Nanaimo bars are a classic Canadian holiday dessert; cult favorite, even. Do you have Nanaimo bars in the US? Basically, they are a chocolate brownie-like base topped with a sweet yellow filling, topped with a thin layer of semi-sweet chocolate. They’re deadly delicious but loaded with sugar. Hence my healthier version of gluten-free Nanaimo bars, which just happen to also be raw, paleo, whole food, and vegan (unless you use honey.)
Now THAT is something to celebrate!
Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars
Base:
1 1/4 C raw unsalted almonds
1/2 C shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 C raw cacao powder
1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1 tsp Ground Vanilla Bean Powder
1/3 C coconut oil
3/4 C fresh pitted Medjool dates
Filling:
3/4 C melted coconut oil
3/4 C unsalted raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained
1/2 C B grade maple syrup (or raw coconut nectar or raw honey if you want to keep this completely raw and the filling will be more yellow.)
1 Tb pure vanilla extract or Ground Vanilla Bean Powder
1/4 tsp fine Himalayan pink salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional, but will give you a more traditional yellowish filling. But be careful, if you use too much you could end up with curry bars! While curry is delightful, it really doesn’t go with chocolate 😉)
Chocolate topping:
In a food processor (if you have a Cuisinart food processor, ensure that is isn’t recalled and is safe to use before using it), add the almonds and pulse until they resemble a coarse meal. Add the coconut and continue to pulse until the almonds and coconut are finely ground (usually 10-12 additional pulses.)
Add the cacao powder, vanilla, and salt and pulse food processor a few times until mixed. Add the coconut oil and pitted dates and mix until evenly combined and smooth. You may need to stop the machine and scrape down the sides a couple of times to get everything uniformly mixed.
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch square silicone pan (or about 1/3-full into mini silicone muffin pans if you want to make single cups) and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
While the base is chilling, add the filling coconut oil, soaked cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and turmeric powder into a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, stopping the blender to scrape down the sides as needed. Pour the filling on top of the chilled base. Return to the fridge to chill for another 30-60 minutes or overnight.
Prepare the Raw Dark Chocolate according to recipe directions. Pour over the chilled filling and return to the fridge again to chill until completely firm.
To slice, pop the bars out of the silicone pan onto a clean cutting board and cut into squares. Keep the sliced bars in the freezer in an air-tight, freezer-safe container so you can take out a few as needed for your holiday parties and guests all season long. Enjoy and happy holidays! xoxo
Gluten Free Mint Nanaimo Bars:
I actually prefer mint Nanaimo bars to the original yellow ones. To make these babies mint, omit the turmeric and add a few drops of food grade mint essential oil or 1 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract. If you want the filling to be green, try adding 1/4-1/2 tsp of spirulina powder to the filling before blending. Enjoy! xoxo
What is your favorite classic Canadian holiday dessert? How did these gluten-free Nanaimo Bars turn out for you? Let me know in the comments below and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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Hi this looks so good I can’t wait to make it! How many does this make?
Thank you so much Julia! It makes about 20-24 bars, depending on how big or small you slice them. Please let me know how they turn out for you! 🙂
These look and sound amazing! I can’t wait to make these for my hubby this holiday season – he loves the classic treat. 🙂
I am wondering: would I be able to substitute almond flour for the raw almonds? If so, how much? I am concerned it would change the texture, but I’m not sure. Any insights?
Thank you! I think you probably could use almond flour instead of whole almonds. I would pulse the coconut finely first, and then lightly pulse 1 1/2 C of almond flour just to combine. I think the texture would be similar as long as you are careful not to overmix, but it might be a bit smoother of a brownie base. Please let me know how they turn out for you and if your hubby likes them as much as the classic recipe! ❤
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REVIEW AFTER MAKING THEM:
Would make again! My fiancé and his best friend couldn’t stop eating them. Individually, each layer wasn’t a ‘wow’ but together they really complimented each other.
The one thing I did differently is I doubled the amount of cocoa powder in the base.
Next time I would probably add some crushed walnuts into the base because I missed that from classic Nanaimo Bars.
I’m so glad they turned out for you Natasha! The whole is definitely worth more than the sum of its parts. 😉 Adding more chocolate and walnuts to the base is a great idea if you love dark chocolate and nuts. ❤
Hi there! The recipe doesn’t specify how much chocolate is needed for the topping. I’m all about making my own raw chocolate, but for this time around, I’m going to buy and then just melt. Can you please advise how much melted chocolate is needed for the topping? Thanks!
Hi Gina, I’m so sorry I missed this. It’s about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate. I hope these turn out well for you! <3
These are the most delicious raw nanaimo bars🤗 Thank you.
You are so welcome Wanda! Enjoy! <3
3/4 cup melted coconut oil seems like a lot. Is it correct?
Hi Sara,
Yes, it is the correct amount. The coconut oil binds the filling together and keeps it at the right firmness level. Without it, the filling will be too runny to use. I hope they turn out for you! 🙂
Fantastic recipe….. lovely flavours. Irresistible! I only had 1/2cup of coconut oil for the filling and it was a bit soft but still delicious.
Thank you so much Lynda! I’m so glad it worked out for you. 🙂