Nanaimo Bars

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option while margarine is often less expensive.

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: coconut cream

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Coconut cream offers a rich texture while the milk + cornstarch mix is budget-friendly.

granulated sugar

🥗Healthier: stevia

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Stevia reduces calories while brown sugar adds a deeper flavor.

walnuts

🥗Healthier: almonds

💰Cheaper: pecans

Almonds are often lower in calories and pecans can be more affordable.

Crush 200 grams of vanilla cookies into small pieces, not too fine, leaving some larger chunks.

Chop 60 grams of walnuts into small pieces.

Add 60 grams of unsweetened shredded coconut to the crushed cookies and walnuts.

In a separate bowl, melt 110 grams of butter and mix in 30 grams of cocoa powder and 50 grams of brown sugar until combined.

Incorporate the melted butter mixture into the cookie, walnut, and coconut mixture and mix well.

Add 1 egg to the mixture and cook it over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens, ensuring it reaches 85 degrees Celsius to cook the egg without scrambling it.

Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a baking dish or a metal ring lined with aluminum foil, ensuring it's compact.

Refrigerate the base for about 1 hour or until firm.

Prepare the pastry cream by heating 500 milliliters of milk with 62.5 grams of sugar (half of the total sugar).

In another bowl, mix 50 grams of cornstarch with 2 egg yolks and the remaining sugar (62.5 grams).

Once the milk is heated, gradually add it to the egg mixture while whisking continuously to prevent curdling.

Return the mixture to the heat and cook until it thickens, then let it cool completely.

Spread the cooled pastry cream over the chilled base in the baking dish.

Chill the assembled bars in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens