Raw Bananas Foster Cheezecake

On my birthday, we had the pleasure of tasting a Bananas Foster Cheesecake at a wonderful local restaurant. It was divine but later was a little heavy and icky feeling in the stomach. From the first bite, I set out examining how I could replicate this flavor in raw vegan form so that it could be enjoyed again without the after effects.

R doesn't like bananas so I wasn't expecting him to like it at all but he surprised me when he asked for seconds and said how great he thought it was. He said he actually preferred this one to the restaurant version as it isn't as overly sweet.  Just now he asked about any leftovers and announced he wants it for dinner tonight.  So that's saying quite a bit!

Raw Vegan Bananas Foster Cheezecake

I decided that the best way for me to make these kinds of desserts would be in smaller portions and especially when experimenting, so I purchased a cute little 5" spring form pan.  Nordic Ware 5 Inch Springform Pan.

As raw desserts are so rich and a little goes a long way, it turns out to be the perfect size for the two of us and still leaves us half the cake for left overs.

I provided the recipe for a 8-9 " spring pan but also the amounts I used for the smaller 5" size will be posted below it.


Plain Raw Cheezecake:


Crust:
2 cups Pecans, (Almonds or raw Macadamia nuts will work as well)
1/2 cup Dates, pitted and deflowered (if your dates are really dry, soak in some water first to soften.)
1/4 cup dried unsweetened shredded Coconut
1/4 tsp Vanilla (optional)

Put the nuts and dates in a food processor and process until mixture is crumbly but will stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it needs a little more moisture, add the vanilla. Be careful not to over process or the nuts will become oily and start turning to to butter.

Dust the bottom of your spring form pan with the shredded coconut so as to prevent sticking.
Press the crust into the pan bottom.


Tip: Press too hard and it will stick later on, not enough and it will crumble.

Place in freezer to set while you make filling.

Filling:
3 cups chopped raw Cashews (soak in filtered water for at least a couple of hrs before hand and rinse.)
          Cut one nut in half to check readiness. You want them to be soft all the way through.)
1/2 cup fresh Lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons to cut tartness but regular are what most use.)
3/4 cup Agave syrup (honey can be used but keep in mind the flavor of the honey will come through.)
1/2 cup liquid Virgin Coconut oil (becomes liquid at 76 degrees)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt. (I use the pink Himalayan)
1/2 cup filtered Water

Blend all in the blender until smooth and creamy.  The beauty of raw is that the flavor does not change beyond this point due to the no baking, so make any adjustments to the flavor now.
Does it need more creaminess?- add a little water.
More sweetness?- more agave.
More tartness?- lemon.
Something's still missing? -a pinch of salt.
( I did not need to make any changes)

Pour into pan and then give a few taps on the counter to level it out and remove any air bubbles. Cover with wrap and place back into freezer to set. It will keep about a week frozen which makes it nice to make ahead of time.

Raw Caramel Sauce
(previous post on caramel sauce here)


Caramel Dip
1 cup dates, soaked and soft
1/4-1/2 cup Almond Mylk ( THE Best explanation of how to make Almond Mylk) or can be purchased
1 tsp liquid Virgin Coconut oil, (becomes liquid at 76 degrees)
dash of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla

To the caramel dip I added more Almond Mylk until I reached the desired consistency I wanted, slightly liquid, then added more agave to sweeten to taste. I could have also used more coconut oil to thin but didn't want to chance it tasting like coconut. Experiment if you like.

I apologize I don't have exact measures for the larger cake size. I do have them for the 5" size below.

Preparing Cheesecake for Serving:


Remove Cheezecake from freezer 1/2 hr prior to serving but adjust depending on room temperatures. Remember that coconut oil melts at 76 degrees and you don't want it to get too soft. Allow for time to top and "dress" it as well.

Spoon the Caramel sauce along edges of the cake top and encourage it to drip down. Then fill the center with more sauce. Chop a banana into small pieces and pile on top. A little caramel sauce on the plate and

Voila!

Slice of Bananas Foster Cheezecake

Adjusted  Measurements for 5" pan:

Crust: 1/2 cup pecans, 3-4 pitted dates, 1 Tbsp shredded coconut

Filling: 1 cup cashews, juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup agave+ 1 Tbsp, 3 Tbsp coconut oil, 1/3 tsp vanilla, pinch salt, 1/4 cup water

Caramel Sauce: Make dip as described. Then use 1/2 cup of dip, 1/8 cup almond mylk, 1 Tbsp agave  and mix together.

Topping: 1/2 banana chopped into small pieces


Don't worry. The extra dip can be eaten with apple slices, bananas or anything else. It's delicious!

Let me know if you tried this and what you think. 

Enjoy!