Nanaimo bars are a classic Canadian dessert bar with a chocolate graham cracker crust, a sweet coconut custard filling, and a rich chocolate ganache topping. They are named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia, where they were first created in the 1950s. These bars have three layers: the bottom layer is a chocolate graham cracker crust, the middle layer is a sweet coconut custard filling, and the top layer is a rich chocolate ganache. The combination of textures and flavors in Nanaimo bars makes them a popular treat for people of all ages. The recipes in this article include variations on the classic Nanaimo bars, such as:
* Nanaimo Bars III: This is the classic Nanaimo bar recipe with a few modern updates. The custard filling is made with a combination of cornstarch and flour, which helps to prevent it from curdling. The ganache topping is made with a combination of dark and milk chocolate, which gives it a rich and decadent flavor.
* Nanaimo Bars with a Pretzel Crust: This recipe uses a pretzel crust instead of a graham cracker crust. The pretzels add a salty flavor to the bars that complements the sweetness of the custard filling and ganache topping.
* Nanaimo Bars with a Raspberry Swirl: This recipe adds a layer of raspberry jam to the custard filling. The raspberry swirl gives the bars a beautiful pink color and a tart flavor that balances out the sweetness of the other ingredients.
* Nanaimo Bars with a Salted Caramel Topping: This recipe uses a salted caramel topping instead of a chocolate ganache topping. The salted caramel topping is made with a combination of brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt. It is sweet, salty, and decadent, and it pairs perfectly with the chocolate graham cracker crust and coconut custard filling.
NANAIMO BARS
The Nanaimo bar is a tremendously sweet, no-bake layered bar cookie from Canada made almost exclusively of packaged ingredients. The buttercream layer gets its yellow hue from custard powder, a vital ingredient that makes this a true Nanaimo bar. Use an offset spatula to give the chocolate top a surface as smooth as freshly Zambonied ice. The novelist Margaret Atwood included this recipe, from the chef Susan Mendelson, in her "Canlit Foodbook," a fund-raising book that featured food from literature, as well as author recipes. Ms. Atwood prefers walnuts in this recipe, but any combination of walnuts, almonds or pecans will do. We've added a smidge more cocoa and the optional addition of salt - but leave it out for the true Nanaimo bar experience.
Provided by Sara Bonisteel
Categories cookies and bars, dessert
Time 2h
Yield 16 bars
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Line an 8-by-8-inch (20-by-20-centimeter) metal baking pan with parchment, allowing parchment to overhang by about 2 inches (5 centimeters) on two sides.
- Prepare the base: In a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of boiling water, whisk butter with granulated sugar, egg, cocoa powder and vanilla until melted. Continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts until the mixture is well combined and resembles wet sand.
- Transfer mixture to the parchment-lined pan and use your fingers to press it into an even layer. Transfer pan to the refrigerator to chill until firm, at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add heavy cream and custard powder and mix until combined, scraping sides and bottom of the work bowl as needed. Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and mix on low until incorporated. Add remaining confectioners' sugar and mix on low until combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed, then mix on medium-high speed until smooth, light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove pan from refrigerator. Dollop the buttercream on top of the base layer then gently spread it evenly on top using an offset spatula. Transfer pan to the refrigerator to chill until buttercream is set, about 30 minutes.
- Prepare the topping: In a small, heavy saucepan or a double boiler, heat the chocolate and butter over low, stirring often, until melted and evenly combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Take pan from refrigerator and pour chocolate on top of buttercream layer. Working quickly and carefully, spread the chocolate evenly over the buttercream using an offset spatula. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.
- Return pan to refrigerator and chill until chocolate hardens, about 25 minutes.
- To serve the bars: Lift excess parchment to remove Nanaimo square from the pan. Cut into 16 2-inch (5-centimeter) squares. Store bars in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature before serving. Store remaining bars in the refrigerator for a few days, or wrap well and freeze.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 344, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 35 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 118 milligrams, Sugar 24 grams, TransFat 1 gram
GRANDMA CHASE'S NANAIMO BARS
Different from other Nanaimo recipes, it contains NO coconut. It was given to my mother in the 1970's by her mother-in-law.
Provided by Jessica Jolley
Categories Desserts Cookies International Cookie Recipes Canadian Cookie Recipes
Time 1h45m
Yield 60
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Grease a 9x13-inch dish. To make the crust, place 1/2 cup of butter in a large saucepan, and melt over low heat. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, mix in the egg until the mixture is well-combined, then stir in graham cracker crumbs and walnuts. Pack the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, smooth it into an even layer, and refrigerate until cooled, at least 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: beat together confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup of softened butter, pudding mix, and milk until the filling is smooth and fluffy. Spread the filling over the cooled crust, and return to refrigerator for 30 more minutes.
