This sweet and creamy homemade ice cream is full of Nanaimo Bar goodness and the perfect frozen treat!
We are just coming off of a record-breaking heat wave here in BC. One town in the interior of our province has the dubious distinction of recording the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada. Naturally, cooking has been pretty much off the table. We have been subsisting on salads, cold beverages, and delicious frozen treats! So, it’s only fitting that I share one of my favourite homemade ice cream recipes.
This ice cream features one of my favourite local Canadian desserts – the Nanaimo bar! For the uninitiated, a Nanaimo bar is a three-layered bar with a not-too-sweet coconut and graham cracker base, a sweet custard flavoured icing, and a layer of chocolate ganache.
This no-bake bar was recently the subject of controversy in the New York Times when they featured a version that was decidedly not a properly proportioned Nanaimo bar. The NY Times abomination aside, I wanted to pay homage to this classic Canadian goodie by turning it into a delightful frozen dessert that’s perfect for the hot weather ahead!
Ingredient Notes
Whole Milk: This homemade ice cream recipe uses both whole milk and heavy cream. Known in Canada as homogenized milk, whole milk is 3.25% milkfat.
Custard Powder: Custard powder is the traditional ingredient that gives Nanaimo Bars their trademark flavour and yellow colour. It also helps to stabilize the custard during the cooking process. I use Bird’s brand custard powder.
Egg Yolks: Ice cream made with egg yolks is called French style and produces a denser ice cream.
Coconut: Use shredded, unsweetened coconut.
Lindt Chocolate Balls: I have to credit Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, for this great ice cream hack. She suggests using chopped Lindt balls when adding chopped chocolate to ice cream. With their creamy, truffle filling, the Lindt balls don’t freeze as hard which makes it a lot more pleasant to eat. I use the milk chocolate variety in this recipe.
How to Make Nanaimo Bar Ice Cream
For this ice cream recipe, you will need an ice cream maker. I use a kitchen aid attachment to churn my ice cream. Be sure to follow your ice cream maker directions. But most importantly, ensure that the freezer bowl has had enough time in the freezer, or the ice cream won’t freeze properly and become icy.
Ice Cream Custard Base
The first step is to make the ice cream custard base. This needs to be thoroughly chilled before you can churn it. To begin, add the whole milk to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Set a fine wire mesh strainer over a large bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Using a whisk, mix the yolks and sugar together. Add the custard powder. The mixture will look dry and grainy, but just keep working it with the whisk and the mixture will smooth out and become light and creamy. Whisk until the egg yolk mixture is light yellow in colour and a thick ribbon falls down when you lift the whisk from the bowl.
When the milk is hot and just starting to bubble around the edges of the pot, remove from the heat. Temper the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture, a little at a time. Add a small splash of hot milk and then whisk together until combined. Continue adding small amounts of hot milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking in between, until most of the milk has been added. This will gradually heat up the egg yolks and prevent them from scrambling in the hot liquid.
Return the combine egg yolk and milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until the custard thickens. The custard powder will offer some protection for the eggs, but you still don’t want to bring the mixture up to a full boil. This could cause the eggs to scramble.
When the mixture thickens, immediately remove from the heat and pour into the strainer you prepared earlier. Using a whisk or spatula, work the custard through the strainer. This will catch any bits of egg that scrambled.
At this point the custard will have a fairly thick pudding consistency. Add the vanilla extract and the heavy cream. Whisk together well. Cover with a piece of cling film placed directly onto the surface of the custard. Chill until cold before proceeding.
Nanaimo Bar Base
To get that authentic Nanaimo bar experience, I add pieces of the chewy coconut and graham cracker base to the ice cream. Combine graham cracker crumbs, chopped walnuts, and shredded unsweetened coconut in a small bowl. Set aside. Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with cling film and lightly spraying with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk together. At this point you are going to whisk in one egg. As soon as you begin to whisk in the egg, the cocoa mixture will thicken up and look a bit clumpy. Once the mixture has thickened remove from the heat. Add the dry ingredients and work the crumbs into the cocoa mixture.
Once the crumbs are fully mixed in, transfer to the prepared loaf pan and press down evenly. Chill until firm.
Churning the Ice Cream
When the ice cream custard base is cold and at a temperature under 50 deg F / 10 deg C, you can begin to churn it. Follow the directions of your ice cream maker to churn the ice cream.
While the ice cream is churning, prepare the mix-ins. Remove the chilled Nanaimo Bar base from the loaf pan using the cling film. Chop into small, bite-sized cubes and transfer to a bowl. Store either in the fridge or freezer until the ice cream is churned.
Chop the Lindt chocolate balls into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a small bowl and chill. I usually freeze the chopped chocolate so it mixes in easily and doesn’t melt and create chocolate streaks in the ice cream.
Once the ice cream has fully churned, scrape into a large bowl. Working quickly, add the chopped cookie base and the chopped Lindt chocolate and fold into the ice cream. Try to work quickly so the ice cream doesn’t melt too much.
Transfer to a freezer container. Freeze the ice cream until firm and then it’s ready to enjoy!
Storing & Serving Suggestions
Homemade ice cream usually freezes harder than commercial ice cream so you will need to let it thaw a bit longer. I like to put the ice cream container in the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before I want to serve it. I find that the ice cream softens more evenly in the fridge, whereas on the counter, the edges often melt while the centre is still rock hard.
