A no-bake bar, the basic recipe consists of a graham cracker crumb-based layer topped by a layer of vanilla custard, which is then topped with a thick layer of chocolate. There are numerous variations on the recipe, including mint and mocha versions.

While there are differing claims to the cookie’s origin, the earliest printed recipe using the name “Nanaimo Bars” appears in the Edith Adams Prize Cookbook (14th edition) of 1953.*

“Nanaimo bars are unbelievably rich, incredibly indulgent, and completely irresistible,” says Jesse Oleson Moore. “This version embodies the festive flavors of the holiday season. The classic bar gets a minty makeover, yielding a rich, creamy, buttery, and refreshing treat that is the kind of confection that peppermint patties hope to be when they grow up.”

Jesse adapted this recipe from the Official City of Nanaimo recipe. We make our own “technicolor” holiday version with a white chocolate top, tinted with red food color, atop the optional-green-tinted middle layer.

How can you resist? Photo © Closet Cooking, which has a different, no-mint recipe.

Ingredients For 24 Bars

Bottom Layer

 
Top Layer

Preparation

1. PREPARE the bottom layer. Melt the butter, sugar, and cocoa in the top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased, parchment-lined 8″ x 8″ pan. Let chill in the refrigerator until cool to the touch.

2. MAKE the middle layer: Thoroughly cream together butter, cream, custard powder, peppermint extract, and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until light; it should be a thick consistency, but still spreadable. If desired, stir in food coloring until completely integrated. Spread over the bottom layer, making sure that it is as flat as possible (use a metal spatula to “scrape” it into a flat top). Return to the fridge until the middle layer is completely set; alternatively, you can put the pan in the freezer so the layers will be extremely firm before adding the top layer.

3. PREPARE the top layer: Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Add the peppermint extract and stir until incorporated. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over the second layer, very gently spreading so that it covers the entire layer (you will need to do this fairly quickly so that the second layer doesn’t start to melt or meld with the top layer). Let chill in the refrigerator for at least a half-hour. Serve lightly chilled, or let come to room temperature.

4. TO SERVE: Use a sharp knife to slice the bars; keep a towel on hand to clean the knife frequently between cuts to ensure clean, good-looking bars which showcase the pretty layers.

Try this alternative recipe from ClosetCooking.com.
 
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*Edith Adams, a fictional persona like Betty Crocker, was the face of the food pages of the Vancouver Sun newspaper from 1924 to 1999. From the 1930s to 1950, the publication issued annual compilation cookbooks of recipes sent in by readers for a chance to win prize money.