Heart-healthy Nanaimo bars

By Sari Huhtala

If you’re still making traditional Nanaimo bars at Christmas, cut it out. There’s about 400 grams of sugar in a classic Nanaimo bar recipe. Buying premade bars from a store? Read the ingredient label. Scary stuff. Instead, why not try this heart-healthy Nanaimo bar recipe made with dates – nature’s candy?

In researching classic Nanaimo bar recipes, I was reminded once again how the food industry tricks consumers by using buzz words that lead people on to think their products are healthy. Traditional Nanaimo bars call for a graham cracker crumb crust. Considering the fact Honey Maid Graham Crackers have been around for 100 years, I figured it was a good starting point. They’re marketed as being “made with real honey and contain no saturated fat or cholesterol.”

Yes, the tiny portion of honey they use to make the crackers is undoubtedly “real honey,” but what about the high fructose corn syrup? They don’t mention that in their marketing.

Curious about the ingredients in Honey Maid Graham Crackers? Here’s the list:

Unbleached Enriched Flour, Sugar, Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Canola Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Palm Oil, Honey, Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Artificial Flavor.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the ingredients in store-bought Nanaimo bars, considering their popularity at this time of year.

Let’s take a look at the ingredients in an M&M brand Nanaimo bar:

Icing sugar, Margarine (modified palm oil, modified palm kernel oil, canola oil), Graham cracker crumbs (wheat flour, sugar, graham flour, canola oil, table molasses, wheat bran, honey, sodium bicarbonate, salt, ammonium bicarbonate), Chocolatey coating (sugar, modified palm kernel oil and/or modified palm oil, cocoa powder, coconut oil, skim milk powder, soy lecithin, flavour), Sweetened coconut (coconut, icing sugar, water, propylene glycol), Cocoa powder, Corn starch, Water, Flavour, Salt, Annatto. Contains: Milk, Wheat, Soy. May Contain: Egg, Peanuts, Tree nuts, Sulphites.

And if your head is spinning after reading the ingredients in the M&M bars, the next time you reach for a tray of Costco Nanaimo bars, read the label. Your head will spin again.

So, how to enjoy this iconic no-bake dessert and still feel amazing? Make your own. It’s easy and your body will thank you for it.

Nanaimo bars

Crust

• 1 cup raw walnuts
• ½ cup raw almonds (or use 1 ½ cups raw walnuts instead)
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup dates, chopped
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp maple syrup

Chop dates to ensure there are no pits (even pitted dates sometimes have pits left in them, and it will ruin the dish). Place chopped dates into food processor and blend till dates break up. Add the nuts and blend to a fine crumb. Add remaining crust ingredients and blend well. Line an 8X8-inch pan with parchment paper. Press the crust evenly into the pan.

Filling

• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. A blender works best to make it creamy. Spread over Nanaimo bar crust.

Topping

On low heat, melt about ½ cup of dark chocolate with 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Spread melted chocolate on top of the bars. Alternatively, melt about 6 tbsp of coconut oil and blend in 4-5 tbsp of cocoa powder and 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup or raw honey, or sweeten to taste. Blend and pour on top of bars. Without dark chocolate added to the topping, it will melt quickly in your hands while eating it. Refrigerate to set the bars. Cut bars once set, then freeze or store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was birthed in 2007.  She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca