These healthy nanaimo bars are made with whole foods, minimal sugar and no custard powder or dairy, making them a guilt-free Canadian Christmas treat!
When I set out to make a healthier version of the nanaimo bar, my husband was VERY skeptical.
You see, he grew up eating his mom's nanaimo bars at Christmas (they are very delicious) and didn't think it was possible to make a healthy version nearly as good.
Well, he'll still admit his mom's are the best, but he really enjoys the much healthier ones I came up with! Especially because they don't have ingredients that his body reacts badly to.
They're crunchy, they're creamy, they're chocolatey... what's not to love about that kind of no bake dessert bar!?
What are Nanaimo Bars?
Nanaimo bars are a 3-layer, no-bake dessert consisting of a crunchy, chocolatey base layer, a creamy custardy filling in the middle and a smooth chocolate ganache on top.
Where Do Nanaimo Bars Come From?
Nanaimo bars are named after Nanaimo, a city on Vancouver Island in Canada.
It's believed that the concept for the bottom layer of the dessert was a staple in households in the 1950s and that some ladies in Nanaimo, British Columbia were the first to add the creamy custard filling and chocolate top layer. In fact, bird's custard powder, which is most commonly used in the buttercream layer in traditional recipes for nanaimo bars, was invented waaaaay before that in 1837!
The first record of a nanaimo bar recipe was from the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook in 1952, although the recipe was called "Chocolate Squares".
The no bake bars were popularized worldwide after being highlighted at Expo 86, a world's fair held in Vancouver, BC in 1986. A world's fair is an event meant to showcase the achievements of nations around the world, and the nanaimo bar was presented as a classic Canadian treat.
Are Nanaimo Bars Healthy?
Normally, nanaimo bars are made with a lot of refined sugar, graham cracker crumbs (refined flour and sugar), and dairy (heavy cream and butter - which is fine if you can handle it, but some of us can't!
Regular nanaimo bars also use custad powder, which contains a lot of cornstarch. Cornstarch is a refined carb and most corn these days is GMO.
This version of the popular no bake treat is made with better ingredients that can be easily found at most grocery stores!
Brown crispy rice cereal - I chose this ingredient as a substitute for the graham crackers because it is a whole grain cereal and I found a brand with very simple, real ingredients. It adds the crunch that is so necessary for the chocolate coconut base. Brown rice is high in many vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and many more!
Cashews - The base for the creamy middle layer. Cashews are a great source of healthy fats, protein and fibre, as well as magnesium, copper, and manganese. Full of antioxidants, cashews may reduce inflammation, resulting in a lowered risk for many diseases. Soak your cashews the night before for maximum nutrition!
Coconut milk - Coconut milk is high in good fats and many vitamins and minerals, including folate, iron, selenium, copper, and manganese. It may reduce inflammation, improve heart health, and fight viruses! Make sure you use a high quality, full-fat coconut milk.
Dark chocolate - Dark chocolate is the healthiest type of chocolate, as it has minimal sugar and is higher in cocoa. Cocoa is rich in polyphenols, which are antioxidants also found in some fruits and vegetables! These polyphenols can decrease inflammation in the body, decrease blood pressure, boost heart health and increase blood flow to the brain.
Sweeteners - In this recipe, I use both coconut sugar and maple syrup, two of my favorite natural sweeteners. Both have small amounts of vitamins and minerals. They are still sugar, so I use as little as possible to still achieve a tasty treat.
Other - There are small amounts of other healthy ingredients in this recipe, including chia or flax, coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, pure vanilla and sea salt.
How Much Sugar is in a Nanaimo Bar?
If a 9x9 pan of classic nanaimo bars is cut into 18 bars, one will contain approximately 23 grams of sugar. Did you know our bodies can only handle 28 grams of added sugar per day?
A bar of the same size from this recipe contains approximately 9 GRAMS OF SUGAR! That's â…“ of the sugar in a traditional recipe. Yes please.
Are Nanaimo Bars Vegan?
Normally they are full of dairy, but these are vegan nanaimo bars, as long as you use vegan dark chocolate.
How to Cut Nanaimo Bars without Cracking them
Using the coconut milk in the ganache makes the top layer softer, so don't use 100% chocolate.
Remove the frozen nanaimo bars from the pan and place on a cutting board. Chose a sharp knife that is long enough to go from one end of the bars to the other.
Heat the knife by sitting it in a jar of hot water (just from the tap) for about 1 minute. Remove it and carefully dry off the water with a dish towel. Make your cuts, pressing down through the whole height of the bar at once and reheat the knife as you go, if needed.
