Because it's three layers, this sounds hard but it's worth it.  My son is famous for making and taking these in to work.  I've heard other names but here in the Northwest everyone knows them as Nanaimo bars. They are sold on British Columbia Ferries and at coffee stands. If you can't find custard powder, I've used instant pudding mix with good results.

Nanaimo Bars III

butter, softened

white sugar

cocoa powder

egg, beaten

graham cracker crumbs

coconut

almonds

heavy cream

custard powder

confectioners' sugar

(1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate

butter

In the top of a double boiler, combine 1/2 cup butter, white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Beat in the egg, stirring until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds (if you like). Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan.


For the middle layer, cream together 1/2 cup butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Chill to set.


While the second layer is chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate and 2 teaspoons butter together in the microwave or over low heat. Spread over the chilled bars. Let the chocolate set before cutting into squares.


These were delicious. Here's a tip for beginners. Don't add the egg to the saucepan...if it's too warm the egg will CURDLE. My mom told me to slowly beat about half of the chocolate mixture into the egg, a little at a time, so that it won't curdle from the heat. Hope this helps, thanks for the great recipe, I will make again for sure!

Excellent Recipe!!  Living in Canada I've been making Nanaimo bars every Christmas for as long as I can remember!  The recipe I usually use is a little different than this one but what a difference a few changes can make.  The filling is nice and firm, the crust moist and the topping not too hard!  It cuts into squares excellent (I line my pan with parchment paper so it's easier to get out of the pan and cut.)  The top doesn't crack when you're cutting it and the filling doesn't squish out the sides and the bottom stays together nicely.  This is my new Nanaimo bar recipe that I'll be using from now on!! Thanks for the great recipe!

Perfect recipe!!  I used a 9x13 pan and doubled the base, and tripled the middle and tripled the chocolate top layer.  This recipe is so easy and you can adjust the layers to suit your taste.  Didn’t add the almonds and it was delicious as is!!

This is one of the BEST desserts I have ever made. I had 20 of my husband's co-workers over for tea today, and every single one of them asked me for the recipe. I had catered goodies from a local bakery, yet nearly everyone bypassed those treats for this homemade one. We recently returned from Vancouver where I tried these bars for the first time and fell in love. They are delicious. FIRST TIP: Use "digestive cookies" instead of "graham crackers" to make your crumbs. Graham crackers are sweet, whereas digestives are a little saltier and crunchier -- yum yum! SECOND TIP: Use custard powder (you can find Bird's Eye Custard Powder at Cost Plus and in the British Foods aisle of many specialty grocery stores). Instant vanilla pudding mix is too sweet! Custard powder is just corn starch with some flavoring and coloring and salt, but it gives you the perfect texture, taste, and look. Don't use anything else. THIRD TIP: Be sure to use almonds which you have ground up in the food processor (where I also grind up the digestives). FOURTH TIP: You'll probably want to double the recipe because these go fast. FIFTH TIP: Be sure to read "the most helpful reviews" for how to avoid curdling/scrambling the eggs when you add them to the hot chocolate mixture. The tips worked like a charm for me!

I am from Nanaimo BC and we have Nanaimo Bars everywhere in this town. Of all of the Nanaimo Bar recipes I have tried, this recipe is the closest to what I have always known as the original Nanimo Bar recipe.

NEVER microwave your chocolate - it makes it crack during cutting!
I prefer to double the icing and double the chocolate topping. I garnished my bars with fresh cranberries to add a pop of edible colour - place one whole berry in the centre before placing the pan in the fridge and it will set nicely. Also, I usually end up cracking the chocolate when I cut into squares anyway, so I use muffin tins!

Hubby says they are TOOO good!  That's good!  Guess we'll make them lots.  After reading reviews and making I have some recommendations.  I did not have an issue with the eggs curdling, maybe because my double boiled mixture was not overly hot.  Perhaps the coconut could be reduced to 3/4 C next time.  But my non-coconut friends even liked these.  We do not have custard powder around SO...I did some research and I was pleased with how they turned out.  DO NOT USE VANILLA pudding.  Custard powder is NOT pudding.  Simply substitute 2 TBSP of cornstarch and vanilla.  I had vanilla powder, so I used a tsp of that.  I also only used one cup of p. sugar.  It was the right sweetness but I wish there was a little more of that layer, so next time I might try two cups of p. sugar, if that is too sweet, than I will add another stick of butter to increase volume.  Used semi-sweet chips for topping.  Turned out beautifully!  Can't wait to make these when it's too hot this summer to bake.

