And I totally did.
Somebody stop me!
Go ahead. Ask me if Im sorry. ‘Cause Im not. Id totally do it again. You should it! I promise Ill tell you all about it.
Nanaimo bars. It is not pronounced na-na-ee-mo bars, not that I ever walked around my house muttering that, something you absolutely cannot prove it would not hold up in court trust me I know things like this on account of how I am a lawyer and thats why. And I may or may not have been just the teeniest bit depressed when I found out how it is really pronounced. Ill never tell.
Know how Ina Garten cant stand cilantro, so she keeps that stuff out of everything that comes out of her kitchen, no exceptions made? I think thats kind of annoying.
But (although Im no Ina, dont roll your eyes cause Im under no illusions), I kind of do it, too, but with nuts in dessert bars and such around here. And its not because of me & my personal tastes and preferences. Its on account of my very wrong children. The poor little dears dont care for nuts in their dessert bars.
One difference here straight away is that I feel bad about legislating against nuts in dessert bars. But I know you, and I know youre pretty swift. Lets say – for arguments sake – that I put nuts in the ingredients to these here Na•nai•mo Bars. Boom! Youd know right away that, like, something wasnt quite right. In a hot second, youd be sayin – hey, blog lady, theres no nuts in the picture but theres nuts in the ingreds. What up?
Youll just have to wait until the printy recipe to see how I solved this here problem-o. Suspenseful!
Anyway, these are (mostly) no bake. Its all, make a layer, chill. Make the next layer, chill. That sort of thing. Im usually pretty suspicious of no-bake. It tends toward the grody. But its okay. Ive totally got this. Not grody at all.
And one of the ingredients is Birds Custard Powder. Its a British thing. But I find it easily in my regular garden-variety supermarket. And I checked. Totally gluten-free. A teeny bit on the expensive side, but not too bad at all for an import. Dont feel like an ingredient scavenger hunt? No biggie. Just replace with an equal amount instant vanilla pudding powder. Dont let it break your stride.
The bottom layer is traditionally graham cracker crumbs, mixed up with cocoa powder, butter, an egg, shredded coconut, and nuts. I have a really nice recipe for GF graham crackers in my cookbook p. 214, but maybe you dont have the cookbook. Im not a high pressure cookbook salesperson. You should be able to make nanaimo bars without having to buy my cookbook. So I used ‘Nilla Wafers. You can use either. Free country.
Oh, and I messed around with the top layer. Its meant to be a chocolate-butter combo. I changed it to more of a ganache. A chocolate-cream combo. Silky smooth. And I used unsweetened chocolate, which I sweetened just a bit, cause the middle layer is basically a custard buttercream, and its super sweet. Im all about the yin & the yang. And its seriously grown up, too. Not cloyingly sweet. You could defo just use regular semi-sweet chocolate & be done with it.
See for yourself.
So, you know. Not that I dont love our talks. I do. But its time to get down to bidness. Recipe Type:
Unfortunately, Nanaimo bars are not gluten-free when made with traditional ingredients. Classic recipes call for all-purpose flour & graham crackers. Our keto Nanaimo bars use almond flour and no graham crackers making it a perfect gluten-free no-bake dessert.
Anyway, these are (mostly) no bake. Its all, make a layer, chill. Make the next layer, chill. That sort of thing. Im usually pretty suspicious of no-bake. It tends toward the grody. But its okay. Ive totally got this. Not grody at all.
Youll just have to wait until the printy recipe to see how I solved this here problem-o. Suspenseful!
So, you know. Not that I dont love our talks. I do. But its time to get down to bidness. Recipe Type:
One difference here straight away is that I feel bad about legislating against nuts in dessert bars. But I know you, and I know youre pretty swift. Lets say – for arguments sake – that I put nuts in the ingredients to these here Na•nai•mo Bars. Boom! Youd know right away that, like, something wasnt quite right. In a hot second, youd be sayin – hey, blog lady, theres no nuts in the picture but theres nuts in the ingreds. What up?
Nanaimo bars. It is not pronounced na-na-ee-mo bars, not that I ever walked around my house muttering that, something you absolutely cannot prove it would not hold up in court trust me I know things like this on account of how I am a lawyer and thats why. And I may or may not have been just the teeniest bit depressed when I found out how it is really pronounced. Ill never tell.
Life happens and we all need easy no-bake desserts to add to our “I Can’t Even” list. Even the most passionate bakers need to take a break and prop their feet up for a while. You know the pinches you can find yourself in–all of a sudden your kid tells you they need to take a dessert to an event, a friend drops by unexpectedly, or those late-night cravings hit hard.
These Nanaimo Bars are gluten-free and are perfect for any “no-bake” situation you may find yourself in! They’re a favorite in my house and I believe you’ll find them just as delicious and frankly, addicting, as we do.
You’ve just stumbled across a gluten-free dessert recipe that will be a game-changer on those busy days. Every layer of these Nanaimo Bars is pure bliss. Sweet, nutty, chocolaty, and oh so loveable!
These classic Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian staple. This version was adapted from the official Nanaimo recipe to be gluten free. They’re an easy no-bake dessert recipe that everyone loves!
Grab an apron, throw your hair up in a messy bun, and let’s get to making this easy no-bake dessert.
Nanaimo Bars Recipe- gluten free
FAQ
What is a Nanaimo bar made of?
What are Nanaimo bars called in the USA?
Why are Nanaimo bars a must try Canadian food?
Do Nanaimo bars contain dairy?
Are nanaimo bars gluten free?
The answer to this question is yes! This Gluten free Nanaimo bar tastes the same as regular bars but without gluten. The main difference between the two types of bars is that gluten free Nanaimo bars are made with gluten free cookie base and gluten free custard powder. All other ingredients are naturally gluten free.
Can you make gluten free Nanaimo bars without corn starch?
If you need powdered sugar WITHOUT corn starch, you can order it from Better Batter. Possibly my biggest difference in my Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars from the original is the ganache. The original recipe calls for adding butter to the melted chocolate to make ganache. However, when I hear the word “ganache,” I automatically think cream.
What are nanaimo bars?
Nanaimo Bars are named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. Nanaimo Bars are made of three layers: a wafer, nut, and coconut crumb base; custard icing in the middle; and a layer of chocolate ganache on top. If you’re a fan of balanced sweet and salty then you’ll love this no-bake dessert!
Are nanaimo bars a no-bake treat?
This iconic Canadian dessert comes straight from the heart of Nanaimo, B.C. It’s a no-bake treat consisting of three layers: a coconut crumb base, a custard butter icing in the middle, and a layer of chocolate ganache on top. I first tried Nanaimo bars at a potluck party not long after I’d moved to Canada and still remember how blown away I was!