Raspberry Nanaimo Pops are bite-sized versions of Nanaimo bars, made with a chocolate crust and a creamy raspberry filling.
We did it, pumpkins! We’ve made it through Thanksgiving and are now hurtling toward Christmas. Soon all the food blogs will be peppermint-this and gingerbread-that (including yours truly, natch) but before we jump to decking the halls, I want to share this sweet little lollipop recipe with you.
Raspberry Nanaimo Pops are a variation on Nanaimo bars, which you may not be familiar with if you’re not a Canadian food aficionado. (What? I’m sure those must exist…somewhere…) They’re named after the town of Nanaimo in British Columbia, and they’re made of a crust of chocolate, graham, coconut, and nuts, topped with a creamy custard filling, and finished with a layer of thick chocolate.
Fun fact: Jason & I actually went to British Columbia on our honeymoon! Although our perception may have been slightly skewed because we went in the middle of a warm and sunny summer, it remains one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Since then, I’ve always felt a kinship to Nanaimo bars—I mean, they’re from Canada, and I’m practically Canadian because I visited that one time—so I’m happy to be spreading the word about this totally underappreciated cookie!
My version of Nanaimo bars is a little different from the traditional recipe. For one thing, you may notice that they’re not bar-ish so much as pop-ish. I thought it would be cute to skewer little Nanaimo bites and dip them in chocolate instead of spreading the usual chocolate layer on top. The bars are so rich, they work best as 2-bite morsels anyhow, so making them into small lollipops makes them a more manageable, realistic size.
The other break from tradition is making the filling raspberry flavored. I used pulverized freeze-dried raspberries, which give a really intense, sweet-tart flavor and bright pink color to the filling, without sacrificing the creamy texture. The same raspberry powder is sprinkled on top for a vivid, flavorful decoration.
These pops are timeless, of course, but since it is December, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that they would be a cute addition to a cookie plate, or party buffet. Just sayin’.
P.S. I mentioned this on Instagram, but those stripey lollipop sticks? Yeah, I made those! I covered regular white sticks with some washi tape I had lying around, and it worked like charm! It’s easy to apply and once it’s on, it doesn’t come unstuck or move around. I am so excited to washi tape aaaallll of my lollipop sticks from now on.
Recipe Notes: The filling in Nanaimo Bars is traditionally made with custard powder
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Raspberry Nanaimo Pops
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 14 cracker sheets
- 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 4 oz unsalted butter, 1/2 cup, cubed
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the Raspberry Cream Layer:
- 1.2 oz freeze-dried raspberries, to yield 1 cup raspberry powder
- 6 oz unsalted butter, 3/4 cup, at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp custard powder, optional
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
To Assemble:
Instructions
To Make the Crust:
- Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the graham crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts in a large bowl, and stir well.
- Fill a saucepan with about an inch of water, and place it over medium heat. Fit a double boiler or close-fitting metal bowl on top, and place the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in the double boiler. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add the beaten egg to the cocoa mixture and whisk continuously until it cooks and thickens. After a few minutes, the mixture will get very thick and shiny. If the fat seems to separate out, continue stirring or whisking until it reincorporates.
- Once cooked, scrape the cocoa mixture into the bowl with the graham crumbs and stir to combine until no dry streaks remain. Scrape the crust mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands to press it into an even layer. Set it aside while you prepare the raspberry cream.
To Make the Raspberry Cream Layer:
- Place the freeze-dried raspberries in a food processor, and blend them until they are a fine powder. I like to stop when they’re not quite completely pulverized, to give the cream some texture.
- Place the softened butter in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat it until the butter is creamy. (Alternately, you can use a hand mixer and a large bowl.) Add the powdered sugar, custard powder if using, cream, and vanilla extract, and beat on low until combined. Scrape down the bowl, and then add 3/4 cup of raspberry powder, reserving the rest of the powder for decorating. Turn the mixer to medium, and beat for about a minute until the buttercream has lightened in color and texture.
- Spoon the buttercream out onto the crust and smooth it into an even layer. Refrigerate the pan until the buttercream layer is very firm and set, about 2-3 hours.
To Assemble:
- Remove the bars from the pan using the foil as handles. Use a large sharp chef’s knife to cut it into about 24 pieces—I cut it into 6 rows of 4 rectangular pieces each. Melt the chocolate candy coating in a medium bowl in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating.
- Use a wooden skewer to poke a hold in the crust of each piece. Dip the tip of a lollipop stick in the melted candy coating, then push it into the hole in the crust and place it on a baking sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper. Once all of the bars are skewered, refrigerate the tray briefly to make sure they’re very chilled and the coating that holds the lollipop sticks in place is set.
- Re-warm the candy coating, if necessary, then dip a pop in the coating, submerging it completely. Let excess coating drip back into the bowl, then place the dipped pop back on the baking sheet. While the coating is still wet, sprinkle the top with raspberry powder. Repeat until all of the pops are dipped. Refrigerate the tray to set the coating.
- Store Raspberry Nanaimo Pops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For the best taste and texture, let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
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These are so tiny and cute! I’ve never had a nanaimo bar, but I’ve certainly heard of them. Love that you made these little adorable versions. And the raspberry cream! Oh my goodness.
Thanks Beth! Nanaimo bars are awesome–I’m rooting for them to be the next cupcake. 🙂
i’ve always wanted to try nanaimo bars. this version with the raspberry cream looks amazing!
Thanks Dina! The raspberry definitely takes it to a whole new level!
I’ve been without a computer for a while, so I’m really behind on stalking your blog. These look so amazing! I’ve never had a nanaimo bar before, but I really want try one to now!
Without a computer? Is that even possible? 😉 Thanks for stopping by–you should definitely give nanaimo bars a try if you ever have the chance!
Elizabeth, I am ever so intrigued and SO excited to try your version! I love raspberries, they can only make things better. 🙂
I love that we made Nanaimo bars at the same time! Great minds and all that. 🙂 Thanks Julia!
Wow! Great idea!! And superb pictures!
Thanks so much, Marjorie! [PS I love your blog name!]
I am doing my Christmas baking tomorrow, and would love to try these! The only problem is that I do not have any freeze-dried raspberries. I have regular frozen ones, and I was wondering if I might be able to work them in somehow to make a pink filling. What do you think?
Hi Vanessa, my worry is that the frozen berries will make the filling too soft–you would either add just a small amount of berry puree, in which case the flavor won’t be strong, or you add enough for a good flavor, in which case the filling has a lot of liquid and doesn’t firm up very well. [It needs to be pretty firm when chilled, so you can cut it and dip the pops!] You could counteract this by adding more powdered sugar, but then it’s super-sweet, too! If you’re able to find raspberry flavoring or extract at the supermarket, that might be a better compromise.