Raw Chocolate “Nanaimo” Bars

I had never heard of Raw Chocolate Nanaimo Bars. So off to Wikipedia I went (one of my favorite website!), to figure out what they were. Here is what I found out:

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert of Canadian origin popular across North America. The Nanaimo bar is a bar cookie which requires no baking, and is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavoured butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares. Many varieties are possible by using different types of crumb, flavours of icing (e.g. mint, peanut butter), and types of chocolate. Two popular variations on the traditional Nanaimo bar involve mint flavoured icing or mocha flavoured icing.

Wow! Does that sound good, or what?! The featured recipe has taken all those wonderfully sounding ingredients and make this bar Raw, Vegan and Gluten Free! I love the coconut oil in this treat, but I would make a few more substitution (listed at the bottom of the recipe).

Raw + Vegan Nanaimo Bars

Bottom layer

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup cacao powder

1/4 cup date syrup *see note

flesh from 2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1.5 cup ground almonds or almond flour

1 1/2 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut

Middle layer

1 cup raw almond butter

1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

flesh from 2 vanilla beans or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Top layer

4oz. unsweetened bakers chocolate *see note

2 tbsp xylitol, ground or 20 drops stevia concentrate *see note

Directions

Line 8×8 pan with parchment paper across both sides for easy lifting. Oil the places that show through with a dab of coconut oil and set aside.

Bottom Layer: : In a heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the coconut oil. Gradually add in cocoa powder, whisking until incorporated. Add the date syrup, and vanilla. Stir in ground almonds and coconut. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Middle Layer: In your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, place all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and beat until the mixture is smooth. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more almond milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

Top Layer: In a heatproof bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Add xylitol and spread the melted chocolate evenly over the filling and refrigerate for about 10 minutes, just until the chocolate has set. Don’t wait too long or it will be impossible to cut the bars. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife. Place the cut squares back in the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden so they’re not so messy to eat!

note: unpasteurized honey (not vegan), or brown rice syrup can be used in place of the date syrup.

note2: semi-sweet chocolate squares can be used instead of the unsweetened, I just like sweetening it myself so opted for unsweetened.

note3: to grind xylitol, place in a coffee grinder and process until powdery like powdered sugar. If you add xylitol to the chocolate as is, it will remain in its crystallized form.