These Irish cream Nanaimo bars are no bake, boozy squares. The bottom layer is made of coconut, pecans, graham cracker crumbs, and cocoa powder. Irish cream liquor is in both the buttercream filling and the chocolate topping!
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☘️An Irish Nanaimo bar
Nanaimo bars are a very Canadian recipe, but I made them more Irish with this Irish Nanaimo bar recipe!
There are three layers in this Nanaimo bar, which they traditionally have. The bottom layer is made of cocoa powder, pecans, graham cracker crumbs, and coconut flakes.
The middle layer is very much like a buttercream frosting. It's made from butter, powdered sugar, and Irish cream liquor. The top layer is made of semi sweet chocolate, butter, and Irish cream liquor.
These boozy squares are perfect for St Patrick's Day, Christmas, or anytime you feel like a little Irish treat!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Irish cream liquor - You can use any kind of cream liquor in this recipe.
- Baking chocolate - I recommend semi-sweet chocolate. Milk chocolate will be too sweet.
- Unsalted butter - Salted butter works just as well too.
- Pecan pieces - Purchase pecans that are already cut into pieces. It saves you chopping time.
🔪Instructions
Crust
Place butter, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine as butter melts.
When butter has melted, add egg and stir continuously for about 2 minutes. Mixture will look scrambled.
Remove saucepan from heat and add graham cracker crumbs, coconut flakes, and pecans. Mix until well combined. Press crust mixture into bottom of a parchment lined 9"x9" pan. Let cool at room temperature while you make the filling.
Irish Cream Filling
Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl. Add Irish Cream liquor a bit a time until you get a spreadable mixture, like buttercream, but a bit firmer.
Spread filling over crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Topping
In a double broiler, or in a small bowl placed over a saucepan with simmering water in it, combine chocolate and butter.
Stir until chocolate is all melted, remove the bowl from the heat, and mix in Irish cream liquor. Spread chocolate quickly over top of the refrigerated Nanaimo bars. Cover and store in the refrigerator until chocolate firms up, about 1 hour.
Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
✔️Expert Tips
- Purchase pre-chopped pecan pieces instead of whole pecans to save time chopping them up.
- Make sure to let the filling harden in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. You can leave it in overnight too!
- Instead of pecans, use walnuts in the crust!
- Use any kind of cream liquor (rum cream liquor, chocolate cream liquor...)
- Want to cut the squares neatly? Place the Nanaimo bars in the freezer for 10-15 minutes after you have spread the chocolate topping on. Remove from the freezer, cut into squares, and store in the refrigerator until fully set, about 30 minutes.
💭FAQs
Yes, they are named after the city Nanaimo in British Columbia.
Classic Nanaimo bars have a custard cream filling. This recipe varies from the original into an Irish cream Nanaimo bar!
They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars
Equipment
- one 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 6 tablespoons butter cold
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
Irish Cream Filling
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 4-6 tablespoons Irish cream liquor
Chocolate Topping
- 6 ouces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons Irish cream liquor
Instructions
Crust
- Line a 9"x9" baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place butter, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine as butter melts.
- When butter has melted, add egg and stir continuously for about 2 minutes. Mixture will look scrambled.
- Remove saucepan from heat and add graham cracker crumbs, coconut flakes, and pecans. Mix until well combined.
- Press crust mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Let cool at room temperature while you make the filling.
Irish Cream Filling
- Beat butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.
- Add Irish Cream liquor a bit a time until you get a spreadable mixture, like buttercream, but a bit firmer.
- Spread filling over crust, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Topping
- In a double broiler, or in a small bowl placed over a saucepan with simmering water in it, combine chocolate and butter.
- Stir until chocolate is all melted, remove the bowl from the heat, and mix in Irish cream liquor.
- Spread chocolate quickly over top of the refrigerated Nanaimo bars. Cover and store in the refrigerator until chocolate firms up, about 1 hour.
- Cut into squares and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Purchase pre-chopped pecan pieces instead of whole pecans to save time chopping them up.
- Make sure to let the filling harden in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. You can leave it in overnight too!
- Instead of pecans, use walnuts in the crust!
- Use any kind of cream liquor (rum cream liquor, chocolate cream liquor...)
- Want to cut the squares neatly? Place the Nanaimo bars in the freezer for 10-15 minutes after you have spread the chocolate topping on. Remove from the freezer, cut into squares, and store in the refrigerator until fully set, about 30 minutes.
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️