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.
If you're interested in the facts and fables of this slice of heaven, you can read all the conjecture onWikipedia about Nanaimo Bars. If you actually own or know the whereabouts of a cookbook or other publication dating back to the early 50s or beyond, we would very much like to see it and put an end to all this confusion with documented proof.
In 1986, Nanaimo Mayor Graeme Roberts, in conjunction with Harbour Park Mall, initiated a contest to find the ultimate Nanaimo Bar Recipe. During the four-week long contest, almost 100 different variations of the famous confection were submitted. The winner: Joyce Hardcastle.
Nanaimo Bar Trail
Visit Tourism Nanaimofor a guide to all the locations and varieties of Nanaimo Bars you can find here.Warning: do not try to eat one from every sourceon the same day - may lead to overbliss.
Nanaimo Bar Stamp
As a part of Canada Post's 'Sweet Canada' stamp collection, Nanaimo's legendary treat was featured on its very own stamp. The collection features a total of ten famous Canadian desserts, including Saskatoon berry pie and blueberry grunt.
The stamp itself features a variation of a Nanaimo bar, rather than a traditional bar, and stirred up some debate since its release. Nonetheless, the stamp has brought attention to this delectable dessert and is helping to spreadthe sweet news about Nanaimo.
Nanaimo Bar Recipe
Bottom 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 (425 ml)
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (125 ml)
1 cup coconut (250 ml)
Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.
Second 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)
Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.
Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (4 oz)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (30 ml)
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.
View this recipe as a PDF.
FAQs
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 ...
What does a Nanaimo bar taste like? ›
What do Nanaimo Bars Taste Like? Nanaimo bars are a delicious combination of chocolate, vanilla, and coconut. The key ingredient is custard powder which has a vanilla flavor. You really can't make these without it.
Why are Nanaimo bars famous? ›
In 1985, Mayor Graeme Roberts initiated a contest to find the ultimate Nanaimo bar recipe. The recipe submitted by Joyce Hardcastle, a resident of Nanaimo, was unanimously selected by a panel of judges. The Nanaimo bar was popularized nationwide after being highlighted as a classic Canadian dessert at Expo 86.
Do Nanaimo bars contain egg? ›
The base layer is made by melting one stick of butter, adding sugar and cocoa powder to it, then adding one egg. The Saveur recipe does not call for the mixture to be cooked after adding the egg, but I preferred not to have bars with a raw egg crust and adapted the recipe and cooked the mixture.
What is the old name for Nanaimo? ›
Letters for the settlement, previous to 1859, were usually addressed "Colville Town, Nanaimo, V. I." After that date the first name was gradually discontinued and has not been used since 1860.
Are Nanaimo Bars a Canadian thing? ›
The Nanaimo bar. It's a sweet treat made from chocolate, custard, coconut and walnuts. Love it or hate it, it's uniquely British Columbian.
Do people like Nanaimo Bars? ›
In 2006, the Nanaimo bar was declared Canada's favorite confection by a reader's poll in the National Post. The Nanaimo bar is a no-bake dessert bar that traditionally consists of three layers: a graham wafer crumb and shredded coconut base, custard-flavoured butter i...
What does the word Nanaimo mean? ›
Nanaimo is the corruption of the name they gave the area, meaning "gathering place." During 1792 the Spanish explorer Alejandro Malaspina dispatched the gallettes SUTIL AND MEXICANA, under the command of Alcalá-Galiano and Cayetano Valdés, to explore the Strait of Georgia.
Is custard powder the same as pudding mix? ›
While most custard and pudding recipes both typically call for eggs, the main difference is that pudding uses a starch for thickening, whereas custard's thickening agent is the egg itself (or egg yolk, in most instances). Custard's texture also tends to be firmer than pudding.
What is the shelf life of Nanaimo bars? ›
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.
History. The Indigenous peoples of the area that is now known as Nanaimo are the Snuneymuxw. An anglicised spelling and pronunciation of that word gave the city its current name.
What are bars called in America? ›
The term “pub” can be used to refer to any establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. The word is also used to refer to themed drinking . In American English, a place where you can buy and drink alcoholic drinks is usually called a bar.
What is a substitute for custard powder? ›
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.