5 stars and more! I just came back from Vancouver, Canada and had them for the first time at a 5 star hotel. One bite and I just had to have the recipe. Thanks for sharing it. These were identical to the ones I had... (I used the instant vanilla pudding mix).

these were easier than i first thought they would be. I used nilla wafer crumbs instead of graham, instant vanilla pudding mix and took the suggestion of others and mixed some of the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg before adding to prevent curdling.  To make spreading the chocolate on top easier i put the pan in the freezer for about 20 minutes and let the chocolate cool for the same amount of time and it spread easily. I cut them by using a serrated knife that i dipped in warm water. They cut easy with no cracking. Nice presentation.  Theses bars are very rich and very sweet.  I cut them into very small squares and no one could eat more than one.  Nice flavor.

Very Delicious!  One of my favourite treats...I'm from nanaimo and these were awesome!  I used milk and pudding powder as suggested, and would recommend adding a little less butter to the first 2 layers (or at least the middle layer), closer to 2/3C, because it did turn out a little greasy.  but otherwise, WONDERFUL!

I thought these were pretty good, although a bit on the sweet side for my taste.  I halved the crust/bottom part, like others suggested, and would not do that again.  I would def temper the egg with some of the batter before adding it to the hot mix.  I also sub. vanilla pudding for the custard powder and it was pretty good; I did only use 3 T of butter instead of the whole stick.  Make sure and use BUTTER or OIL when you melt the chips, not margarine, as it will seize the chocolate.  If you score the bar after it has slightly hardened, it makes them much easier to cut.

This was really great! My family ate the whole pan in one day. A really good naniamo bar recipe like this is hard to find...and I'm from B.C. Thanks, this one is a keeper!

I have used this recipe several times, and I've found that the butter in the bottom layer can be reduced to 6 tablespoons without altering the flavor at all. Makes them less greasy and less fattening.

I have also used a quarter cup of butter plus a quarter cup of cream cheese in the filling.  Another way to reduce calories.

These were a special treat and unusual in their own way. The reviews about whisking the chocolate into the egg slowly before adding it back to the heated chocolate were very helpful. I used a sauce pan on low-simmer for the first layer rather than a double-boiler...1/2 cup butter in first layer to mix graham cracker crumbs and 1/3 cup butter in the second layer to cream the confectioner's sugar and doubled the ingredients in the third layer. Thanks for the recipe!!

Wow, very sweet and I have a huge sweet tooth!  I cut out one cup of confectioners sugar too!  However, they are unusually addicting!  I would say cut them very small...I got 25 out of my 8x8 pan.  I also couldn't find custard powder so had to resort to instant pudding.  I am not sure if that affected the sweetness (since I don't know how sweet custard powder is).    Either way, if I find custard powder, I'll definitely try these again.  They were a great project for my 9 yr old son and I as we ended our study of Canada!

My husbands exact words were 'these are the best Naniamo bars I have ever had', and I agree. They are not sicky-sweet like most I have had, but just right. I grew up with Naniamo bars, and I have to say, these are better than my moms... sorry mom!

Overall, the final product was very good, but I have a few recommendations... 1. Use a 7" x 11" cake pan, which will make the bars slightly thinner. 2. Use less cocoa powder in the bottom layer, 3-4 tablespoons at most. I followed the recipe, using 5 tbs, and I thought it drowned out the coconut flavor. 3. Grind up the nuts and coconut into very small pieces - in a food processor - for the bottom layer. This will help you press the bottom layer into a nice flat layer, so the next two layers also spread easily. 4. Add 2 tablespoons of milk or cream to the chocolate in the top layer, to make it a little easier to spread and cut once it's refrigerated.

I was born and raised Calgary, Alberta Canada. But, moved to the United States over a decade ago. I have to tell you that this recipe is the CLOSEST in the way of overall look and taste to what I was brought up with in Canada. The only thing I can't get over is, how on earth could I eat 3 squares at one sitting when I was in elementary school? These are so rich that I am lucky to be able to finish a 2 inch square. Thank you so much to Martha J Paul for adding this recipe for all of us home sick Canadians!

