WHAT ARE NANAIMO BARS?
Our no-bake Keto Nanaimo Bars are three layers of heavenly decadence. The base layer is a mixture of almond crumbs, chopped nuts, and shredded coconut, coated in melted butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla. A middle layer of creamy vanilla custard is topped with a dark chocolate and butter melt. They are truly the perfect balance between texture and sweetness. We believe these bars are one of our best keto/low carb desserts we’ve made!
My sister, Kathy, has been the custodian of our family Nanaimo (pronounced nuh-NYE-mo) bar recipe. We’d almost forgotten about these spectacular bars over the years, and rediscovered her recipe in our family cookbook. She’s been making these no-bake bars for as along as we can remember, bringing them to family gatherings and watching them disappear in minutes.
These bars originated in the Canadian city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It’s believed the base layer was created in the 1950’s among housewives all around the British Empire, and the women of Nanaimo added the middle and top layers. The town was both a coal mining center and timber town, and these bars were packed into lunchboxes for a tasty sweet treat.
We compared her recipe to tens of others and found one big difference: Kathy adds 3 ounces of cream cheese into the middle layer. We tried it with and without, and hands down, the cream cheese addition wins for both flavor and texture.
HOW WE TURNED NANAIMO BARS KETO/LOW CARB
The remainder of the recipe needed adjustments. A typical Nanaimo bar is loaded with carbs, so we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on substitutions. Traditionally, these bars use loads of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, custard powder, and sweetened shredded coconut. We substituted the graham cracker crumbs for almond crumbs, the sugars for both granulated and confectioners sugar substitutes, the vanilla custard powder for sugar free instant vanilla pudding, and used no added sugar shredded coconut.
HOW TO MAKE KETO NANAIMO BARS
Typically, ketoizing a dessert recipe takes us several tries. Not this time. Since it’s a no-bake refrigerator bar, it’s basically foolproof! At first glance, the ingredient list may look a bit long, but stay with us here: It’s truly easy to prepare! We promise. Start by melting together butter, sugar substitute, cocoa powder and vanilla, and whisk in a beaten egg until the mixture thickens. You can use a double boiler or heavy bottom saucepan on low heat for this. Then add in the remainder – almond crumbs, no-added sweeteners coconut, and chopped nuts. We used pecans, but walnuts and almonds are also perfect. Toss until all ingredients are coated, then press firmly into the bottom of an 8×8 or 9×9 square baking pan that’s been prepped with butter and parchment paper. Place it in the fridge as you want this layer to chill before adding on the next.
For the middle layer, beat together the butter, sugar free vanilla instant dry pudding mix (we use Jell-O brand), cream cheese, and heavy cream until smooth. Then beat in the confectioners sugar replacement, one cup at a time, along with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Spread this layer over the chilled bottom layer and place in the freezer while you’re making the top chocolate layer. This prevents the chocolate melting into the custard layer.
We make our own double boiler with a saucepan that’s about 1/3 to 1/2 filled with water and heat over medium until the water starts to simmer. Place a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly over the top of the saucepan, but without coming in contact with the water. Chop the dark chocolate with a heavy knife into small pieces and add to the top of the double boiler along with the butter. Melt until smooth and shiny. Remove from heat for a few minutes before evenly spreading on top of the second layer.
TIP:
We recommend refrigerating these bars for a solid 2-3 hours before enjoying. Before cutting into squares, remove from the refrigerator for 15 minutes so chocolate layer softens a bit, making the cuts easier to perform.
Keto Nanaimo Bars
Equipment
- 8x8 or 9x9 Baking Pan
- Double Boiler
- Heavy Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- BOTTOM LAYER
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar replacement truvia Sweet Complete, Swerve Granular, etc
- 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1¾ cups almond crumbs
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans walnuts or almonds
- MIDDLE LAYER
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 tbsp sugar free instant vanilla pudding mix (dry) we use Jell-O brand
- 2 cups confectioners sugar replacement truvia, Swerve
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- TOP LAYER
- 4 oz 78% cocoa dark chocolate Lindt Excellence
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 square baking pan (or 9x9) with parchment paper, leaving a few inches hanging over the sides for easy removal. Butter parchment paper.
- In a heavy saucepan or in the top of double boiler, melt the butter over low heat. Add granulated sugar replacement, cocoa, and vanilla extract. Continue over lowest heat on stovetop or double boiler while whisking until ingredients are smooth. Slowly add beaten egg and whisk or stir until mixture thickens into custard-like consistency.
- Remove from heat. Stir in almond crumbs, coconut, and pecans until coated. Press firmly and evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Place in refrigerator to cool.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, unsweetened instant vanilla pudding mix (dry), and heavy cream until smooth, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla (optional). Add confectioners in one cup increments, beating well after each addition until velvety-smooth. Spread evenly on top of chilled bottom layer and place in freezer while making top layer.
