nanaimo bars (we called them silk bars for some reason) they're one of the best things we carried.
I am also a Nanaimo-ite - not born but raised, but sadly, I truly dislike Nanaimo bars. I have tried and tried again to like them but they are far too sweet and difficult to eat. The chocolate part always slides off the custard and the bottom chocolate and coconut base is just gross to me, but take any part of it away to make it less gross and it doesn't hold together. woe is me.
I made these over the holidays and while they are delicious, they are a frustrating pain in the ass to make, and nearly impossible to cut without the top chocolate layer lifting off and crumbling. I used a sharp knife, heated and wiped clean between each cut, but still these were a crumbled, broken mess when I was done cutting them, and only about half were presentable enough to give as gifts. I probably won't make them again, but I would love to find a good bakery that makes them!
You're right on! I had no idea these didn't exist outside of Canada. MMMMM lucky us!
My mom used to make these all the time when I was a kid--for slicing through the chocolate top, I think she used to chill it a bit, just until the chocolate has solidified but not hard and then scored it or maybe even sliced through just the top layer. Then continued to chill it--I think that solved the cracking problem.
A recipe book I have has these in them. They have a note that it was a housewife in Nanaimo that entered a competition with her "chocolate squares" recipe and called them Nanaimo Bars. Haven't tried the recipe yet but custard powder is something I have in my pantry all the time, should give it a go!
bkk - now you've got me craving a caramel slice, the high school canteen used to make great ones! :P
Excellent recipe!
The only changes I had made were:
2 Tbps. less butter in the bottom layer, 1/4 cup more icing sugar in the middle layer, I used flan custard which I suppose is similar to the vanilla custard powder (couldn't find anywhere) with a few drops of vanilla.
These are a bit hit with my family and friends :)