I grew up eating these classic Canadian dessert bars around the holidays. Growing up near Vancouver, BC, I never realized that Nanaimo Bars were more of a regional favorite until I moved to Ohio and no one knew what I was talking about …
Last year, feeling like I should live up to my reputation at work as the token Canadian, I brought this childhood favorite to a Christmas potluck. After some raised eyebrows and “just try them, they have chocolate in them”, my Midwest friends fell in love at first bite. And were also a bit overwhelmed by how to say “Nanaimo”. And so began a year of getting asked for the recipe for “Canada Bars”.
I can’t say this is the original recipe. The original calls for a secret ingredient – Bird’s Custard Powder- which is impossible to find in my part of the world. It can be found on Amazon, but honestly… usually when I decide to make these, it’s at the last minute… 9pm at night, need to have by tomorrow morning… y’all know the drill. No time for mail-order ingredients or fancy food stores that may or may not stock this in their ethnic sections. So, here is a non-traditional adaptation with vanilla pudding mix. Not 100% authentic. Still 100% delicious.
Start the bottom layer by combining the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Once everything is melted and combined, at the egg. Whisk until the mixture is thickened. It’s going to look weird. Then it’s going to look like pudding. Then, the butter may separate a bit. It’s ok. Add the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Sweetened or unsweetened coconut is fine – whatever your sweet tooth prefers and whatever is in the pantry. Don’t have walnuts? That’s fine, too. You can substitute with almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts. Mix it all together – it may be a bit crumbly. No worries! Pat it all into your prepared pan – an 8×8 is perfect. I use a 7×11 because it, unlike my 8×8, has a lid. Let it chill while you prepare the middle layer. Part 1, done!
Now, for the middle layer. Cream the softened butter and add in the rest of the ingredients. If you are lucky enough to have custard powder available, just substitute a ¼ cup of it for the pudding mix and cornstarch. Beat it all together until it is nice and fluffy and spread it over the graham cracker layer. Return to fridge to chill. Almost done here!
And now we top it all off with a smooth, rich, chocolatey topping. Place your chocolate chips (dark, semi-sweet, or a combination) and butter in a small pan and leave on low heat. Patience is key here. Stir together the melted butter and chocolate until they are combined, and all the chips are melted. Spread over the chilled middle layer.
Now, sit back, set a timer for 15 minutes, and wait. After 15 minutes, or however long it takes for the chocolate to partially set up, cut your bars into pieces. Don’t miss this step!!! If you let the chocolate set completely, it will be nearly impossible to cut these into nice, symmetrical bars later, and your chocolate topping will resemble cracked ice on a frozen lake. Please learn from my mistakes and pre-cut your bars!
Now, sample an edge piece… or five, and return the bars to the fridge to chill completely.
These can be served straight out of the fridge or at room temperature. Apparently, they can also be frozen, but I’ve never managed to keep them around that long to try it!
The beauty of this recipe is that, while it seems to have many steps, the steps can be spaced out to suit your schedule. I usually make the bottom and middle layer the night before, let it chill overnight, and then put my chocolate topping on in the morning. Make it work for you and your schedule!
Canada Bars (a.k.a Nanaimo Bars)
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Middle Layer
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar or icing sugar)
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp vanilla pudding mix
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Top Layer
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp butter
Instructions
Bottom Layer
- Lay a piece of parchment paper into an 8x8 or 7x11 pan. Leave enough extra to be able to lift out bars with parchment paper later.
- Melt the butter in a 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 had thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and walnuts.
- Press the crust firmly into the prepared pan. Use either your hands or the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup, this is not a sticky base.
- Chill in refrigerator until middle layer is ready.
Middle Layer
- Cream butter with electric mixer. Add remaining middle layer ingredients and cream together until combined and fluffy. Spread evenly over the first layer.
- Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or until the middle layer is firm.
Top Layer
- Add the chocolate and butter to a pan over low heat, whisking occasionally until combined and melted.
- Spread evenly over set and chilled middle layer.
- Chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes or until chocolate is partially set (still able to cut through but holds shape). Cut into bars to prevent cracking after chocolate completely hardens. Return to refrigerator until chocolate layer is completely set.
0 Comments