Coffee Nanaimo Bars

⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe

Texture - The slightly crunchy crust goes well with the creamy custard buttercream filling and chocolate on top.

Flavor - Chocolate and coconut come together in the buttery crust followed by the creamy coffee custard and smooth chocolate topping.

Serving - Nanaimo bars are a classic dessert to serve at Christmastime. These would be a great addition to a treat platter.

🧈 Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed to make these coffee flavored Nanaimo Bars.

Ingredient Notes

Graham Cracker Crumbs - You can use either pre-crushed Graham cracker crumbs or crush your own.

Salted Butter - The salt in salted butter is important for flavor development but you could use unsalted butter with ¼ teaspoon added to each ½ cup of butter.

Coconut - Unsweetened, desicated coconut is best for these bars but you could use shredded coconut if you prefer the larger texture. The bars are easier to slice with finer coconut inside.

Custard Powder - You can find custard powder in some grocery stores in Canada but if you cannot find it in-store, you could buy it online. Amazon sells Bird's Custard Powder.

See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.

📃 Instructions

Chocolate and butter melted together in a glass measuring cup.

Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each increment or in a pot on the stove until smooth.

Crust ingredients combined in a glass bowl.

Step 2: Stir into into the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar.

Crust pressed into the bottom of a square pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 3: Press the crust firmly into the bottom of a baking pan that has been greased or lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate while you making the other layers.

Instant coffee dissolved in a small amount of water.

Step 4: Dissolve the instant coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of hot water.

Coffee buttercream filling creamed together in a glass bowl.

Step 5: Cream together the softened butter, custard powder, powdered sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee mixture until smooth. Add

Coffee layer spread over the crust in the pan.

Step 6: Gently spread evenly over the crust being careful not to pull up the crust. Refrigerate while making the top layer.

Chocolate chips and butter in a glass measuring cup.

Step 7: Gently melt the chocolate and butter together in 20-second increments in the microwave stirring between each increment or in a double-boiler on the stovetop until fully melted and smooth.

Melted chocolate mixture spread over the bars.

Step 8: Let the melted chocolate cool slightly before gently spreading over the chilled coffee layer.

Chill for at least 2 hours before lifting out of the pan to slice into bars. For clean edged bars, wipe the knife off in a paper towel between each cut.

❓ Recipe FAQs

Can I make Nanaimo Bars without coconut?

Yes. You can definitely leave out the shredded coconut in the crust if you aren't a fan of the flavor or texture. Simply replace it with the same amount of extra graham cracker crumbs. However, the coconut in this recipe does help it taste more like a traditional Nanaimo Bar and is important if you want the full taste and texture experience.

What can I use instead of custard powder to make Nanaimo bars?

Bird's Custard Powder is a pretty common baking ingredient (here in Canada at least) made from mostly cornstarch and some yellow coloring. Because custard powder is mostly cornstarch, you can substitute the same amount of cornstarch in place of the custard powder in this recipe if you do not have or cannot find it.

Can I make Nanaimo bars gluten-free?

Yes. You could use gluten-free Graham cracker crumbs (or a similar substitute) in place of regular Graham cracker crumbs to make this recipe gluten-free?

How do you store Nanaimo bars?

Store Nanaimo Bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.