So these should come with a warning...Danger of Eating Entire Pan and Gaining 5 Pounds.   I have reviewed close to 175 recipes on this site over the last 10 years and this is my favourite recipe ever!!!  Unfortunately I make it far too often and it is my demise! Awesome, decadent, heavenly...there are not enough words to describe.  I have an addiction to these :D

I can see how these would be a 4-star treat if they held sentimental value for somebody who grew up eating them. As somebody who had never heard of a nanaimo bar, I just saw the great reviews and thought they looked good. They were kind of a let-down, I must say. With all the different flavors nothing really stood out...I could barely taste the chocolate in the crust even though I am picky and buy a very expensive and high-quality cocoa powder. 

The crust is somewhat dry and slightly resembles american "no bake" cookies. the topping is akin to american buttercream topped with ganache. Can't go wrong with ganache, but I wish I had just made brownies instead!

The best part about them was they looked pretty- I piped the chocolate on top in zig-zags and cut them with a warm hot knife and they looked much better than they tasted!

I am a really big fan of Nanaimo Bars as I remember my mom making them when I was young and I have tried to make them a few times without success (and trust me, the bought ones are NOT the same)!
I made this recipe exactly as written with only one change and that being the chocolate top which I used 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of semisweet and melted them in the microwave with butter as the recipe states.  They turned out fabulous!  NOTE:  Let the bars cool and the chocolate set at 'room temperature' then cut into squares and refrigerate or freeze.  If you refrigerate them first, the chocolate will all crack apart when you cut them.

I followed the recipe exact, except for the middle part I only used 2/3 C. of butter as one reviewer said it was a bit greasy and tasted 'too buttery', so I followed that one suggestion...

other than that ....classic! tastes like the real thing from a Starbucks in Vancouver (or Nanaimo, for that matter).. for those that don't know, Nanaimo bars are *very* sweet... most cuts/slices are no bigger than the size of a Triscuit cracker, maybe less...

THIS IS SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! I MADE SOME CHANGES AND ADDED SOME PEANUTBUTTER AND (1/2 CUP) AND INSTEAD OF CUSTARD I USED CHOCOLATE PUDDING MIX ( 2TPBS). WOW!! SO GOOD. I LOVE PEANUTBUTTER AND CHOCOLATE. THIS IS REALLY EXCELLENT!!!

Soooo good. I doubled the recipe and put into a 9x13 pan. I used custard powder but next time I think I might just use vanilla pudding mix. I lined the pan with parchment so I could take it out a little easier. Cuts really well and absolutely delicious!!

These are very good, but I prefer the traditional walnuts instead of almonds.  Even better, but a bit more costly, I use pecans in the bottom layer.  Also, ensure you use custard powder and not vanilla pudding, which is far too sweet.

I shop at a grocery store called Haggen, and they have the best bakery I've ever been to in a grocery store.  They make these DELICIOUS Nanaimo bars, and I tried this recipe in an attempt to recreate them, so I won't have to keep buying them.  Well, this was soooo far away from Haggen's version.  The bottom layer seems close enough, but the middle layer seemed too powdered-sugary, and the top layer was all wrong.  I think Haggen uses milk chocolate, and their's is really melt-in-your-mouth.  Maybe they add some Crisco to their chocolate when they're melting it.  I think this recipe has potential, but I must be spoiled by Haggen.

There are a "bunch" of North Americans working here in Ireland. Our friends from BC were talking about Nanaimo bars, and feeling a little homesick. I made these for dessert, as a surprise for them. They were amazed. Said they were perfect! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. And helping my friends feel a little less homesick.

I just made this and this took longer than the stated prep time.  It's not for the novice baker.  Be sure to clean up the kitchen between layers - this is a pot/pan/utensil intensive project.  But for those hard core bakers, you will love sinking your teeth into this.  Best review suggestions:  use parchment paper, use less, lots less, butter in layer one, temper eggs before adding to layer one chocolate, use half cream cheese and half butter in second layer and use stand mixer - works better than hand-held when adding powdered sugar (I doubled the recipe so that was a lot of powdered sugar!), freeze 20 min. after second layer is added, melt chocolate for this layer (in double boiler, NOT microwave) (use 70- 100% cacao to cut sweetness) and double amount of choc., and add tad bit of cream to chocolate, let cool while first layers are in freezer.  Choc. will start to harden when spread on first two layers from freezer.  Score through chocolate immediately to avoid cracking later.  Score 1" squares.  Let finish setting on counter then finish cutting squares.  Freeze.  The reviews suggest they are better served cold.  And the chocolate does not turn white if melted as recommended.  Thanks everyone for all the prep. suggestions!!

