Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (2024)

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (1)

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Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (2)

Naniamo Bars are a Canadian classic that I'm happy to promote. They have a soft not overly sweet chocolate base that's made with cocoa powder, shredded coconut and chopped nuts (usually walnuts or almonds but pecans also work well!)

They then have a creamy filling made typically using a pudding mix of some sort or custard powder (we'll talk a bit more about that below). Finally they are topped off with a thin layer of melted chocolate. Pop them in the fridge, (no baking required) and then you have some beautiful looking bars that everyone will love!

I brought these to a birthday party last week and most people that tried this recipe actually thought they were just regular Nanaimo bars. They were a huge hit! So definitely give them a try if you know some picky family members/friends.

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (3)

Ingredients InLow Carb Nanaimo Bars

  • Almond Flour– I use the Kirkland Costco brand of almond flour (I buy it in bulk on Amazon or at Costco itself occasionally) for this recipe. As I’ve noted in many of my past recipes, the brand of almond flour can affect the final outcome of the recipe because absorbency can vary depending on how the flour has been processed.
  • Cocoa Powder – I use the Rodelle brand again from Costco. I find it to taste better than other brands!
  • Powdered Monkfruit Erythritol Sweetener – I use the SoNourished brand for bothgranularandpowdered sweetener and love it! The powdered is the best option for no-bake goods and desserts where you want a very smooth final product like this one.
  • Custard Powder – I know I'll get a few questions about this one so let me explain, custard powder DOES contain cornstarch which has ~9g of carbs per tablespoon. We are using 2 tbsp for this Low Carb Nanaimo bar Recipe which is 18g of carbs BUT this is divided by 24 bars only adding 0.75g of carbs to each bar! This is very small and for most individuals on a ketogenic diet, this is completely fine as long as you track the low carb nanaimo bars into your daily carb limit like anything else. BUT if you are very strict keto, you can try a pastry cream like the one I used for my Keto Boston Cream Donuts. You may need to double the filling from that recipe, also note that it's a little softer than a filling made with custard powder. FINALLY if you also don't want to use that pastry cream, you can make my Keto Cheesecake Nanaimo Bars that replace a traditional pastry cream filling with a cheesecake filling (they are also delicious and were a hit when I brought them to a Christmas party!)

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (4)

Tools I used To Make This Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe

  • Low Carb Substitution Guide– This is totally optional but if you like my recipes, I now have a $5 guide available with all of the substitutions I use to create every recipe on my site. You can use this to convert old traditional recipes and create new keto recipes! You can purchase it here and/or read more if you are interested. 🙂 I appreciate your support so much guys!
  • Nutritional Food Scale– AKA my best friend. This little buddy has been with me for over 4 years and never fails. Perfect measurements and only needs the batteries replaced maybe once a year!
  • 11×7 Inch Pan – This is a more unconventional size of pan but it works really great for this recipe. If you don't have one then you can use and 8×8 inch pan, just know the bars will be a little bit thicker than the ones in the photos!

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (5)

Tips For Making Low Carb Nanaimo Bars

  • When spreading your filling, do your best to evenly cover the entire base of the bars for the best final result.
  • Make sure BEFORE you spread your final chocolate layer that your bars have completely hardened in the fridge to prevent mixing of the two layers.
  • Feel free to add different chopped nuts to the base of these bars! Walnuts are just a common choice.
  • When cutting these squares, use a large, sharp knife. Have a cup or bowl of very hot water beside you that you can dip the knife in and a paper towel to wipe it off after. Using a hot knife will prevent the chocolate topping from cracking much as the knife will just melt through that layer. We used to do this when I worked at a French bakery slicing giant Nanaimo bars every day!

