Homemade Nanaimo Bars have a chocolate graham cracker crust, an easy custard Nanaimo Bar filling, and a smooth chocolate topping. They are the perfect no-bake recipe!

No-Bake Nanaimo Bars - a graham cracker and coconut base is topped with a smooth custard American buttercream and finished off with a super smooth layer of dark chocolate. These are a classic bar, and this no-bake version is so so easy to make!

Hi hi! Just popping in to share this easy Nanaimo Bar recipe with you. I love making bar and slice recipes, and these Nanaimo Bars fit the bill - they have a chocolate graham cracker crust, a custard buttercream filling, and a smooth chocolate topping.

These no-bake Nanaimo bars are super similar to the New Zealand classic the peppermint slice. I love the custard filling paired with the chocolate topping - I have used the same Nanaimo Bar filling in my Squiggle Slice recipe.

How to make Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo bars are named after a wee town on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, which happens to be super close to Port Alberni, where I have family! These are a no bake Nanaimo Bar, so have a base made from graham cracker crumbs and coconut rather than a baked base containing eggs. Here's how to make them:

Make the base. This is a super easy crumb crust - combine all the ingredients, and add the butter and mix until it forms a wet sand consistency. Pat down firmly into the pan and place into the freezer to firm up while you make the filling.
Make the middle layer: The filling for a Nanaimo Bar is basically just a custard flavoured American buttercream. Whip it up until smooth, then spread over the chilled base and chill again to firm up the custard layer.
Add the chocolate layer. Melt chocolate with the neutral oil - either in the microwave or over a double boiler. The oil in the chocolate gives it a nice shiny finish that also means that it is nice and easy to cut. Pour over the filling to form the top layer, then chill in the refrigerator until fully set.
Cut and enjoy! I like to use a super sharp knife to cut my Nanaimo Bars - I don't usually heat it up as I find that it makes the chocolate run, but you can if you like.

What is Custard Powder?

Custard powder is a powder made up of thickeners and flavourings, primarily corn starch (cornflour for those outside the US). It can be used to make instant custard, but it is also used to flavour this Nanaimo Bar recipe.

There isn't really a substitute for custard powder in a Nanaimo bar as it is what gives it the main flavour. You could leave it out if you just wanted a vanilla icing filling, but I highly recommend picking some up. If you are looking for other ways to use it (it keeps super well), I also use it in my squiggle slice recipe, my rhubarb custard buns recipe, and my Chelsea Buns recipe.

Tips and tricks for making Nanaimo Bars

I like to really let these chill down before cutting them to ensure that they are nice and chilled and easy to cut. 2-3 hours in the fridge if you can manage it is great.
A super sharp knife will be your friend when cutting the Nanaimo Bars.
Store your Nanaimo Bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can get custard powder online, or it can be found in some supermarkets.
If you are having issues getting your buttercream to a thick, smooth consistency, add 1-2 Tbsp cream to get it right. Add a little at a time and then beat to incorporate.
If you cannot find graham cracker crumbs you can use a similar biscuit or cookie crumb - a digestive biscuit works well. You may need to adjust the quantity of the butter in the base layer - you want it to be like wet sand.

For more bar and slice recipes, check out:

Made this recipe and love it?

If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Using the double / triple function in the recipe card

You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!

Tools and equipment

For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!