I'm in the process of making these now and I'm wondering if the middle layer is supposed to have a buttercream icing consistency?  I've never made nanaimo bars before but it seems a little thick?  I followed the recipe exactly.

Pretty good.  In the Betty Crocker cookie book they are called Fudge Meltaways.

Absolutely amazing. I've made these before, but with a different recipe. A friend asked me to make these for her birthday and they turned out far tastier and better looking than the first ones I made. I have messed up the recipe before when I tried altering it, so I followed this one almost to a T (only changed slightly the amount of graham cracker crumbs, because mine were very powdery and probably would've caused the base to be too crumbly with the stated amount) and they came out wonderful. Everyone loved them -- and so did I!

Very tasty Nanaimo bars. I recommend using a little less coconut and making a little more custard and chocolate topping than the recipe suggests.

Generally a good recipe, but the middle layer, the vanilla custard layer, has WAY too much butter in it - it tastes like eating sweetened butter. Too rich for my tastes, and richer than the Nanaimo bars I've eaten in Vancouver that I loved so much.

I would refer you to the other Nanaimo bar recipes on this website for a more moderate approach to the vanilla layer.

I cut out an entire cup of confectioners sugar in the middle layer, it was NOT missed, and I highly recommend freezing them. OK, this is strange but, at first I thought they were WAY too rich and sweet. So I cut them into small portions and wrapped them and put them in the freezer. After they were frozen I think they were somehow much better. It is the middle of summer and very hot here, so maybe they needed a blast of cold (They are from the NorthWest after-all). They didn't become too hard to bite and were so much better from the freezer. So I put some into tupperware, brought them to work, kept them in the freezer all morning, brought them out right after lunch, and people were like, "OMG What are these, is this fudge, this is soooo good, what is it?!"     

These are actually quite simple if you follow the directions accurately. I would add a few more chocolate squares to the top layer, it is a bit thin compared to the other 2 layers, but delicious!!

This is my go-to nanaimo bar recipe. I've modified it slightly: I use 3 tbsp. of coconut milk in place of cream (my good friend is lactose intolerant), and I use 3/4-1 C. of chocolate chips (dairy-free) with a 1 TBSP. butter or (virgin) coconut oil for the topping. I've also had good luck adding a tiny a bit of orange zest to the topping. LOVE THESE!! (Oh, and I've made them in the past to match the recipe, and they were still amazing!!)

As far as I am concerned these are the real Canadian Nanaimo Bars! At Christmas I usually have to make a triple batch! Its just not the same without the Harry Hornes Custard Powder!!

mom used to make this recipe and now me, and it everything everyone ever says about it and more.

I have one problem ...

My chocolate top layer is always a terrible mess.  It is hard to spread, there isn't enough of it (so I make more) but then it also melts the layer below it and then the white stuff mixes with the chocolate.  It always looks really awful too, messy, pasty.  I do take it off before it is fully melted, but I end up with chunks of not totally melted chocolate.  It is very frustrating because I am most of the way through, and no matter how long I let my white layer set (hours) every year my top chocolate layer messes everything up.

I made these for work and received huge compliments on them; I doubled the chocolate topping.

These were amazing. I mixed the first layer ingredients as instructed, except omitted the egg and baked at 350 for 10 minutes. I added the 2nd layer, then refrigerated, then the top layer when the middle was hard and cold. No double boiler! They went over really well and everyone loved them. 

I have made this recipie several times. Completely worth the effort. As a native NW girl and a daughter of a Canuck, I crave these bars and savor each bite! I've always made them with instant vanilla pudding with great results. When you bring them to a party, save yourself the time and bring copies of recipies with you. You'll be asked for them!

Very yummy - my filling was a little runny though - I'm in Australia though, so my ingredients were similar, but not identical. I'll try the parchment paper next time. :)

I've been making this for years, I lived in Nanaimo I use this exact recipe but use unsalted or European style butter, makes it a much tasting bar.

This was a hit at the office.  In fact I had one gentleman tell me that they were better than the one's that he had while he was in Nanaimo.  The only thing I did different, which was not intentional, is I used dark cocoa powder.  They were fabulous!