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (6)

Serves: 24 bars (16 thicker bars if you make these in an 8×8 inch pan)

Ingredients:

Crust

Custard Layer

Chocolate Topping

Directions:

Crust

  1. In a bowl, combine your almond flour, coconut, walnuts and salt. Set aside.Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (7)
  2. In a double boiler (or a smaller pot that sits decently inside a large one partially filled with water) add your butter and turn the heat to medium.
  3. Whisk as needed until the butter is almost melted, next add your cocoa powder and sweetener and whisk well until combined.
  4. Then to add your egg, just whisk tiny bits of the hot cocoa/butter mixture into the egg ITSELF in a separate little bowl, whisking constantly and adding more every now and then until the egg is mixed with about 1/4 of the total mixture. Now you can add your egg mixture to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to become thick. (Doing this process just helps the egg from cooking and turning into scrambled eggs immediately when it hits the hot liquid).Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (8)
  5. Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat and add it to your dry ingredients from earlier. Stir well until everything is combined. You may find using your hands here helps. Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (9)
  6. Press the chocolate dough into the bottom of an un-greased 11×7 inch pan (or 8x8inch pan). Try your best to make it as flat and even as possible. Set aside. Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (10)

Custard Layer

  1. In a bowl, beat together your softened butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy (~1min).
  2. Add your sweetener and beat again until the mixture is well combinedLow Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (11)
  3. Spread your custard layer as evenly as possible over your crust then refrigerate for ~2 hours or until fully hardened.Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (12)

Chocolate Topping

  1. To make your chocolate topping, addyour chocolate and butter to a bowl and microwave for 30s at a time, stirring in-between until smooth. Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (13)
  2. Spread the chocolate over the custard layer, smoothing it out to be as even as possible. Then refrigerate again for at least 45min-1 hour.
  3. Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (14)
  4. Now you can slice your squares using the knife method I mentioned in the tips of this post! Serve the Nanaimo Bars chilled and store the leftovers in an airtight container between layers of wax or parchment paper in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (15) Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (16)

Nutrition For 1/24th of recipe (1 bar): 199 calories | 19g fat | 4.4 NET carbs | 3.4g protein

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links

Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (18)

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Delicious low carb nanaimo bars that are a huge hit at any social gathering!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: nanaimo bars

Servings: 24 bars

Calories: 199kcal

Ingredients

Crust

Custard Layer

Chocolate Topping

Instructions

Crust

  • In a bowl, combine your almond flour, coconut, walnuts and salt. Set aside.

  • In a double boiler (or a smaller pot that sits decently inside a large one partially filled with water) add your butter and turn the heat to medium.

  • Whisk as needed until the butter is almost melted, next add your cocoa powder and sweetener and whisk well until combined.

  • Then to add your egg, just whisk tiny bits of the hot cocoa/butter mixture into the egg ITSELF in a separate little bowl, whisking constantly and adding more every now and then until the egg is mixed with about 1/4 of the total mixture. Now you can add your egg mixture to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to become thick. (Doing this process just helps the egg from cooking and turning into scrambled eggs immediately when it hits the hot liquid).

  • Once the mixture has thickened, remove it from the heat and add it to your dry ingredients from earlier. Stir well until everything is combined. You may find using your hands here helps.

  • Press the chocolate dough into the bottom of an un-greased 11x7 inch pan (or 8x8inch pan). Try your best to make it as flat and even as possible. Set aside.

Custard Layer

  • In a bowl, beat together your softened butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy (~1min).

  • Add your sweetener and beat again until the mixture is well combined

  • Spread your custard layer as evenly as possible over your crust then refrigerate for ~2 hours or until fully hardened.

Chocolate Topping

  • To make your chocolate topping, addyour chocolate and butter to a bowl and microwave for 30s at a time, stirring in-between until smooth.

  • Spread the chocolate over the custard layer, smoothing it out to be as even as possible. Then refrigerate again for at least 45min-1 hour.

  • Now you can slice your squares using the knife method I mentioned in the tips of this post! Serve the Nanaimo Bars chilled and store the leftovers in an airtight container between layers of wax or parchment paper in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!

