Nanaimo Bars are a classic dessert bar enjoyed by Canadians. It comprises of three complementary layers that offer the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and bitter. Making Nanaimo Bars at home is simple, and more delicious than the store-bought versions.
THE LAYERS
The Nanaimo Bar is a tri-tier bar that is composed of a crumb base, a custard frosting, and a chocolate topping. 1. Crumb Base. The crumb base is a mixture of 7 key ingredients (butter, sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, graham cracker crumbs, almonds, and coconut flakes), with the addition of salt, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and ground cinnamon. I suggest adding in espresso powder, and cinnamon because they highlight the chocolate flavour, and add a pleasant bitter note. Also, some recipes bake their crumble layer, and others don’t, I bake mine because it toasts the layer, and heightens the flavour. 2. Custard Frosting. The custard frosting is smooth, sweet, and is comprised of 4 main ingredients (butter, vanilla custard powder, icing sugar, and heavy cream). Custard powder is widely available, but if you aren’t able to find it, you may be substitute it for cornstarch and vanilla extract. Additionally, it is critical that you refrigerate the custard layer, before adding the chocolate on top to prevent melting. 3. Chocolate Topping. The chocolate topping is very easy to make, it is simply chocolate and butter melted together.
Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Mix together all the ingredients for the crumble in a bowl, until incorporated.
Press the crumble into the baking dish, and compress evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted.
In a bowl, cream together the butter with the custard powder until fluffy.
Sift in the icing sugar through a fine mesh sieve.
Whisk until light, and combined.
Whisk in enough heavy cream to make a spreadable yet thick frosting.
Spread the frosting onto the crumble layer, spread until even. Chill for an hour before topping.
Melt the butter, and chocolate in the microwave.
Spread the chocolate over the top of the frosting, and spread evenly. Chill the bars until firm about 4 hours.
Cut the bars into 35 squares.
Enjoy!
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp espresso powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup vanilla custard powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup full-fat heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
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Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
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Mix together all the ingredients for the crumble in a bowl, until incorporated.
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Press the crumble into the baking dish, and compress evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted.
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In a bowl, cream together the butter with the custard powder until fluffy.
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Sift in the icing sugar, and whisk until light.
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Whisk in enough heavy cream to make a spreadable yet thick icing.
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Spread the icing onto the crumble layer, spread until even. Chill for an hour before topping.
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Melt the butter, and chocolate in the microwave.
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Spread the chocolate over the top of the icing, and spread evenly. Chill the bars until firm about 4 hours.
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Cut the bars into 35 squares.
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Enjoy!