These were fantastic!  I think I'd call them a candy rather than a cookie.  I left out the coconut in the base.  I also had to blot excess butter from the top of the base before I added the butter cream.  Next time I will use only 6 tbsp of butter in the base.  The buttercream was delicious.  I intend to use it as a filling for my next chocolate cake.  I used instant vanilla pudding mix and added 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.  I used a 70% chocolate Lindt bar in the ganache topping.  The bitter chocolate helped to keep the Nanaimo bar from tasting too sweet.  I will definately be making these again!

I don't usually like nanaimo bars, but these were really good! They aren't as sickeningly sweet as most.  I made them for a Christmas party, and everyone enjoyed them.  The only change I made was to add ground almmonds to the base as that's all the grocery store had.

I replaced the custard powder with actual english custard here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/english-trifle-to-die-for/detail.aspx (step 2)

and it turned out fantastic! I will use this recipe for a long time to come.

Yuuumm! I keep seeing recipes for these popping up on blogs, but being from Texas I'd never tried them before. I added a whole brick of cream cheese to the middle layer, though, which helped cut the sweetness a little, I think. I also used the pudding mix (a whole four-serving box) and instead of whipping cream I used coconut flavored coffeemate. And I added a little almond extract too! DEEEE-licious!

Grew up with Nanaimo Bars, usually a Christmas treat. Thanks for the recipe, I live in New England now and I'm able to make these for Christmas for my kids!

The lady who rated 3 stars and added cranberries obviously hasn't made the recipe as it. Its perfect, don't change a thing!

Double the chocolate and they are perfect!

Awesome - my mom has been making Nanaimo bars for years and I always thought her were the best around........with this recipe I have her beat.  Thanks!

Totally fantastic!  I've made these three years in a row and I'm a greeted like a hero when I take them to parties.

Wow. I've been wanting to make these for a very long time and they did not disappoint. Very rich, sweet and delicious. Not for the casual dessert eater: side effects might include diabetic coma. I didn't find these that difficult to make at all and had no problems with the egg - just make sure that your chocolate mixture cools a bit before you add the beaten egg and stir immediately! 

Best nanaimo bars ever! Double the icing and the filling.

I made this for my sister's sweet 16 party, for a girl who's obsessed with nanaimo bars. She liked them, but they tasted a little different. The bottom layer was almost overpowering to the top 2, which were both delicously creamy. It seemed like there were too many graham crackers, and it overtook the creaminess of the over-all nanaimo bar taste my sister loves. I'd reccommend reducing the overall amount of the bottom layer and spreading it thinner, as well as using fewer graham cracker crumbs so that flavor isn't so obvious.

Been making these for over 40 years!! My mother-in-law (Scandanavian descent) had been making them all her life. She gave me her recipe. However, we call them Chocolate Butter Creams. Whoever said these came from Canada 30 years ago, as I've seen in other websites, is sorely mistaken. Regardless, they are YUMMY!!

After reading the reviews I just had to try this receipe.  It is wonderful and it was easy to make. I had no problems. As always I did use tips left by other reviewers. I am not a great cook.  But, the women who leave reviews are terrific in leaving advice for those of us who just get by.  Thank you for the recipe and all the great advice and tips.

WOW! I made these and my dad who was raised in B.C. had a flashback. (We now live in the southwest) My friends and my husband who had never had these before said it was like a bite of heaven. Make these, you will not be disappointed. This is my cookie exchange recipe this year. EXCELLENT! Note: I used vanilla pudding in place of custard. Otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. Also, keep in the fridge and eat chilled, they are best this way. Thanks for the recipe!

I have made these every Christmas.  Growing up on Vancouver Island, they were a mainstay every Christmas. I would recomend cutting the bottom in half.  I also doubled the chocolate squares and added a 1/4 cup heavy cream to make them easier to eat.  Finally, I cooked the bottom so there was no worries about raw eggs.  Enjoy!

I cannot tell you how great this recipe is!  I made these for a bridal shower with several other desserts, and this was truly the hit of the party!  Recipe is perfect just like it is (well, ok, I added an extra square of chocolate on top!).  I'm from the Northwest, and these are just like they're supposed to be.  Not too thin, plenty of ingredients in the layers.  Taste is superb!  Now, if people only knew about these unique bars, maybe they could find this great recipe!

Fantastic!  Loved these bars.  We couldn't stop munching on them.  They come out so pretty too.

Definitely make half of the bottom layer.  I also used the instant vanilla pudding and regular milk instead of the heavy cream.  They turned out wonderful - just like the ones I had on Salt Spring Island!

