I love Nanaimo Bars. I love Canada. In fact, my husband will often say, “I kinda feel like a Timbit right now” and next thing I know we’re heading for the border.
But can you guess what I love even more than Tim Horton’s white hot chocolate? I love Nanaimo Bars. And I’ve come up with the BEST gluten-free Nanaimo Bar recipe ever. AND it’s so easy to make!
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These Nanaimo Bars are gluten-free and you can certainly use regular graham crackers if you don’t need to be gluten-free, but I do prefer the gluten-free ones by Schär – they are amazing! And no I’m not sponsored by them, I just seriously love them.
MY AMAZON PICKS (affiliate links):
You will need:
For the base:
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
5 T cocoa powder
1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers (I love Schär gluten-free)
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the parchment lined pan.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
To make the filling, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat in the heavy cream, vanilla and the pudding powder until smooth and frosting like consistency.
Smooth on filling on top of the base layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
For the topping, melt together the chocolate chips and the butter over a double boiler or in the microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth.
Pour over the filling layer and smooth with an offset spatula.
Return to refrigerator for at least an hour.
Carefully cut into bars (it helps to score the top layer first with a knife before cutting so the top layer doesn’t crack).
I know that that the traditional Nanaimo Bars have walnuts and shredded coconut in them and if you want to use those ingredients, that’s perfectly fine. I substituted pecans and omitted the coconut altogether with no adjustments for my batch (yes I made an entire batch for myself) and it turned out amazing!
Everyone will just rave about these bars, they are so good!
Yield: 16
Nanaimo Bars
These are the best Nanaimo Bars ever! They are so easy to make AND they are gluten-free!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours35 minutes
Ingredients
For the base:
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
5 T cocoa powder
1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers (I use gluten-free)
½ cup finely chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 beaten egg
1 cup shredded coconut (optional) – I’m not a coconut fan
For the filling:
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
½ cup softened butter
3 T instant vanilla pudding powder
3-4 T heavy cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
For the Topping:
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 T butter
Instructions
Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper, letting the parchment paper hang over the side for easy removal.
In a medium bowl, mix together the finely crushed graham crackers, cocoa powder, granulated sugar and finely chopped nuts (and coconut if desired)
Add the egg, vanilla and melted butter and mix until thoroughly combined.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the parchment lined pan.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
To make the filling, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Beat in the heavy cream, vanilla and the pudding powder until smooth and frosting like consistency.
Smooth on filling on top of the base layer with an offset spatula. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
For the topping, melt together the chocolate chips and the butter over a double boiler or in the microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals until smooth.
Pour over the filling layer and smooth with an offset spatula.
Return to refrigerator for at least an hour.
Carefully cut into bars (it helps to score the top layer first with a knife before cutting so the top layer doesn’t crack)
Unfortunately, Nanaimo bars are not gluten-free when made with traditional ingredients. Classic recipes call for all-purpose flour & graham crackers. Our keto Nanaimo bars use almond flour and no graham crackers making it a perfect gluten-free no-bake dessert.
But neither Nanaimo's historical miners nor current residents have an exclusive relationship with the dessert; over the last century, similar sweets have popped up across North America, going by names like “New York slice,” “London fog bar” and “prayer bar.” Still, when it comes to branding, Nanaimo is the winner, bar ...
Seeing them in my fridge when I'm craving something sweet has been a miracle, honestly. In the Refrigerator: Nanaimo bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve straight from the fridge. In the Freezer: You can also keep your Nanaimo bars in the freezer for 2-3 months in an airtight container.
It is named after Nanaimo, British Columbia, where it was popularized in the years following the Second World War. It subsequently rose to wider prominence after Expo 86. In 2006, the Nanaimo bar was declared Canada's favourite confection by a reader's poll in the National Post.
If you're looking for mixed drinks to order out, it's generally best to stick to classic combinations made with vodka, rum, or tequila and gluten free mixers. Vodka orange juice (a “Screwdriver”), rum and cola, and tequila sunrise are simple gluten free options you can order at any bar.
Founded as Colvilletown around a Hudson's Bay Company trading post, it developed after 1849 when coalfields were discovered nearby by local Indigenous people. In 1860 the settlement was renamed Sne-ny-mo (whence Nanaimo) from an Indigenous word meaning “a big, strong tribe,” which was applied to a tribal confederation.
The trifecta of sugary deliciousness in the original Nanaimo bar is what gives it its unmistakable appearance and buttery-chocolate flavour explosion, but its eye-catching triple-layer design and no-bake assembly also make it an excellent springboard for tasty variations and original creations.
It was first deemed the Nanaimo bar by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams in 1953 when she wrote that the dessert came from Nanaimo. This is important to note, Newman says, because other places such as Mississauga and England have tried to claim it as their own.
If a recipe lists custard powder and you don't have any, you can make some simple swaps to achieve the same effect. For each tablespoon of custard powder that's called for in your recipe, you can make your own custard mix with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch plus 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt.
Keep our bars in a cool temperature under 20 C and you don't need to refrigerate them. Our co-founders travel all around the world with them - and they always arrive in perfect condition. Our bars have a shelf life of up to 5 months after production. Each box comes with its own Best Before date.
Other names for Nanaimo Bars include but are not limited to New York Slice, New York Special, Mississauga Bars, Edmonton Esks, Georgia Street Slices, Georgia Strait Smog Squares, London Fog Bars and London Smog Bars — coincidentally the London Fog (a hot drink consisting of steamed milk, vanilla syrup and Earl Grey Tea ...
This creamy, chocolatey treat's origin is elusive, shrouded in mystery, and claimed by many as their own. Of course, we know that Nanaimo Bars originated in Nanaimo, or they would be called New York Bars, or New Brunswick Bars.
The completed bar weighed in at 530 pounds and measured eight feet long, 44 inches wide and three inches high. The family will submit their logs, photos, weights and measurements to the people at Guinness. They hope to receive the official certificate in the mail in a couple of months.
The Nanaimo bar (/nəˈnaɪmoʊ/ nə-NY-moh) is a bar dessert that requires no baking and is named after the Canadian city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It consists of three layers: a wafer, nut (walnuts, almonds, or pecans), and coconut crumb base; custard icing in the middle; and a layer of chocolate ganache on top.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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