Don't let the bars thaw too much, or the custard layer will become very soft and squish out when you cut the bars. I learned the hard way the first time!
Healthy Nanaimo Bar Variations
- Unsalted butter in place of the coconut oil.
- Any granulated sweetener in the crust. I recommend unrefined cane sugar if you don't have coconut sugar.
- Any liquid sweetener in the filling. I recommend honey or date syrup since they are natural options. This substitution will affect the flavor only slightly.
- Heavy cream or coconut cream instead of coconut milk in the chocolate layer.
- Semi-sweet chocolate in place of dark chocolate.
Tools You May Need
Double boiler (or a small saucepan and glass bowl or candy pot)
High speed blender (I love this one and use it regularly!)
How to Make Healthy Nanaimo Bars
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 tablespoon ground chia or flax + 3 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon dark chocolate
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar (or another granulated sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- ½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Filling
- 1½ cups cashews
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 pinches turmeric (optional, for color)
Ganache
- 1 cup (heaping) dark chocolate chips or chunks
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
Instructions:
Crust
Prepare a 9x9 square baking dish by greasing or lining it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together chia or flax with water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This is called a chia or flax egg.
Partially crush the cereal using a food processor or blender. Alternatively, you can place the cereal in a sturdy ziploc bag and crush it with a rolling pin. You still want some of the rice crispies intact.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a pot over low heat or in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in chia egg, coconut sugar, vanilla, cereal, coconut and walnuts.
Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Filling
Soak cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 30 minutes.
Strain and add to a high-speed blender, along with coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and turmeric (if using).
Blend until smooth, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape down the sides.
Pour over crust, smooth flat and freezer for 1 hour before preparing chocolate ganache.
Ganache
Chop the chocolate into small pieces if it's in large chunks or chips. This will help it melt faster.
Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat coconut milk in a double boiler (or over very low heat) until it just begins to bubble at the edges. Pour milk over the chocolate and do not stir. Place a lid or plate over the bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
Stir the ganache until it's combined and smooth, then spread over the filling layer. Freeze for 2 hours before cutting.
It's easiest to remove the bars from the pan when frozen and cut with a long, warm knife.
How to Store Healthy Nanaimo Bars
Store in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Remove the bars from the freezer just minutes before serving.
Don't store nanaimo bars in the fridge or at room temperature, or they will become too soft.
Did you try this recipe? If so, I would really appreciate a 5-star rating and your comments below! Thanks!
More Christmas Desserts
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- GRANDMA'S GERMAN GINGERBREAD COOKIES
- EGGLESS PUMPKIN PIE
- DARK CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUTS
- MAPLE NO BAKE COOKIES
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Nanaimo Bars
Yield: 9x9 pan
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
These healthy nanaimo bars are made with whole foods, minimal sugar and no custard powder or dairy, making them a guilt-free Canadian Christmas treat!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 tablespoon ground chia or flax + 3 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon dark chocolate
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar (or another granulated sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
- ½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Filling
- 1½ cups cashews
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 pinches turmeric (optional, for color)
Ganache
- 1 cup (heaping) dark chocolate chips or chunks
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
Crust
- Prepare a 9x9 square baking dish by greasing or lining it with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chia or flax with water and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This is called a chia or flax egg.
- Partially crush the cereal using a food processor or blender. Alternatively, you can place the cereal in a sturdy ziploc bag and crush it with a rolling pin. You still want some of the rice crispies intact.
- Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a pot over low heat or in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in chia egg, coconut sugar, vanilla, cereal, coconut and walnuts.
- Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Filling
- Soak cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 30 minutes.
- Strain and add to a high-speed blender, along with coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and turmeric (if using).
- Blend until smooth, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape down the sides.
- Pour over crust, smooth flat and freezer for 1 hour before preparing chocolate ganache.
Ganache
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces if it's in large chunks or chips. This will help it melt faster.
- Place chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat coconut milk in a double boiler (or over very low heat) until it just begins to bubble at the edges. Pour milk over the chocolate and do not stir. Place a lid or plate over the bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir the ganache until it's combined and smooth, then spread over the filling layer. Freeze for 2 hours before cutting.
- It's easiest to remove the bars from the pan when frozen and cut with a long, warm knife.
Notes
Store in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Remove the bars from the freezer just minutes before serving.
Don't store nanaimo bars in the fridge or at room temperature, or they will become too soft.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 261Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
This nutrient calculation is done by an automated calculator and may not be accurate.
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