My kids said this was okay. I will not make it again. I had some difficulties with the recipe. 1-First of all, the crust was not good. While making the crust the eggs curdled, even though I followed another reviewer's advice of adding a little of the chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs before adding it to the whole pot. Still didn't work. As a result the crust did not hold very well. It was very crumbly.  2- The creamy middle was basically the consistency of a thick frosting. It was way too sweet. I didn't understand the point of using custard powder as it was not 'custardy' at all.  Also spreading the creamy filling was difficult. It was very thick and kept picking up crumbs from the crust. The only reason I am giving this 3 stars is because the kids still liked the taste.

I used to live in the Pacific Northwest, I didn't even know what they were called. Forgot all about these until I saw the recipe here.  Very good. Thanks!

Great recipe! I get asked to make these all the time. Easy for my high schooler to make them too. We love them!!!

This is the BEST nanaimo bar recipe I've ever tried!  I followed it exactly (did not add the almonds) and it is AWESOME!!

Was not impressed with this one.The filling and crust were not thick enough.The chocolate layer top was way to thin,when i cut it,the top just fell apart..

Ever since I heard about Nanaimo Bars on Canadian TV shows such as Corner Gas I wondered what they were. I finally asked my sister and she said they were "food for the gods." I made them today and I have to agree with her. I cut them into small pieces and froze half. I love the creamy center and the contrast with the texture of the crust, not to mention the chocolate topping. A big YUMMY!

these were very tasty - probably the most covetted of my christmas baking this year.  i replaced the custard with mint extract and a touch of green food coloring to make them into "grasshoppers".  it was an excellent alternative.  i did have a very obvious problem cutting these though.  i let them sit in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, overnight to firm up and then cut them in the morning.  the chocolate cracked so badly that my pieces looked like mosaic tiles and the filling squished out the edges.  not sure how other reviewers managed to cut without the chocolate cracking :)

Amazing recipe!!! You must try it.  The first layer is a bit tricky because you need to cook the egg without it curdling. Besides that they are super simple and taste terrific. Great Canadian classic. Thanks!!

I saw someone selling these on another site and had never heard of them before so I has to investigate. I'm sure glad I did! This was a fantastic recipe and very easy to make, the husband loves them and I can't wait to take them to work!

Great recipe.  I doubled it and used a 9x13 pan - it was empty at the end of the day! Custard powder was hard to find.  I bought it at Meijers in the international food aisle. This is not a common dessert in Kentucky and was a welcomed change.  I'll definitely make it again.

Of the 3 recipes for this bar on this site, this is the closest to the original; almonds (I use sliced, not chopped), not pecans, with coconut and NO oatmeal. I substitute instant vanilla pudding for custard powder (1/4 c.) in my recipe, because it's not available in my area. BUT, since I thought the layer was a bit bland, I add 1 tsp. vanilla nut extract (I use Watkins brand). Delicious!

I made the bottom layer thicker and decreased the ingredients for the middle layer so it wasn't so sweet.  Awesome!

I was excited to find a recipe for Nanaimo bars.  I had them years ago when visiting Vancouver, BC.  I used unsweetened coconut rather than the sweetened coconut.  One change I would also make:  use unsweetened chocolate rather than semi sweet in the 3rd layer.  This way the chocolate flavor is there but it is not adding any more sweetness to an already sweet recipe.  I will make this again, and thank you for submitting it!

Excellent I'm an Island girl and these are perfect. I reduce the sugar from 2cups to 11/2 cups for the middle layer, just so they are not too sweet. Thanks

Excellent recipe. I used crushed digestive biscuits instead of graham cracker crumbs, as I am living in Scotland and no one here has heard of graham crackers, and it came out great. My family who emigrated from Canada many years ago loved them. One of the best Canadian desserts ever!

This is the perfect Nanaimo bar recipe. As a Canadian living in Australia it was nice to have a little piece of home! Since graham crackers don't exist here I substituted crushed arrowroot biscuits - you would never know the difference. My coworkers go crazy for these and always request them!

I got lots of compliments on this one! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I'll put less butter in the top layer next time.

a huge hit. I have been begged to make it again!

Absolutely fantastic!! As a Canadian living overseas for some time now I was so ecstatic to find this recipe.  This recipe really brought me home and was a huge hit with everyone!!

