Nanaimo Bars Recipe

Up until last week I had never had a Nanaimo Bar!  I’d heard all about them, seen them all over, but never tried one! A friend and neighbor of mine, Danielle, called me up last week and asked if I wanted to make a Canadian treat with her.  When she said Nanaimo Bars I about squealed! She’s from Canada, home of the Nanaimo bar and she even had the secret ingredient to making them.  Custard powder.  

There are about a billion variations and twists on the Nanaimo bar and many use instant pudding instead of custard powder.  But these, these are the real deal! And they come straight from the City of Nanaimo Website. 

So of course I was up for a baking date and definitely wanted give these babies a try.  

And oh my word…..

They are amazing! 

My friend Danielle actually imported some custard powder on her last trip back from Canada.  I haven’t looked very hard, but haven’t seen it in my local grocery stores.   I have seen it on Amazon though!  

You start by making a simple chocolate, graham cracker, coconut and almond crust, and over the top of it goes this sweet, rich custard layer.  The custard layer is butter, custard powder, whipping cream and powdered sugar.  On top of the creamy custard layer is a fudgy chocolate layer.   

They are rich…and dreamy….and get better with every single bite.  And even though these are especially popular around Christmas I think they’d be a perfect addition to your Easter desserts.  {This coming from the chocolate lover!} 

Nanaimo Bars Recipe

2014-04-08 15:53:05

Serves 6

these infamous Nanaimo Bars are a rich and creamy, three layer chocolate dessert!

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For the crust layer

1. ½ cup unsalted butter
2. ¼ cup sugar
3. 5 tbsp cocoa
4. 1 egg beaten
5. 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
6. ½ cup finely chopped almonds
7. 1 cup shredded coconut

Custard Layer

1. ½ cup unsalted butter
2. 2 tbs and 2 tsp whipping cream
3. 2 tbs vanilla custard powder
4. 2 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Layer

1. 4 (1 oz) semi-sweet chocolate squares
2. 2 tbs unsalted butter

For the crust layer

1. In a double broiler, melt the butter, sugar and cocoa together. Stir in the egg and let mixture thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, almonds, and coconut. Press the mixture into a greased 8X8 inch square pan.

For the custard layer

1. Beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the cream, custard powder, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Spread the custard layer over the chocolate-graham layer.

For the chocolate layer

1. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together over medium heat, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes before spreading over the custard layer.
2. Cover with saran wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours until layers are firm and set.

Notes

1. source: City of Nanaimo Website

Kristy Denney https://boysahoy.com/