When I was 16 my then boyfriend and I ate a whole container of Naniamo bars that my mother had made ahead and frozen for Christmas. I won’t admit to why we felt like munching on so many sweets. In an effort to hide the evidence, I dug up her handwritten recipe. The filling in the middle called for a custard. This was before the days where a quick Google search could have answered any of the questions I could not ask the person I was trying to pull a fast one on. Questions like, “what’s custard, anyway?” I searched the pantry and came up with a solution that was runny and pudding like. Then I did what any teenager worth their weight would do, I assembled the misshapen, soggy bars and quickly put them in the freezer; delaying any possible punishment.
Ten years after that incident (or 8 years or maybe 12 years, I struggle with linear time) my mother passed on the recipe, this time with a chuckle and some advice about the custard in the middle of Naniamo bars.
- Bottom layer: ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 5 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1¾ cup Graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup fine coconut
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Middle layer: ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tbsp vanilla custard powder
- 2 cups icing sugar
- Top layer: 5 squares of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate (or ¾ cup)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Bottom Layer: Melt first 3 ingredients in a medium sized saucepan on medium-low heat
- Add beaten egg and stir till thickened, about 1 minute
- Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients
- Press firmly into a 9″x9″ ungreased pan
- Middle layer: Cream butter in a medium sized bowl
- Add remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute
- Spread evenly over bottom layer
- Place in fridge for at least 20 minutes before adding top layer
- Top layer: Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in double boiler until just melted
- Pour evenly over middle layer
- Chill in refrigerator
- Once the chocolate is set soft, cut into bars and return to fridge.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
What is custard powder?
Hi Dianne,
Custard powder is basically corn starch with a little flavouring added. You can buy it in the baking section of almost all grocery stores. The brand I use is Birds, but I’m sure all brands would work well. Here’s a link to Birds Custard Powder website so you can see what it looks like. If you make the naniamo bars, let me know what you think of them. They’re one of my favourites!
http://www.birdscustard.co.uk/
It is “Nanaimo”
Love your site!
d
Thanks, dd!
Are these the same as M&M Meat’s naniamo bars? I used to be able to get them when I lived in Buffalo, NY but now I live in Las Vegas with my husband and we clearly can’t just drive over the boarder to grab a box!
Hey Erin,
I’ve never had naniamo bars from M&M Meats before. My hunch is that these would be similar, but better since homemade treats always taste better than store bought
Let me know if they taste the same as you remember!