These are very sweet, and are good for killing a craving. My husband is from Canada, so I thought I would give him a taste of home. He loves them, and says that they are exactly what they should be like. Thank you for the recipe! Oh...I used chopped walnuts rather than almonds since that is what I had on hand. I plan to try some variations that have come to mind. I think you could have a lot of fun trying different flavors and colors!

I am from BC and I know how delicious Nanaimo Bars are!  In our family we DOUBLE the centre filling and use walnuts instead of almonds in the base.

We love this recipe!!  I have used orange extract and it is our favorite.  Of course mint and cherry are just as good!!! Very rich, this satisfies that sugar craving like no other!  A lot of work, cleaning up too but definitely worth the effort.

These are the best Nanaimo Bars my family has ever tasted and we love our Nanaimo Bars! Will be making these again and again!

First of all,  this was really delicious and everyone really enjoyed them.  I did run into some problems which may have been my own error.  I doubled the recipe for a 9x13 pan.  I figured this would make the bars thicker. I would make more of the filling and the chocolate topping  next time because the bottom layer was pretty thick in comparison. When I melted my chocolate with the butter,  I was very careful to use a double boiler and made sure no moisture got in the chocolate.  Still,  the butter made it sieze and the chocolate was unusable.  I tried again without the butter and it didn't sieze, but when I poured it on the cooled filling, it thickened right away. When I tried to spread it,  it drug across the melting filling and made a mess.  I think my mistake was using chocolate chips instead of bakers chocolate but I'm not sure.  If anyone has ideas,  I'd appreciate it!

The crumb base was just right although it became tough to stir at the end so I used my hands to blend in the last bit of the graham.  I used instant pudding mix for the middle layer but I found it rather lacked in taste. I think I would either add vanilla to that layer next time or use Bird's instead.  Also, I  reduced the butter in that layer but still found it too rich and heavy and I wish I'd used even less. I will also be tweaking the sweetness in this recipe by adding less of the icing sugar to the middle layer and by using a mixture of semi-sweet choclate and unsweetened chocolate for the topping. The topping was a bit tricky to spread so I'll be sure to spread so next time I'll try spreading it while it's still quite warm and over a very well chillled base.

Very good! Used only 1/3 cup of butter though in both places where 1/2 cup is called for. Definite keeper!

Loved it! i was worried about the graham cracker bits, as i'd never seen them made that way, but it came out perfect! made one and a half times the middle custard part, as that's my fave, and it was awesome :D

I have had actual Canadians who grew up eating these things say this recipe rocks. I had no problem finding the custard powder in Publix in the international food (British section). I've not tried it with pudding, but I really think the custard powder makes the dessert. However, the chocolate topping needs to be tripled (or at least doubled). The amount the recipe calls for produces a covering of, like, 1/16" thick for a 8"x 8" pan, which is no way sufficient. Use the whole bar of baking chocolate and adjust the butter accordingly.

The best I've made yet!  The other recipe I used, barely yielded enough chocolate for the top, and was sickly sweet...this is amazing and I've had to make it twice this holiday season because my family ate them all!  Excellent recipe!

These were fantastic!! i have always loved the store bought ones but everytime i had tried to make them, the bottom layer was too dry or there wasnt enough chocolate to cover the top. This recipe had the perfect amount of ingredients and it came out excellent. After stealing a piece of store bought naniamo bar christmas eve, i was shocked that it didn't even compare to mine! MMMM will defininatly make again :) 

Absolutely fantastic.  The only variation I made was not adding the top layer.  They were perfect.

Please add one more thing  at the very end of step one. "Cool in fridge for 20-30 min before adding second layer" I did not do this and the custard layer would not stick to bottom layer. It kept lifting as I tried to spread it bringing up chocolaty bits and giving the yellow layer a messy dirty look.

these were delicious, my mom had been wanting nanaimo bars fora while, I found this recipe and tried it, there were gone within a day of making them.

These were amazing!! I thought they would be difficult to make but the opposite was true.  They were really easy and they are great!! Yay!!

Rave reviews from my test subjects!
The only changes I made was to put it in a 7x11 pan, used slightly less butter in the custard layer. But must say Bird's Custard powder is a must for it to be authentic.

Thanks for posting a real winner Martha!

See how to make deliciously decadent no-bake treats.

nanaimo bars iii

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 4.5

Author : MARTHA J PAUL

Ingredients

Instructions

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