New York City is home to a critically-acclaimed restaurant called Dirt Candy, whose menu boasts some truly unique dishes: popcorn pudding, celery cheesecake, jalapeno hush puppies, mint chocolate nanaimo bars with a base of green peas…
You can all breathe a sigh of relief, because I did NOT use green peas in my mint chocolate nanaimo bars today.
However this relief might be fleeting once you see what I did use 
.
Nanaimo bars, a popular Canadian dessert hailing from Nanaimo, British Columbia, consist of three layers: a crumbly bottom later, creamy center, and a chocolate coating for the top. While Nanaimo Bars are traditionally full of butter, refined flour, and sugar, today’s recipe offers a much healthier alternative: with one sneaky ingredient you will never suspect!
Mint Chocolate Nanaimo Bars
Cream Layer:
(For a nut-free bar, feel free to just substitute your favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream for the cream layer.)
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews or macadamia nuts (160g)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- scant 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract
- 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil (40g)
- 2 Nunaturals stevia packets, or 2 tbsp liquid sweetener (such as pure maple syrup)
- 3 oz raw spinach (85g or 2 very-loosely-packed cups)
Place the nuts in a cereal bowl and cover with water. Let soak 8 hours or overnight. (You can make the crust layer while you wait.) Drain and pat completely dry with a paper towel. Combine all ingredients in a vita-mix or high-quality food processor, and process until completely smooth. (This can take a few minutes in a food processor.)
Crust Layer:
- 1/2 cup raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, or a combination of these (or sunflower seeds for nut-free)
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (I used the full-fat kind)
- scant 1/2 cup pitted dates (8 small dates) or raisins
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, optional
Process all ingredients until even crumbs form. (Blenders will yield sticky mixtures, so it’s best to use a food processor.) Transfer to an 8-in square baking dish lined with parchment or wax paper going up the sides for easy removal. Using a piece of wax or parchment paper, smush into the pan until the crust evenly fills the bottom. Make the final layer:
Chocolate Layer:
- 1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder (40g)
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (80g)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice) (28g)
Melt the coconut oil if it is not already melted. Stir together all ingredients to form a smooth sauce. Spread over the other layers. Freeze just until chocolate has started to set, then cut into bars. It is best to cut after 10 minutes or less have elapsed, to prevent cracking. Then place back in the freezer to firm up completely. Bars can be stored in the freezer for a few weeks; thaw before eating.
—> View Chocolate Nanaimo Bars Nutrition Facts <—
P.S. Dirt Candy also sells a Rosemary Eggplant Tiramisu.
Hmmm…
I love the spinach in these. Not a fan of artificial colors.
that color! Must try this one day!
Love this, Katie! The spinach makes the green so vibrant! I love using natural FOODS to add a bit of coloring – in my mint truffles, I use a pinch of chlorella powder and it does the trick 🙂
“Bars can be stored in the freezer for a few weeks”
Bahahahaha!!
Good one.
I was wondering if you used some sort of food dye, but then saw the spinach ingredient. Very cool!
These look great, and my kids are used to me trying to shove greens in pretty much everything, this won’t phase them. I’m wondering, though – does the color go off as they’re exposed to air? Once they’re thawed, if not eaten right away, I can’t imagine that vibrant green staying vibrant past a few hours…
They pretty much stay that color (the one in the photos) even after weeks in the fridge.
I just love this recipe! It is a great way to get veggies into kids (and some adults!) diets! Thanks for all you do and share. God bless you and yours!
Debbie
Hi Katie
I have been eyeing up your recipes for some time, but this is the first I have attempted. It was a bit of work, but being a fan of Nanaimo bars I was prepared for that!
Personally the fat and calories in my final count were a little high for me, but I mainly made these for my kids. I love that I can feed them treats and genuinely not feel bad about what I am giving them. Infact, I WANT them to eat this! I ended up adding an avocado to my filling for some extra creaminess and nutrients, it worked perfectly.
We are yet to try the end result, it is in the freezer right now, but the kids devoured the ‘licks’ so I think it will be a winner. Now, just don’t tell anyone its healthy…!
Never, ever would have guessed that spinach was your secret ingredient! Very fun 🙂 I’m not familiar with Nanaimo bars so this was fun to learn about. Thanks!
These sound delicious thanks for sharing them!