Mom’s Nanaimo Bars – Our Authentic Canadian Dessert
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Nanaimo bars are a classic Canadian dessert. This is Mom’s recipe, and it is a bit less sweet than most, which is a good thing! They are made with a graham-crumb, coconut, and nut crust, topped with a layer of buttery custard, and finished with chocolate. You’ll love this no-bake dessert!
It’s no surprise that Nanaimo bars hold a special place in my heart. As a Canadian, I’ve eaten my fair share over the years, and I can confidently say that nothing compares to a homemade Nanaimo bar. With their chocolate-coconut base, creamy custard filling, and glossy chocolate topping, they’re one of Canada’s most iconic desserts for good reason.
This recipe comes from my mom, and it’s the one I come back to every holiday season, potluck, and family gathering. The layers are perfectly balanced, the custard filling is silky and rich, and the texture is exactly what a Nanaimo bar should be. In my opinion, they’re miles better than the pre-made versions you’ll find in bakery cases around British Columbia.
If you’ve never made authentic Nanaimo bars before, don’t worry. The ingredients are simple, the steps are straightforward, and the results are absolutely worth it. Once you’ve tasted a homemade Nanaimo bar with real custard powder and that classic chewy-crunchy base, it’s hard to go back.
The ingredients are classic and traditional. Cocoa powder, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts create the signature base, while powdered sugar, butter, and Bird’s Custard Powder make the creamy middle layer. A simple mixture of chocolate and butter finishes everything off with the glossy topping that makes Nanaimo bars instantly recognizable.
What is a Nanaimo bar?
A Nanaimo bar is one of my favorite classic Canadian desserts. While it’s spread all over Canada, it originated in the city of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island in British Columbia—just a hop away from The Endless Meal headquarters! These no-bake tasty treats are made by layering three distinct tiers: a crumbly base, a creamy custard middle, and a chocolate topping. The result is like a layered bar cookie. They are loved year-round and hold a special place as a festive-season staple in Canada.
Tips for making the best Nanaimo bars
Nanaimo bars are surprisingly easy to make, but a few simple tips will help ensure perfect layers every time:
- Line the pan: Parchment paper makes it easy to lift the bars out for clean slicing.
- Use softened butter: For the custard layer, make sure your butter is at room temperature so it blends smoothly.
- Keep the layers even: Press the base down firmly, smooth the custard layer with a spatula, and gently tap the pan after adding the chocolate topping to level it out.
- Chill between layers: Let each layer set before adding the next so they stay distinct.
- Melt the chocolate gently: Chocolate can be finicky, so melt it slowly with the butter over low heat.
- Slice while the chocolate is just set: This helps prevent cracking. For the cleanest cuts, dip a sharp knife in hot water and slice rather than pressing straight down.
Store and freeze
How do I store Nanaimo bars? Place these in a covered container on your counter for several days or in your fridge for up to a week.
Can you freeze Nanaimo bars? Yes – store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. To thaw, put them in the fridge overnight. Or simply let one sit on your counter for about 10 minutes – they don’t take long to thaw!
Mom’s Nanaimo Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- ½ cup butter
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cup Graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup fine coconut
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Middle Layer
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ¾ cup butter (softened)
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup Bird's vanilla custard powder
Top Layer
- 8 ounces shaved dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Bottom layer
- Lay a piece of parchment paper in a 9×11-inch pan, letting some hang over the sides. (This makes it easier to remove the Nanaimo bars.)
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Remove the pot from the heat then add the egg and whisk until it has thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the Graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts. Press the crust firmly into the prepared pan.½ cup butter, 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 ¾ cup Graham cracker crumbs, ¾ cup fine coconut, ¼ cup chopped walnuts
Middle layer
- Add all the middle layer ingredients to a large bowl and cream them together using electric beaters. Pour the custard over the first layer and smooth the top.3 cups powdered sugar, ¾ cup butter, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup Bird's vanilla custard powder
- Place the pan into your fridge for at least 20 minutes, or until the custard is firm.
Top layer
- Add the chocolate and butter to a medium-sized pan over low heat and let both melt. Whisk to combine and then pour the chocolate over the custard. Smooth the top first with a spatula then by gently tapping the pan on your counter.8 ounces shaved dark chocolate or chocolate chips, 4 tablespoons butter
- Chill in your fridge for about 20 minutes, or until the chocolate is soft-set. Cut the Nanaimo bars into bars then place them back in your fridge until they are completely set. (Cutting the bars first prevents the chocolate from cracking.)
- Store the bars in a covered container in your fridge for a week or up to three months in your freezer. The bars can be eaten cold or at room temperature – they take about 10 minutes to warm once out of the fridge.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Same recipe my mom made 60 years ago! The very best! I made it today for bake sale.
I just made TWO pans of these for a bake exchange while staying near Nanaimo (it was the clear choice).
The recipe was super easy to follow and I really appreciated the visual instruction for each step to make sure I was on the right track. Both pans turned out identical (and insanely delicious).
Too much middle filling with not enough custard powder so the filling is too soft. Much better recipes out there.
Delish. Yes. Just like Moms. And Chrismas starts with a mouthful of these before Turkey. Yum
can one omit the coconut?
You should be able to add extra graham cracker crumbs and walnuts instead. 🙂
Upsetting as these are NOT our famous Nanaimo Bars.
Call them “change up Nanaimo Bars.” Or something else.
We are protective over ours as there is no variation to true Nanaimo Bars.
I am from BC too, Linda, so I definitely know my Nanaimo Bars! Funny, after reading your comment I went searching online and found the original recipe on the city of Nanaimo’s website and it’s nearly identical to my mom’s. The amounts vary slightly, but essentially it’s the same recipe. I’m curious to know how your version of Nanaimo bars is so different.
Is there any way to make this recipe nut free? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it myself but maybe try adding more coconut instead.
Amazing!!!
Is it safe to eat this? I’m worried about the raw egg in the crust.
The eggs will cook from the residual heat from the melted butter. You can tell it cooks as it thickens. 🙂
Apparently salmonella should be killed at/above 150 degrees F so you can check the temperature of the egg, cocoa, sugar, butter mixture with a food thermometer to ensure it is hot enough.
Best recipe, well written & easy to follow, plus a new trick for an old dog…cut into bars before second chilling…brilliant
Loved the recipe but the top layer didn’t work out well. It got really thick when I was melting the chocolate and the butter so it didn’t cover the custard evenly and ended up being very spotty. Any tips on fixing this for when I make it next? Thanks
It sounds like the chocolate may have gotten too hot. Try melting it at a lower temperature next time or melting it in a double broiler. 🙂
The chocolate probably overcooked from not stirring it or having thhe heat too high or both, occasionally stirring and using a bain marie will come in handy next time
can I leave out the sugar from the base? – 3 cups in the centre layer sounds enough 🙂
While I haven’t tried reducing the sugar in the base layer, it should be just fine!
Hi, what is fine coconut?
It’s also called desiccated coconut. You’ll find it in the baking aisle and the coconut pieces will be very small.
I may be missing something but is the base baked? I see it says cook time 30 mins but I don’t see anything about baking the base, however as it has an egg I imagine it should be baked. Can you clarify? Thanks a million!
No the base isn’t cooked (other than on the stovetop). The heat from the melted butter is enough to cook the egg. 🙂
These were delicious. The only custard powder I could find was Bird’s but it wasn’t vanilla. I forgot to add any to the mix, but I am sure they would be even better with the vanilla. Everyone who ate them loved them.
Great recipe!
Can we freeze ??
Yes! This recipe freezes very well.