Bars & Squares, Vegan

Vegan Nanaimo Bars

December 9, 2016

Vegan Nanaimo Bars // Bakeaholic.ca

Vegan Nanaimo Bars // Bakeaholic.ca

It finally feels like Christmas!

It’s snowing for the first time in December in two years. Even as an adult, I’m pretty excited. I’m hoping we have a white christmas.

We’ve also already hosted our first two christmas get togethers, and I’ve had my work staff party.

As a teacher, it’s pretty exciting to have an entire class of students watching out the window as the snowflakes begin to fall. Needless to say, we’re not getting a whole lot accomplished in these last two weeks of school.

Another reason it’s beginning to feel like christmas is that I’ve almost finished all my baking. I parked myself in the kitchen last weekend and cranked out what can only be described as an overload of sugar. My husband’s friend always ask how he is so thin with the amount of baking I do, but he always tells them that he’s not allowed to eat it. Which is true – I always tell him he’s not allowed to touch it until It’s out for guests, then he can finally have some. He’s so deprived.

I knew I had to make the classic christmas treats – and that included nanaimo bars. My grandma always made them as a kid, and then my aunt took over making them. She was the nanaimo bar queen. I asked her for her recipe before, and I try and make them as good as she does.

Vegan Nanaimo Bars // Bakeaholic.ca

This year however, I decided to try something a little different. After doing some investigating, Graham Crackers are actually vegan. They contain no egg or butter. So I thought why not try and make vegan nanaimo bars! I subbed the butter for coconut oil – which works perfectly as this is essentially a coconut dessert. And then I used a flax egg – which I wasn’t sure about, but it turned out great as well!

You can of course make the original, subbing butter and eggs, but I can honestly say these are AS good, if not Better – than the original.

Vegan Nanaimo Bars // Bakeaholic.ca

Happy Baking! & hope you get to enjoy some snow

Vegan Nanaimo Bars

For the Base
  1. 1 cup vegan butter
  2. scant 1/2 cup Sugar
  3. 10 tbsp. Dark Cocoa
  4. 1 flax egg ( 1 Tbs. Ground Flax Seeds + 3 Tbs. Water )
  5. 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  6. 3/4 cup Walnuts, chopped (optional as well)
  7. 2 cups coconut
Second Layer
  1. ½ cup vegan butter
  2. 1/4 cup coconut oil, solid at room temperature
  3. 2 Tbsp Almond Milk
  4. 2 Tbsp. Birds Custard Powder
  5. 3 cups icing sugar
Third Layer
  1. Dark Chocolate
  2. tsp. of coconut oil
Instructions:
  1. In a small bowl make the flax egg – set aside. 
  2. In a medium size pot over medium-low heat melt vegan butter. Add in sugar and cocoa, whisk to combine. Remove from heat when fully melted.
  3. Add the flax egg and slowly whisk it into the melted butter and cocoa mixture. Continue to whisk until it thickens.
  4. Stir in the graham crumbs, coconut and chopped walnuts (if using). If you are not using walnuts, you can add a bit more coconut. 
  5. Press mixture into a parchment lined 9″x13″ pan, using a large spoon to smooth evenly and place in fridge, covered.
  6. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment whip the coconut oil and butter until pale and creamy. Add the almond milk and custard powder and continue to beat. Slowly add the icing sugar and whip until the consistency of frosting.
  7. Take the chilled base out of the fridge. Spoon the custard layer over top, using a offset spatula or spatula to smooth evenly over top of bottom layer.
  8. Return to fridge, covered, to set at least 2 hours. You want the base to set and harden completely.
  9. Once chilled, remove from fridge. Carefully lift out of the pan using the parchment paper.
  10. Using a long knife, cut evenly into 1.5 x 1.5 inch bars.
  11. Finally, after you have sliced the bars fully into squares place them onto a cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath. Melt the Chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 1 minutes intervals, stirring until fully melted. Spoon the melted chocolate into a ziplock bag or piping bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle the melted chocolate over top of the bars. Return to fridge to harden. 
  12. To store the bars, place them in an airtight container in the fridge separating the layers with parchment. Alternatively, you can place them back into the 9×13″ pan and cover. These also freeze well. 
 

 

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1 Comment

  • Reply Gluten Free Brownies - b a k e a h o l i cb a k e a h o l i c December 14, 2016 at 8:22 AM

    […] I don’t eat them all before Christmas. So far, we’ve only snuck a couple brownies and Vegan Nanaimo Bars. The only thing I have left to make are the Pizzelle, which I like to make fresh a day or two […]

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