Raspberry Nanaimo Bars are a no bake, triple layer confection. They have a crunchy coconut pecan base, a tart raspberry filling, and a sweet chocolate topping!
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💫Nanaimo Bars with a Raspberry Twist
These raspberry Nanaimo bars are a twist on original Nanaimo bars. The only difference to these raspberry ones, is a sweet raspberry filling. They are traditional filled with a custard filling.
Nanaimo bars are a no bake dessert. They start with a chocolate/coconut base with nuts in it. I used pecans but you can easily swap them out with walnuts or almonds.
The next layer is a sweet raspberry filling that has a ton of raspberry flavour, due to using fresh (or frozen) raspberries.
Finally, melted semi-sweet chocolate is spread overtop the Nanaimo bars. The bars have to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours through the whole process of making them. They are well worth it though, and can easily be done over a few days!
For more Nanaimo bar recipes, try my Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Raspberries - You can use frozen raspberries for this recipe too. You will need to boil them a bit longer because there is a lot of water in frozen berries.
- Pecans - You can substitute these with walnuts or almonds.
- Unsalted butter - You can substitute with salted butter. I used unsalted because that's what I had on hand.
🔪Instructions
Crust
In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Place over medium heat until ingredients have melted.
Add egg and stir constantly over medium heat for 2 minutes. Mixture will look scrambled, Remove from heat and add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and pecans.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan that's been lined with parchment paper, and set aside.
Raspberry Filling
Place raspberries and lemon juice into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook raspberry mixture until the berries soften, juices juices are released, and puree has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from heat and push raspberries through a small sieve into a fresh bowl to remove the seeds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until well combined. Mix in raspberry puree.
Spread raspberry filling over the bottom layer. Cover and store in the refrigerator until it firms, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Topping
Using a double boiler, or a bowl over a pan of boiling water, melt chocolate and butter together until melted and smooth.
Spread chocolate over the chilled raspberry layer. Cover and return to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until the chocolate has firmed.
Cut raspberry Nanaimo bars into squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These are meant to be eaten cold.
✔️Expert Tips
- Instead of pecans, you can use walnuts or almonds.
- You can make this ahead of time. The raspberry puree can be made up to 3 days before. The bars up until after the raspberry filling is added, can be made up to 2 days before. The bars can me stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Use salted butter or unsalted butter in this recipe. It doesn't make much of a change.
- Instead of a raspberry filling, use a blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, or a mix berry filling!
- Store these in the refrigerator. They will be too soft if left out at room temperature too long.
💭FAQs
The first Nanaimo bar recipe was first published in 1953 originating from Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Nanaimo bars are great to make in advance! They'll remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Raspberry Nanaimo Bars
Equipment
- one 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
Raspberry Filling
- 6 ounces raspberries fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 6 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
Instructions
Bottom Layer
- Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Place over medium heat until ingredients have melted.
- Add egg and stir constantly over medium heat for 2 minutes. Mixture will look scrambled, Remove from heat and add graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and pecans.
- Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and set aside.
Raspberry Filling
- Place raspberries and lemon juice into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook raspberry mixture until the berries soften, juices juices are released, and puree has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and push raspberries through a small sieve into a fresh bowl to remove the seeds. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until well combined. Mix in raspberry puree.
- Spread raspberry filling over the bottom layer. Cover and store in the refrigerator until it firms, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Topping
- Using a double boiler, or a bowl over a pan of boiling water, melt chocolate and butter together until melted and smooth.
- Spread chocolate over the chilled raspberry layer. Cover and return to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until the chocolate has firmed.
- Cut Nanaimo bars into squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These are meant to be eaten cold.
Notes
- Instead of pecans, you can use walnuts or almonds.
- You can make this ahead of time. The raspberry puree can be made up to 3 days before. The bars up until after the raspberry filling is added, can be made up to 2 days before. The bars can me stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Use salted butter or unsalted butter in this recipe. It doesn't make much of a change.
- Instead of a raspberry filling, use a blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, or a mix berry filling!
- Store these in the refrigerator. They will be too soft if left out at room temperature too long.
Mary Lou
Didn't work so well for me. When I went to cut the finished bars, all of the filling squirted out the sides. I did follow the recipe exactly as written. Including chill times. Very disappointed.
Nina
I'm so sorry to hear that! Next time maybe leave them out for the chocolate to warm up a tiny bit. Also run your knife under hot water before cutting through them.