The Best Nanaimo Bar Recipe

If you’re looking for the best Nanaimo bar recipe on the internet, you’ve found it: three layers of no-bake perfection. It starts with a chocolate, nut, and coconut base, has a creamy filling, and ends with a silky layer of ganache.

Want another great bar recipe? Try my chocolate chip and Heath bar cookies made from a box cake.

The Best Nanaimo Bar Recipe

Note: This recipe was originally shared in 2012, but it was recently updated with better pictures and formatting to provide a better user experience.

When I first got married, my mom and aunt put together a recipe box. They asked the guests at each of my showers to give me a few of their favorite family traditions. Fabulous idea, right?

This Nanaimo bar recipe is one of the recipes that came from this box. It comes from my husband’s aunt, Cari’s, home. It has ties to Young Life, as does she, so I’m curious if it is the recipe that Young Life uses at Camp Malibu or the state fair recipe. I’m not sure, but it’s delicious. Nanaimo bars are a Canadian dessert, so that would make sense.

What are Nanaimo Bars?

The Nanaimo bar first gained popularity in the 1950s, though its exact origin is a point of pride for Nanaimo locals. Unlike a brownie or a blondie, there is zero baking involved—you simply press the layers into a pan and let it chill.

It’s a staple at Canadian coffee shops and holiday parties, beloved for being intensely sweet and incredibly rich.

This bar contains three distinct layers:

• The Bottom Layer: A chewy, chocolatey base made of graham cracker crumbs, shredded coconut, and finely chopped walnuts or almonds.
• The Middle Layer: A thick, buttery custard-flavored icing.
• The Top Layer: A smooth, firm layer of chocolate ganache.

The Best Nanaimo Bar Recipe

The Best Nanaimo Bar Recipe

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Baking

Ingredients

  

Bottom Layer:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup crushed nuts walnuts or almonds

Middle Layer:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• 4 Tbsp instant vanilla pudding dry powder

Top Layer::

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 4 Tbsp butter

Instructions

 

• Top Layer
• Combine 1/2 cup butter (cut into 1 Tbsp chunks), 1/4 cup sugar, and 4 Tbsp cocoa powder in the top of a double boiler. Stir until completely combined.
• Add 1 beaten egg, mixing well and cooking for about 1 minute.
• Add 1 tsp vanilla
• In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups crushed graham crackers, 1 cup coconut, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I like to chop mine fine).
• Combine the two mixtures together, and pat down firmly in a greased 9×13″ pan.

Middle Layer

• Cream all icing ingredients (4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup cream, and 4 Tbsp powdered instant vanilla pudding) together until thick.
• Spread on top of the first layer. This can be thick and difficult to spread. You can add water to your spatula to aid in the process.
• Refrigerate 2-3 hours.

Top Layer

• After the bars have spent their 2-3 hours in the refrigerator, melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, stirring as it melts. Spread quickly over the top. Refrigerate until solid.

Make it Meaningful

If you start them young, kids can actually be extremely helpful in the kitchen – speeding you up rather than slowing you down. As I was mixing this on the stove, Kenzie was breaking all of the graham crackers into the food processor. 

So much learning and bonding takes place in the kitchen.

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Above is my original photo. I actually like to cut them this size because they are such a richer dessert.

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