Oh Canada! Classic Nanaimo Bar Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are some facts about the Nanaimo bars in Canada? ›

The Nanaimo bar (/nəˈnaɪmoʊ/ nə-NY-moh) is a bar dessert that requires no baking and is named after the Canadian city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. It consists of three layers: a wafer, nut (walnuts, almonds, or pecans), and coconut crumb base; custard icing in the middle; and a layer of chocolate ganache on top.

In the Refrigerator: Nanaimo bars will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve straight from the fridge. In the Freezer: You can also keep your Nanaimo bars in the freezer for 2-3 months in an airtight container.

But in reasonable doses (or not), Nanaimo bars are wonderfully luxurious, satisfying treats; the shredded coconut and nut counterpoint to the thick velvety texture of the icing and ganache has been winning the hearts of sweet-toothed Canadians and visitors for decades.

Nanaimo bars are a delicious combination of chocolate, vanilla, and coconut. The key ingredient is custard powder which has a vanilla flavor.

Nanaimo's most noted annual event is the "bathtub weekend" (during its Marine Festival), when "tubbers" from around the world race in motor-powered bathtubs from Nanaimo Harbour to Departure Bay. The Bastion, a HBC fort built in 1853, is the oldest preserved HBC fort in Canada.

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.

But neither Nanaimo's historical miners nor current residents have an exclusive relationship with the dessert; over the last century, similar sweets have popped up across North America, going by names like “New York slice,” “London fog bar” and “prayer bar.” Still, when it comes to branding, Nanaimo is the winner, bar ...

Newman says it can be traced back to three women in Nanaimo after the Second World War. Originally — and uncreatively — called chocolate slices, Newman says the "dainties" popped up around 1952, in, no surprise here, Nanaimo.

After that, the Nanaimo bar began to be sold on BC Ferries and spread in popularity across Canada. It can now be found in Costco, Starbucks and countless cafes in Canada and the United States. A variation known as “prayer bars” is also popular in the American Midwest.

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 ...

Why does it smell in Nanaimo? ›

Every year around March, herring spawn off the shores near French Creek. Roe wash up on nearby beaches and decompose into the summer. The decomposing eggs release hydrogen sulphide and winds can carry the odors towards the highway and FCPCC.

Butter Tart Recipe

Among the most beloved dessert recipes is butter tarts, a Canadian treat featuring a gooey, sweet filling encased in a flaky pastry crust. Served warm so the filling melts in your mouth, this treat is perfect for those with a sweet tooth.

The Nanaimo bar is a tremendously sweet, no-bake layered bar cookie from Canada made almost exclusively of packaged ingredients. The buttercream layer gets its yellow hue from custard powder, a vital ingredient that makes this a true Nanaimo bar.

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. The first Europeans known to reach Nanaimo Harbour were members of the 1791 Spanish voyage of Juan Carrasco, under the command of Francisco de Eliza.

A B.C. baker's "ultimate" Nanaimo bars

It was first deemed the Nanaimo bar by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams in 1953 when she wrote that the dessert came from Nanaimo. This is important to note, Newman says, because other places such as Mississauga and England have tried to claim it as their own.

The first known recipe for Nanaimo bars appeared in the 1952 Women's Auxiliary of the Nanaimo Hospital Cookbook and was labelled “chocolate square.” One year later, a similar recipe was published in Vancouver's Edith Adams' Cookbook, this time going by the name “Nanaimo Bar.” These are the bar's earliest known ...

In 1860, the town was renamed Nanaimo (derived from Snuneymuxw) and in 1862, the Hudson's Bay Company sold their mine interests and the town to the Vancouver Coal Mining and Land Company, a British-owned conglomerate.

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.