Nanaimo bars are the perfect square with a brownie-like base, delicious icing custardy filling, and topped with chocolate. They. Are. The. Best. There, I said it.

And I’m not partial just because I live in Vancouver Island in Nanaimo where these bars were invented. Give ‘em a try!

Ingredients for Best Nanaimo Bars

Base Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter (European style cultured) (125 ml)
1/4 cup sugar (50 ml)
5 tbsp. cocoa (75 ml)
1 egg beaten
1 3/4 cups graham wafer crumbs (284 grams)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (125 ml)
1 cup coconut (250 ml)

Icing Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter (125 ml)
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream (40 ml)
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (30 ml)
2 cups icing sugar (500 ml)

Chocolate Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips (4 oz)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (30 ml)

Best Nanaimo Bars Method

First, let’s prepare our pan. Get a 8×8” pan, and line with parchment paper. See note.

Over a double boiler, melt butter with sugar and cocoa. Stir well with whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Now, we don’t want to scramble our egg, so remove the pot from heat and quickly mix in the egg, stir it well.

You can hold it over the heat and whisk it until the mixture thickens. This might take about 30 seconds.

Remove from heat. Mix in graham crumbs. I like to make my own graham crumbs in the food processor. They are fresher and yummy, but pre-crumbed is fine.

Add in the coconut and walnuts. You can skip either of these if you like, but they are SO good. My son who doesn’t like nuts or coconut said they were the best Nanaimo bars he’s ever had. Remember, this child was born in Nanaimo, so he’s basically an expert.

Pat the mixture into the pan, forming a base. Chill in fridge.

Next, for the Ahhhh-mazing custard. Pop that softened butter in your mixer and start whipping it up. Add icing sugar in over a few batches (2 or 3). Add in cream and vanilla.

Beat it for about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the custard powder. Mix for 2 minutes until good and fluffy.

Spread over chilled base.

Do not swoon. I know it will be hard, because this is such a gloriously beautiful process. Chill in fridge for 1 hour..

Next, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave 20 seconds at a time. Juuuuust before it’s fully melted, give it a stir and see if that’s good enough. If it’s smooth, it’s done!

Spread over the custard, then chill 30 minutes in fridge before cutting.

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Best Nanaimo Bars

Yield: 16

Nanaimo bars are the perfect square with a brownie-like base, delicious icing custardy filling, and topped with chocolate. They. Are. The. Best. There, I said it.

And I’m not partial just because I live in Vancouver Island in Nanaimo where these bars were invented. Give ‘em a try!

Ingredients

Base Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter (European style cultured) (125 ml)
1/4 cup sugar (50 ml)
5 tbsp. cocoa (75 ml)
1 egg beaten
1 3/4 cups graham wafer crumbs (284 grams)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (125 ml)
1 cup coconut (250 ml)
Icing Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter (125 ml)
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream (40 ml)
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (30 ml)
2 cups icing sugar (500 ml)
Chocolate Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips (4 oz)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (30 ml)

Instructions

Base:

Grease 9x9” pan, line with parchment paper.
Melt butter, sugar and cocoa powder on top of a double boiler on medium heat.
Remove pan from heat, beat in egg with whisk.
Add back to heat, whisk for 1-2 minutes to combine until thickened. Remove from heat.
Press into prepared pan. Cool in fridge while making filling.

Filling:

Add softened butter to mixer bowl, sift in icing sugar and custard powder, add cream and vanilla.
Spread over base layer, cool in fridge 1 hour until firm.

Chocolate Layer:

Melt butter and chocolate in microwave using 20-30 second increments, stir until almost melted.
Spread over icing layer, chill 30 minutes, slice before serving.