- For topping, melt chocolate with 2 tablespoons of butter over very low heat, and stir until the mixture is warm (not hot) and pourable. Pour the topping over the cooled filling, spreading the topping out if necessary with an offset spatula or knife to cover the topping completely. Return the dish to the refrigerator to cool the topping for about 15 minutes. When the topping is cool but not yet hard, cut into squares; return to refrigerator to finish chilling.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 89.6 calories, Carbohydrate 9.7 g, Cholesterol 12.3 mg, Fat 5.7 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 49 mg, Sugar 8 g
EASY NANAIMO BARS
This is a popular cookie bar in Canada. This is however only one of many variations on this recipe.
Provided by CINDERW
Categories Desserts Cookies International Cookie Recipes Canadian Cookie Recipes
Time 3h25m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Grease a 9x9-inch square pan. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan over low heat, and stir in cocoa mix, vanilla extract, and egg. Whisk together until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute (do not boil); remove from heat and stir in graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup coconut, and walnuts. Mix well, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill the crust for about 1 hour.
- Place the cream cheese into a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the milk, vanilla pudding mix, and confectioners' sugar to make a spreadable, creamy mixture. If mixture is too stiff to spread easily, add more milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Spread the filling in an even layer over the crust, and return to refrigerator. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
- Melt milk chocolate and 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Spread the topping evenly over the vanilla layer, and refrigerate about 1/2 hour, until the topping is firm but not hard. Cut into bars, then return to refrigerator to finish chilling, at least 1/2 hour more. Serve cold.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 285.2 calories, Carbohydrate 35.6 g, Cholesterol 34.7 mg, Fat 15.1 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 188 mg, Sugar 27.9 g
NANAIMO BARS
Need ideas for a coffee morning or afternoon tea? These bars from Canada are so moreish, with a crunchy biscuit base, custard layer and chocolate topping
Provided by Michelle Holmes
Categories Afternoon tea, Dessert, Treat
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Start by making the biscuit base. In a bowl, over a pan of simmering water, melt the butter with the sugar and cocoa powder, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk in the egg for 2 to 3 mins until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and mix in the biscuit crumbs, coconut and almonds if using, then press into the base of a lined 20cm square tin. Chill for 10 mins.
- For the middle layer, make the custard icing; whisk together the butter, cream and custard powder until light and fluffy, then gradually add the icing sugar until fully incorporated. Spread over the bottom layer and chill in the fridge for at least 10 mins until the custard is no longer soft.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave, then spread over the chilled bars and put back in the fridge. Leave until the chocolate has fully set (about 2 hrs). Take the mixture out of the tin and slice into squares to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 415 calories, Fat 29 grams fat, SaturatedFat 18 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 33 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 23 grams sugar, Protein 3 grams protein, Sodium 0.6 milligram of sodium
NANAIMO BARS
The Nanaimo bar is an easy, no-bake confection beloved by Canadians and perfect for potlucks and holiday parties.
Provided by Anthony Rose
Yield Makes 12 bars
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- For the base, first prepare a double boiler on your stove: Fill a large pot about a quarter full of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and place a heatproof bowl overtop. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- In the double boiler, melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder, mixing regularly until smooth. Add the egg, stirring constantly until the mixture has just started to thicken a bit, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and salt.
- Line a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spoon the graham cracker mixture inside, press it down firmly and evenly, and refrigerate until solid, about 2 hours.
- For the creamy middle layer, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter until light and airy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the milk, custard powder, salt, and icing sugar and mix on low speed until all the ingredients have been incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pour this creamy mix onto your solid base, make sure it's evenly spread out, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
- For the chocolate topping, melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly. When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. You want the temperature to come down but still keep the chocolate completely melted. Pour this over the cream layer and, using a rubber spatula, spread it out evenly. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
NANAIMO BARS
My mother taught me to make these rich, delicious bar cookies when I was young. Though I've tried many variations, I always come back to this old favorite.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 20m
Yield 3 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from the heat; blend in sugar, cocoa, vanilla, egg, crumbs and coconut. Also add nuts if desired. Press into a 9-in. square pan. In a small bowl, cream 1/4 cup butter, pudding mix, milk and sugar. Spread over crumb layer; chill. Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter; spread over pudding layer. Chill before cutting into bars.
Nutrition Facts :
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients for the best results.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature before creaming it with the sugar.
- Do not overmix the batter, or the bars will be tough.
- Chill the bars for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.
- If you don't have graham cracker crumbs, you can make your own by crushing graham crackers in a food processor.
- You can use any type of chocolate chips you like in this recipe.
- If you don't have a 9x13 inch baking pan, you can use a 10x15 inch pan, but the bars will be thinner.
- You can store Nanaimo bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Conclusion:
Nanaimo bars are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. With their rich chocolate flavor, creamy custard filling, and graham cracker crust, they are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a special dessert, give Nanaimo bars a try!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love