Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars

A single Nanaimo bar with more in the background.

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine North American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 0

Chilling Time 3

Servings slices

Calories 206kcal

Author Nina

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

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.

Nutrition