Crystal’s "You Won’t Believe They’re Low Carb" Nanaimo

Ok so I totally fell in love with these when my husband deployed last time, and then the store stopped carrying them in the bakery. So I haven't had one in forever. Thought I would share the recipe I found and I'm totally trying it out tomorrow!!!


Crystal’s "You Won’t Believe They’re Low Carb" Nanaimo Bars
It wouldn't be Christmas in Canada without this no-bake bar. Now low-carbing Canadians and their neighbors can enjoy these delicious treats!


This recipe was contributed by Crystal in Saskatoon, SK, Canada



Ingredients

Bottom
•1 square Bakers unsweetened chocolate
•2 Tablespoons butter
•2 Tablespoons cream
•1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
•3/4 cup whey protein powder (unflavored)
•1 cup unsweetened coconut
•8 packets Splenda
•Davinci’s or other Sugar Free chocolate syrup

Middle
•2 sticks unsalted butter
•1 ½ cups Splenda granular
•1 package Vanilla Sugar Free Pudding Mix
•2 Tablespoons Davinci’s Irish Cream Sugar Free Syrup (could also use Vanilla or English Toffee SF Syrup)
•3 Tablespoons ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener

Top
•2 squares Bakers unsweetened chocolate
•1 Ross Dark Delight Chocolate Bar (or 1 more square of unsweetened chocolate)
•2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
•8 Packets Splenda


Directions
Makes 36 bars.

Grease a 9-inch square pan.

Bottom

1. Melt chocolate, butter and cream together in microwave. Add cocoa, whey protein powder, coconut and splenda and mix well. At this point the mix is fairly crumbly.

2. Add sugar-free chocolate syrup 1 Tablespoon at a time until the mixture just comes together. Press evenly into pan and chill.

Middle

1. Cream together butter, Splenda, vanilla sugar-free pudding, Irish Cream or other sugar-free syrup and ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener. Beat until creamy and spread over chilled base. Refrigerate till hardened.

Top

1. Melt chocolate, butter and splenda together in microwave. Pour over chilled middle layer and tilt pan back and forth to spread evenly . Refrigerate for about 20 minutes until chocolate layer just starts to harden and score into 36 x 1 ½ \" pieces. When totally hard cut into 1 ½\" square bars.

VARIATIONS:

The usual flavor variations can easily be made to these:

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars: substitute 2 or more tablespoons of peanut butter (depending on your taste) for equal amounts of butter in the middle layer .

Mint Nanaimo Bars: Substitute Creme de Menthe Sugar Free Syrup or some mint extract for the Irish Cream Sugar Free Syrup and add some green food coloring to the middle layer.

Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars: Possibly use White Chocolate Sugar Free pudding instead of vanilla and add more Irish Cream Sugar Free syrup (to taste) in the middle layer.

Raspberry Nanaimo Bars: Substitute Raspberry Sugar Free Syrup for Irish Cream Syrup in middle layer. You could also do this with Cherry Sugar Free Syrup (Cherry Nanaimo Bars), Kaluha Caffe Sugar Free Syrup (Mocha Nanaimo Bars), Pina Colada Sugar Free Syrup (Pina Colada Nanaimo Bars) or any number of endless flavor combinations by using different flavors of Sugar Free Syrups.

Nutrition
Nutrition* (per serving as calculated by Mastercook): 93 calories; 8g fat; 3g carb of which 1.5g is dietary fiber; 5g protein.

*based on 0-calorie sweetener and sugar-free syrup, and substituting extra unsweetened chocolate in place of Ross Dark Delight Chocolate Bar.