Although I have never had the pleasure of even resting the sweet-taste-buds-laden tip of my tongue upon the gastronomic heaven of a Nanaimo Bar, I am obsessed with them. Perhaps it is because the 3% of my genes which are Native American have somehow retained a biological memory of the language of the Pacific Northwest tribe whose First Nation anglicized word for “big, strong tribe” was used to name this confection. Because this is exactly what PWD are: every person with Type 1, Type 2, LADA, Gestational, MODY, Monogenic, and “Type 3” are members of this big, strong tribe of very special people brought together to share information and support with each other on this amazing Forum, TuDiabetes.
I would like to take this opportunity to nominate the awesome (low-carb) Nanaimo Bar as the Official Desert of TuD. Will someone please second my motion?
Third!! @rgcainmd you make me laugh!!! That was the most historical angle in rationalizing a desert!
Please make this recipe and share the deliciousness. It is Canadian thanksgiving after all!!
One day soon a box of Nanaimo bars is going to show up at your door!
But … I actually purchased the ingredients for LCNB (Low Carb Nanaimo Bars) yesterday. I will have to call in sick a half-day later this week so I can make them!
I’ll post pics as proof.
P.S. I loves Canada!
P.P.S. Can someone send me one of those toothpicks with a little Canadian flag attached so I can plant it into the topmost Bar in my completed Mountain O’ Nanaimo? (For some reason, all I seem to be able to find are toothpicks with flags covered in stars and stripes. )
If anyone has suggestions to make this dairy-free, I’d love to hear’em. My daughter has severe gluten and dairy sensitivities. Me, I love whipping cream and butter!
I saved the recipe on my computer. If you make it and really like it, let me know! I’d definitely love to give my son a treat that looks this tasty if it’s something you think is good. Let me know if you think you’d like it if you were a 2 year old also.
I also cannot eat wheat and dairy. Don’t worry, I have a dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb version on my to-do list! (I’m thinking maybe over the Christmas holiday.)
I think the hardest part of a dairy-free version would be getting the custard part right. Though if you search “vegan nanaimo bars” there are lots of dairy-free versions out there. My plan is to combine a recipe for dairy-free custard with a recipe for a wheat-free base and then use dark chocolate for the top.
I’ll gladly let you know whether I like these LC Nanaimo Bars. And I’ll let you know whether my 14 year-old daughter likes them. (I’ll have to tell her that they aren’t low-carb, however, because she dislikes everything she finds out is low-carb on a matter of principle; she’ll be damned before she’ll let her T1D “control” her diet. At only 14, she’s still inclined to cut off her own nose to spite her face.)
As far as whether I think a 2 year-old might like them? At my age, I’m far too old to remember way back to when I was only 2. Heck, I’m so old that I’m having a great deal of difficulty even remembering back 12 years to when my 14 year-old was two. All I’m able to recall is that her two favorite foods at that age were roasted coffee beans (the darker the better) and cat food (the crunchy variety). I am serious.
OK, after much hunting and telephone calling and driving, I located Swerve Sweetener (powdered and granulated). I didn’t realize that Swerve isn’t an artificial sweetener. (I should have realized this, being as how the only place I could find it was Natural Foods.) I learn something new every day!
I have completed steps one and two, and my almost-Nanaimo Bars are hardening in the fridge. OMG, the middle layer is to die for (I licked the spoon)! Just 30 more minutes in the fridge, then I melt the sugar-free (natural) dark chocolate with a hunk o’ butter and spread the third layer on top. Then it’s back in the fridge for awhile. I think I’ll take a pic while they’re still in the pan because I’m afraid I’m going to mess them up when I cut them into squares. But if I don’t, I’ll take a pic of them cut into squares (actually rectangles because the recipe makes 20, the pan is square, and I’ll cut them in rows and columns of 4 and 5, respectively).
I haven’t been this excited about food in a long time!
OK, I just put the third and final layer on top and they look effing gorgeous (even though all you can see right now is the hard chocolate top layer). I think they are going to look amazing once I cut them into bars. Another 20 minutes or so until I cut them up. I’m so chuffed!!!
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