Gem's Chocolate & Coconut 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.

Begin by crushing digestive biscuits to use as the base for the bars.

In a bowl, mix crushed digestive biscuits with melted butter, chopped walnuts, caster sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and desiccated coconut using a wooden spoon until it forms a soft crumb.

Spoon the mixture into the base of a prepared tin and press down firmly to ensure neat cutting later.

Place the base in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.

In a mixer, add room temperature butter and mix until soft.

Add icing sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and custard powder to the mixer and mix for about 2 minutes until creamy and soft.

Spread the custard buttercream mixture over the chilled base evenly and place it back in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up.

Melt dark chocolate using a double boiler method by placing a bowl over simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water.

Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring in between to prevent burning.

Once the chocolate is melted, pour the dark chocolate over the custard layer and spread evenly.

Using a piping bag, drizzle melted white chocolate over the dark chocolate in zig-zag patterns.

Take a skewer and drag it through the chocolate to create a feathered effect.

Allow the chocolate layer to set, then refrigerate the bars or let them sit at room temperature before cutting to prevent cracking.

Cut into squares and serve.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens