Salted Nanaimo Bars

When I was ten years old, my best friend moved away to Vancouver Island. I was so sad. We had been inseparable for years.

She lived just a couple of blocks away, and we would ride our bikes to and from one another’s houses, taking turns where we had sleepovers every weekend. We would bake together, go and catch tadpoles, rent movies and generally eat way too much candy…

She was my favourite person; the person I felt I could be myself around. The kind of person who I could be my incredibly weird, goofy, immature self around.

So when her family moved a two hour ferry ride away, it felt like we would never see each other again. But funnily enough, my big brother Jesse was also best friends with my dear friends older brother, and they were just as sad to be separated as we were.

Our parents knew how much we would miss each other, so they did everything they could to make sure we visited them as much as possible.

We would travel over to the island, or they would come back to the mainland any chance we got. Whether it was for a few days during Christmas vacation, Spring Break, long weekends or during the summer, we managed to see each other at least 3-4 times a year.

So what does all this have to do with Nanaimo Bars? Well, every ferry ride my brother and I took together, the first thing we would do before even sitting down was get in the cafeteria line up, and secure ourselves a couple of Nanaimo Bars for the ride.

It’s such a funny thing, but it became something of a tradition for us. We both loved these Canadian treats, but it was never something we actually had at home. My mom never made homemade, nor did she buy Nanaimo bars. So it always felt like an extra special treat when we would dig into our bars on the ride over – both of us amped up on the excitement of seeing our best friends.

Because we loved them so much, one Christmas I decided to make a homemade batch for us, and my brother and I were hooked. It’s been years since my first homemade batch and now they are a tradition around these parts during the holidays. It’s the kind of recipe that comes but once a year, but that’s what makes them so special.

Both Jesse and I agree that my homemade recipe is better than what we were used to on the Ferry, but there will always be a special place in our hearts for those cafeteria bars. To this day when I step on a Ferry, I have this uncontrollable impulse to get a Nanaimo Bar. I think I always will…

But since I can’t always wait for the next Ferry ride, this homemade recipe will do the trick just beautifully.

I hope you enjoy.

-KP

Salted Nanaimo Bars

MAKES 1 x 9x 12 pan | 18 Bars

Things you need…

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup sweetened coconut
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp milk + more if needed
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 tbsp custard powder

Chocolate Topping
6 oz Dark Chocolate, melted
4 oz milk chocolate
4 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp Flaked sea salt

How to make…

Crust
Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×12 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, brown sugar, cocoa powder and walnuts; whisk to combine. Pour melted butter and beaten egg over top and mix until crumbly and combined.

Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely to room temperature.

Filling
Once your crust has cooled, prepare your filling.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat on low until smooth. Add custard powder, 3 tbsp of milk, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and beat on low until smooth. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes until fluffy. Your filling should be stiff, but if it seems too stiff to beat fluffy, add additional milk 1-2 tsp if necessary.

Spread filling over top of the cooled crust. Use an offset spatula to spread all the way to the outer edges of the pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set in the fridge while you prepare your chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping
In saucepan over low heat melt together coconut oil and chocolate until smooth. Immediately remove from heat, and pour over top of the custard filling. Use an offset spatula to spread the melted chocolate to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the flaked sea salt and place the pan in the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes, or cover and allow to sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Once you are ready to serve, remove the pan 10 minutes before you want to slice, and use a sharp knife to cut into 18 equal bars.

Enjoy!