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, then 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 the hearts of Canadians like me. These delicious treats bring together a trio of irresistible layers: a crumbly crust of walnuts, chocolate, and coconut; a luxuriously velvety custard center; and a glossy chocolate ganache.
Being Canadian, I know a thing or two about Nanaimo bars. The biggest takeaway is that homemade Nanaimo bars are MILES above the ones you find for sale around British Columbia. Once you’ve tried my Mom’s recipe, you’ll never go back.
What is a Nanaimo bar?
A Nanaimo bar is a classic Canadian dessert! 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.
Why you’ll love this nanaimo bar recipe
- No bake: You don’t need to turn the oven on for this breezy recipe – simply assemble the layers then chill in the fridge.
- Mom’s recipe: You can taste the love that has gone into perfecting this recipe!
- Three-layer simplicity: Crafting these bars is as easy as 1-2-3. Each layer is as simple as melting and combining ingredients in a bowl.
- Make-ahead: Whip up a batch in advance and store them in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer-friendly: They freeze so well that you can stash them for up to three months. Simply put in the fridge the day before to let them thaw.
- Perfect for any occasion: Share the joy at your next gathering – these crowd-pleasers are perfect to bring to a potluck, bake sale, or for when your sweet tooth strikes.
Key ingredients
Ready to try a little piece of Canada?!
- Cocoa powder: Opt for unsweetened.
- Granulated sugar: For the base layer – you can use brown sugar if you’re in a pinch.
- Graham cracker crumbs: To achieve the best crumbly texture, don’t crush them down to a powder. They should maintain texture for the classic nanaimo bar crunch.
- Fine coconut: Also referred to as desiccated coconut.
- Chopped walnuts: Adds a nutty crunch to the base.
- Powdered sugar: Only use powdered sugar in the filling, as other types of sugar will make it too gritty.
- Bird’s vanilla custard powder: The most authentic option for nanaimo bars!
- Chocolate: The top layer is made with dark chocolate or chocolate chips mixed with butter for a glossy, decadent finish.
Tips for making the best Nanaimo bars
Nanaimo bars are surprisingly simple to make, but there are a few hot tips that will help you along the way. Here are our top advice:
- Parchment paper: Lining your pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove the bars without smooshing them.
- Butter temp: Ensure your butter for the middle layer has been softened at room temperature. If your house is chilly in winter, one trick is to cut the butter into cubes, place it in the bowl you’ll mix the custard layer in, and place it in the oven with the light on. Don’t turn the oven on – the light will be enough to soften the butter.
- Even layers: This recipe works best when the layers are uniform. Press the base layer down firmly for evenness before adding the next, and use the back of a spoon or spatula to smoothen. After you add the chocolate layer, gently tap the pan on your counter to level out the chocolate.
- Chill out: Allow each layer to set properly before adding the next to avoid the layers blending into each other.
- Melt chocolate: Gently melt the chocolate in the final layer like it’s an art: don’t rush this step! Funny things can happen to chocolate that melts too quickly, so take your time and melt alongside the butter low and slow.
- Clean slices: There are a few tips for slicing up your nanaimo bars so the chocolate doesn’t break and so the layers don’t blend too much. First, cut the chocolate when it’s soft set rather than when it’s totally hard to prevent cracking. Dip your sharp knife in hot water then rather than pushing the knife down, cut it across for cleaner cuts.
Recipe FAQs
What is Bird’s custard powder?
Bird’s Custard Powder is that stuff in the red, yellow, and blue box tin that looks like the branding hasn’t changed since 1952. You can find it in the baking section at most supermarkets. The ingredients are simply: cornstarch, salt, color (annatto, a natural color), and flavor (vanilla). If you can’t find it, you could substitute cornstarch, a tiny pinch of salt, and some vanilla. But for ‘authentic’ Nanaimo bars, do see if you can find it.
How do I store Nanaimo bars?
Place these in a covered container 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.
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.
I just got done making these bars. Absolutely delicious! I read several different recipes for these bars before I decided on yours because I liked it overall of the others. I did make them in a 9X9 pan and made the 1/3 less middle filling. When I melted the chocolate I added 2 Tbs coconut oil instead of the butter because I read several tips that oil cut easier. Per your instructions I cut them before they were too hard. I scored them with my 5 inch hand cutter and then went back and slowly let the blade sink through the bars and they cut beautifully. Only one bar cracked so that was my sample bar! All I can say is when you’re cutting them go at it slowly and patiently and you’ll have beautiful bars. And they are DELICIOUS! Years ago when I was a cake decorator in Arizona we made these bars but the American version with regular vanilla custard. I used toasted coconut and toasted almonds in the base layer. Yummy! Thank you so much for this keeper of a recipe!!!