Where did B.C.’s beloved Nanaimo Bar come from?

The Nanaimo bar. It’s a sweet treat made from chocolate, custard, coconut and walnuts. Love it or hate it, it’s uniquely British Columbian.

But where did this chocolatey delicacy come from? 

To celebrate the launch of CBC’s new permanent Nanaimo bureau, North by Northwest host Margaret Gallagher spoke to food historian Lenore Newman about the origins of the treat that shares the city’s name.

Newman says it can be traced back to three women in Nanaimo after the Second World War. 

Originally — and uncreatively — called chocolate slices, Newman says the “dainties” popped up around 1952, in, no surprise here, Nanaimo. The base layer, made of graham wafer crumbs, shows up earlier, but the square as we know it with the thick custard middle and chocolate on top appeared in a local hospital auxiliary cookbook in the early ’50s, Newman said. 

WATCH | A 1987 CBC broadcast features the woman with the ‘ultimate’ Nanaimo bar recipe:

It was first deemed the Nanaimo bar by Vancouver Sun columnist Edith Adams in 1953 when she wrote that the dessert came from Nanaimo.

This is important to note, Newman says, because other places such as Mississauga and England have tried to claim it as their own.

The bar was later featured in the Expo ’86 cookbook, giving it a little more notoriety. 

“I think if it had been called the chocolate slice, it would have faded into the past, but the fact that it was called the Nanaimo bar kept it rolling forward,” Newman said.

WATCH | A modern take on the beloved Nanaimo bar:

The Nanaimo bar’s fame has been far-reaching; when Harry and Megan visited B.C. in 2020, their interest in the treats caused a media frenzy in the U.K. and the U.S., prompting questions of what the square was and where it came from. 

The Daily Mail even printed a headline titled: Were Harry and Meghan Markle lured to Canada by chocolate treats? 

And in 2021, British Columbians were nonplussed when the New York Times published a recipe and photo of a Nanaimo bar that was, quite frankly, all wrong. 

That wasn’t the first time people were offended over Nanaimo bars. In 2019, a Canada Post stamp featuring the dessert showed far too much of the middle layer, prompting outrage from Nanaimo bar enthusiasts. 

Famous, infamous

“I like to say it’s like the Kardashian of Canadian desserts in that it’s famous for being famous and sometimes infamous, and it’s amazing how much play it gets,” Newman said. 

So, how do you make the perfect Nanaimo bar? Here’s a recipe from The Great Canadian Baking Show. 

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup graham wafer crumbs.
• 3/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut.
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts.
• 1/3 cup cocoa.
• 1/4 cup sugar.
• 1/4 tsp salt.
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted.
• 1 egg, beaten.
• 1/2 tsp vanilla.

For the middle layer:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened.
• 2 tbsp custard powder.
• 2 tbsp milk.
• 1/2 tsp vanilla.
• 1/8 tsp salt.
• 2 cups icing sugar.

For the glaze:

• 110 g semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup).
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter.

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line an eight-inch pan with parchment paper, with ends extending over the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Stir together graham crumbs, coconut, walnuts, cocoa, sugar and salt. Add butter, egg and vanilla, stirring to combine.  Press firmly into the prepared pan.

Bake until firm, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, prepare the middle layer. Mix butter and custard powder in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Add milk, vanilla and salt and mix to incorporate. Add icing sugar in two additions. Mix until light and fluffy. Spread over the bottom layer. Refrigerate for one hour.

While the crust and middle layer are in the refrigerator, stir chocolate and butter together in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water until melted.

Spread chocolate glaze over the middle layer. Chill for 30 minutes. Remove from the pan with parchment edges and cut into 25 squares.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.