- Using a double boiler, melt chocolate pieces and butter, whisking until smooth. (DIY by half filling a saucepan with water and heat until water begins to simmer. Place a metal or glass bowl over the rim of saucepan without the bottom touching the water.) Let chocolate mixture cool on countertop for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove pan from freezer and pour chocolate on top of second layer, smoothing out with icing knife or back of spoon. Refrigerate until chocolate is completely set, about 2-3 hours. Using parchment paper tabs, remove from pan and set on cutting board for 15 minutes to soften chocolate layer. Score the top with sharp knife, then cut into 25 squares.
Wish there was a substitute for diary. I am sensitive to dairy and haven’t found a good cream cheese substitute that holds up to baking or taste.
Hi, Charles! I’m sorry to hear about your sensitivity to dairy. Unfortunately I haven’t found a great substitute, either. If I run across one, I’ll be sure to put it up on my social media.
Is the top chocolate layer bitter unsweetened chocolate? Nanamo bars are one of my favorite treats. Looking forward to making these.
Hi, Julie! I use Lindt Excellence 78% cocoa. They’re one of my favorite treats, too. Let me know how they turn out and thank you!
Love love love these
Hi, Kathy!m Me too!
I will be trying your recipe as Nanaimo bars are my favorit. But I do have to say that walnuts are the better choice over pecans because their bitterness is a great touch to the super sweetness of this treat.
Hi, Karen! I think you’re going to love the Nanaimo bars. Walnuts will work great in this recipe of course. Let us know how they turn out!
Have you tried making cashew cream cheese as a substitute?
I have not tried cashew cream cheese. If you have a recipe you’d like to share we’d love to see it! Thank you!
LOVE THESE
Thank you! Keto Nanaimo Bars are a hit even with non-keto relatives!
Hi,
What are almond crumbs?
Thank you,
EWay
Hi, Eileen! We make almond crumbs by using whole almonds (we buy in bulk) and pulsing them in a food processor until they reach the crumb stage. They’re much less expensive and taste so fresh!
Amazing. I can’t believe they are keto.
Thank you, Karen! That was the idea, and so glad you love.
Thanks for posting these, Joan. I know I’ll enjoy them more now because they have been keto-ized by the best!
BYT, I’m always so impressed with this website. Proud of you, little sister!
Aww, thank you, Kathy! They were inspired by you.
All I can say is heavenly tasting, thank you so much for sharing the recipe, they even taste better than the real deal
Thank you so much for your comments, Anne-Marie. It’s great to hear you find our Nanaimo Bars “heavenly!” Thanks to you for following our site.
I made this recipe today and the bars taste SO good! Even better than I could have imagined! I have been eating Keto for almost five months, and the only thing that saves me is people like you creating recipes like this. Thank you!
Hi, Sheri! They remind us of our childhood (we were raised in Michigan) but even better because the carb load is so low! Whenever I make Keto Nanaimo Bars they last 2 days, tops. The chocolate covered peanut butter fudge is another great dessert or snack that’s easy to make. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Much appreciate!
Nanaimo bars are my fave treat, and although keto will never taste like the real thing, but these are phenomenal!! I used unsweetened bakers Choc and a little swerve instars on the Lindt on the topping and it was great 🙂 Thank you sooooo much for this fantastic recipe!!
Hi, Tracy! Thanks for using the word, “phenomenal,” when describing our keto version of Nanaimo bars! They bring back fond childhood memories. Great idea to replace the Lindt chocolate for the unsweetened bakers and a little Swerve! Making these for New Year’s Eve. Thank you for following us, too, and we hope you have a joyful holiday season.
The recipe sounds great but before I make these, what is the diffference between almond crumbs and finely chopped almonds (the alternative for pecans or walnuts)
Hi, Jan! A great question. We make almond crumbs in a food processor using whole almonds until they reach a “crumb” stage – super fine but not a flour. For finely chopped nuts – a little larger in size – we use a manual nut chopper (Progressive brand name from Amazon). It has a crank with 2 directions – fine or coarse – but any manual nut chopper can do the job! We hope you love the Nanaimo Bars!
I haven’t tried these yet, but I have a question. I see the pudding referred to as “unsweetened” and then “sugar-free.” What brand do you use, and is it actually unsweetened, or does it use a sugar alternative? Thank you!
Hi, Karen, and thank you for your question. I will clear up any ambiguity on the recipe, and appreciate you letting me know. We use Jello-O Sugar Free Instant Pudding and Pie Mix as our go-to brand. Instead of using sugar as a sweetener, it uses two FDA approved non-caloric sweeteners, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium in very small amounts. Again, thank you for a great question, and I hope you enjoy our Nanaimo bars.
Just heard about the Canadian version this morning…elated to find them Keto which is awesome—and yes I’m still salivating!! But is there enough heat to cook the egg, I worry.
My food scientist husband said the egg is cooked long enough to bring the egg to a safe temperature. If in doubt, we clear everything with him!