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Canadian

Nanaimo bars

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A no-bake Canadian traybake of three layers: a chocolate, coconut and graham-crumb base, a sweet vanilla custard buttercream, and a thin snap of dark chocolate on top.

Nanaimo bars is a Canadian dessert from Canada, ready in about 2 hours 40 minutes and made with graham crackers, icing sugar and dark chocolate (70–85%). It serves 20 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
10 min
Rest
2 h
Total
2 h 40 min
Serves
20
Level
Easy
Calories
271

Ingredients

20 bars

For the base

For the filling

For the topping

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Line a 20 cm square tin with parchment. In a heatproof bowl over simmering water, melt 115 g butter with the sugar (opens in a new tab) and cocoa. Whisk in the beaten egg (opens in a new tab) and stir constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, 2–3 minutes.

    Food safety: Keep stirring over the heat until the egg mixture is hot and thickened so the egg is cooked.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Lift the bowl from the pan and stir in the graham crumbs, coconut and walnuts (opens in a new tab). Press firmly and evenly into the tin and chill while you make the filling.

  3. Step 3

    Beat 60 g butter with the cream, cornstarch (opens in a new tab), vanilla (opens in a new tab) and powdered sugar (opens in a new tab) until smooth, pale and spreadable. Spread over the base and chill 30 minutes until firm.

  4. Step 4

    Melt the chocolate (opens in a new tab) with the remaining 15 g butter in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, cool slightly and spread thinly over the filling. Chill until set, about 1 hour.

    Chocolate melting in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Anna Tarazevich on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Let the slab stand 5 minutes, then cut into 20 bars with a hot, dry knife.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada · Commonly attributedNamed after the city of Nanaimo; similar bars appeared in community cookbooks in the mid-20th century.More food from Canada
Dish
Dessert · Snack · Desserts · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
No-cook, Whipped
Taste
sweet, rich, creamy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Freezer-friendly · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Graham crackers · Icing sugar · Dark chocolate (70–85%) · Unsalted butter · Sugar · Cocoa powder
Techniques
Simmering · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, graham crackers, heavy cream, dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • May contain: Peanutsfrom dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom walnuts, dark chocolate (70–85%)
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom graham crackers
  • Contains: Glutenfrom graham crackers
  • May contain: Soyfrom graham crackers, dark chocolate (70–85%)

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

271 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 55 g · recipe makes 20

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 4%
  • Carbohydrate 41%
  • Fat 55%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy271 kcal490 kcal
Protein2.7 g4.9 g
Carbohydrate28.8 g52.2 g
Net carbohydrate26.3 g47.5 g
Sugars19.2 g34.7 g
Added sugars——
Fibre2.6 g4.7 g
Fat17.2 g31.1 g
Saturated fat9.7 g17.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol32 mg59 mg
Sodium60 mg109 mg
Salt equivalent0.2 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
134 mg
Calcium
24 mg
Iron
1.6 mg
Magnesium
37 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
78 µg
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Score the chocolate top before it fully sets to stop it cracking when you cut.

Common mistakes

  • Spreading hot chocolate on the filling melts it into the middle layer.

Food safety

  • The egg in the base is cooked over simmering water until thickened (at least 70 °C); keep stirring until it coats the spoon. Use a pasteurised egg if serving vulnerable people.

Storage

  • Keep covered in the fridge up to 1 week, or freeze for 3 months.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 4

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Rest · about 2 h

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Start to finish: about 2 h 30 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

Reviews & corrections

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