Notes

  • When spreading your filling, do your best to evenly cover the entire base of the bars for the best final result.
  • Make sure BEFORE you spread your final chocolate layer that your bars have completely hardened in the fridge to prevent mixing of the two layers.
  • Feel free to add different chopped nuts to the base of these bars! Walnuts are just a common choice.
  • When cutting these squares, use a large, sharp knife. Have a cup or bowl of very hot water beside you that you can dip the knife in and a paper towel to wipe it off after. Using a hot knife will prevent the chocolate topping from cracking much as the knife will just melt through that layer. We used to do this when I worked at a French bakery slicing giant Nanaimo bars every day!

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Fiber: 3.8g | Calories: 199kcal | Fat: 19g | Protein: 3.4g | Carbohydrates: 4.4g

Other Similar Recipes You May Like:

Keto Nanaimo Cheesecake Squares

Keto Cheesecake Brownies

Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares

Keto Strawberry Shortcake← Read Last PostHow Do You Calculate Keto Macros?Read Next Post →
Low Carb Nanaimo Bars Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much sugar is in a Nanaimo bar? ›

M & M Meat Shops
Nutrition Facts
How much sugar is in Nanaimo Bars? Amount of sugar in Nanaimo Bars: Sugar 21g-
How much fiber is in Nanaimo Bars? Amount of fiber in Nanaimo Bars: Fiber 2g8%
How much protein is in Nanaimo Bars? Amount of protein in Nanaimo Bars: Protein 1g
Vitamins and minerals
16 more rows

Can you refreeze M&M Nanaimo bars? ›

Transfer cut pieces onto dessert dish or platter and allow to thaw thoroughly before serving. Wrap and return unused portions to freezer while still frozen.

Do Nanaimo bars need to be refrigerated? ›

To Store: The bars will last about a week and a half in the fridge in a sealed container. The filling softens at room temperature so they're best chilled. To Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months - Nanaimo bars freeze perfectly!

How many carbs in a Nanaimo bar? ›

Nanaimo bars (1 square - 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 1") contains 40.8g total carbs, 39.1g net carbs, 18.4g fat, 2.5g protein, and 323 calories.

What are Nanaimo bars called in the USA? ›

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 ...

Can Nanaimo bars go bad? ›

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.

Why does refrozen ice cream taste different? ›

Well, ice cream would taste much different without air, as the structure of a substance impacts how we taste things. Melted and refrozen ice cream tastes quite different than fresh ice cream. This is because the air escaped before refreezing and the ingredients are now more concentrated together.

What does refrozen ice cream taste like? ›

The only experience you have of them on your tongue is the cold, as their texture is enveloped in the creaminess of the confection. Once ice cream is refrozen, however, much larger ice crystals are formed causing it to seem grainy and less delicious than it once was.

Why are Nanaimo bars so good? ›

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.

Are Nanaimo bars a Canadian thing? ›

The Nanaimo bar. It's a sweet treat made from chocolate, custard, coconut and walnuts. Love it or hate it, it's uniquely British Columbian.

Why are Nanaimo bars popular in Canada? ›

In 1985, Mayor Graeme Roberts initiated a contest to find the ultimate Nanaimo bar recipe. The recipe submitted by Joyce Hardcastle, a resident of Nanaimo, was unanimously selected by a panel of judges. The Nanaimo bar was popularized nationwide after being highlighted as a classic Canadian dessert at Expo 86.

Which chocolate bars have the most sugar? ›

White chocolate tends to have the highest sugar content, with an average-sized bar (around 45g) containing roughly 27 grams of sugar. This equates to approximately 60 grams of sugar per 100 grams.

How much sugar is too much in a bar? ›

Sugar. Aim for no more than 6-8 grams of sugar per bar.

What is the average amount of sugar in a candy bar? ›

A typical full-sized candy bar can contain up to 40 grams of sugar! This is problematic because several studies have shown that excess sugar in the diet contributes to increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, increased triglycerides, weight gain and malnutrition.

How much sugar is in a bar one? ›

Bar-One
Typical ValuesPer 100gbar (55g)
Sugars65.5g36g
Dietary Fiber1.3g0.7g
Protein4.5g2.5g
Sodium0.3g0.1g
6 more rows
Aug 17, 2020

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