What is Nanaimo Bars?

A no-bake three-layer bar: coconut-crumb base, custard-cream middle, chocolate top — named for a BC harbor town.

Where does Nanaimo Bars come from?

Nanaimo Bars is a Canadian dish from British Columbia, Canada.

Can Nanaimo Bars be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Nanaimo Bars recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Nanaimo Bars take to make?

About 30 minutes total (30 minutes prep, 0 minutes cooking), serving 9.

Recipe

Name: Nanaimo Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 9 servings
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs; 1 cup + 1/2 cup desiccated coconut + chopped almonds; 1 cup total butter (across layers); 1/4 cup cocoa powder; 1/4 cup sugar (base); 1 egg (to set the base); 2 tbsp custard powder; 2 cups + 3 tbsp powdered sugar + milk (middle layer); 4 oz semisweet chocolate (top)

North America → 🇨🇦 Canada → British Columbia

Nanaimo Bars

Canadian · easy · serves 9

prep 30 min · cook 0 min

~560 cal · 3g protein · 65g carbs · 34g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Three-layer bar: crumb base, yellow custard, chocolate top

🇨🇦 British Columbia

Named for the Vancouver Island city, the Nanaimo bar rose from 1950s community cookbooks to Canadian icon — the city even runs an official Nanaimo Bar Trail. No oven required, which is exactly why every church-basement bake sale relies on it.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 9 —

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1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs

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1 cup + 1/2 cup desiccated coconut + chopped almonds

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1 cup total butter (across layers)

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1/4 cup cocoa powder

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1/4 cup sugar (base)

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1 egg (to set the base)

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2 tbsp custard powder

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2 cups + 3 tbsp powdered sugar + milk (middle layer)

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4 oz semisweet chocolate (top)

Instructions

Base: melt 1/2 cup butter with cocoa, sugar, and the beaten egg (or aquafaba slurry) over a double boiler until thickened; stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press into a lined 8-inch pan and chill.

Middle: beat 1/4 cup soft butter with custard powder, powdered sugar, and milk into a smooth pale cream. Spread over the base; chill 15 minutes until firm.

Top: melt the chocolate with the last 2 tbsp butter and pour over, tilting to coat evenly.

Score the top into squares BEFORE it fully sets (a set top shatters when cut).

Chill 1 hour, cut along the score lines, and keep cold. A Canadian rite of passage.

Nanaimo, British Columbia tradition.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

British Columbia. The coast that invented a no-bake bar and named it after a city.

🗺️

Canada. Maple, prairie wheat, and a fierce québécois food identity.

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North America. A collision of Indigenous, colonial, and immigrant tables.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →