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🎄 Whole-Food Nanaimo Bars

Dairy-free • Gluten-free • Refined sugar-free • Nervous-system nourishing

A luscious, plant-based take on the classic Canadian holiday treat — all the layers, all the indulgence, none of the energy crashes.

✨ INGREDIENTS

BASE LAYER

  • 1 cup raw walnuts PLUS ½ rolled oats or 1 ½ pecans

  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

  • 3 tbsp cacao or cocoa powder

  • 1–2 tbsp warm water (only if needed for binding)

  • Pinch sea salt (optional)

CREAMY CUSTARD MIDDLE

(Whole-food version of the traditional “yellow” layer)

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked (3 - 4 hrs or hot-soaked 20 mins in a pinch)

  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

  • 3 tbsp melted cacao butter (or coconut butter)

  • 2–3 tbsp coconut cream

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but gives that classic custard note)

  • â…› tsp turmeric powder (just enough for colour)

  • Pinch sea salt

CHOCOLATE TOP LAYER

  • ½ cup cacao butter

  • ÂĽ cup cacao powder

  • 3 tbsp maple syrup

  • Pinch sea salt

    Use your signature chocolate sauce.

✨ DIRECTIONS

1. Make the base

  1. Pulse nuts in a food processor until crumbly.

  2. Add dates, coconut, cacao powder, and salt.

  3. Blend until mixture sticks together when pressed.

  4. Press firmly into a parchment-lined 8x8 pan.

  5. Chill in the freezer 10–15 minutes.

2. Make the creamy middle layer

  1. Blend all ingredients until completely smooth and silky.

  2. Adjust sweetness or vanilla as needed.

  3. Pour over the chilled base.

  4. Freeze 20 minutes to set before adding the chocolate layer.

3. Make the chocolate top

  1. Melt cacao butter/coconut oil.

  2. Whisk in cacao, maple syrup, and sea salt.

  3. Pour gently over the custard layer.

  4. Freeze 15 minutes, then refrigerate to fully set.

4. Slice + Serve

Use a hot knife for perfect clean edges.
Bars store well in the fridge (soft, creamy) or freezer (firmer).

🌿 Nervous System Nutrition Note

Here’s what I love about this recipe. Every single layer actually supports your nervous system.

Dates aren’t just sweet, they’re full of minerals like potassium and magnesium, which help calm your body and give you steady energy instead of a spike and crash.

Cashews are one of the best foods for your mood. They’re rich in magnesium and zinc, which are both essential for reducing anxiety and supporting brain health. That’s probably why the custard tastes so good. Your body recognizes those nutrients.

Cacao is one of the highest natural sources of magnesium, the relaxation mineral. So when we use cacao, it feels indulgent, but it actually helps your nervous system relax.

And the healthy fats in the nuts slow everything down so your blood sugar stays steady - meaning no crash, no irritability, just that grounded, nourished feeling.

So yes, it tastes like a decadent holiday treat…
but it’s also dessert your nervous system can trust.

Alternative Chocolate Options 

100% Whole-Food Option:
My homemade chocolate topping is made from cacao butter, cacao powder, and maple syrup.
It’s fully whole-food, dairy-free, and refined sugar–free — and it tastes incredible.

But here’s the thing…
Your health journey gets to feel doable, not overwhelming.

So if you’d prefer something simpler, you can absolutely use:

👉 Melted dairy-free dark chocolate
Look for brands with simple ingredients such as:

  • cacao or cocoa

  • cocoa butter

  • a little cane sugar

  • vanilla

It won’t be 100% whole-food, but it’s a beautiful stepping stone — and still completely dairy-free, plant-based, and aligned with creating a calmer, more nourished body.

You get to choose what feels best for you today.
Both options honour your body.
One is simply more whole-food than the other.