Gooey Vegan Banana ‘Cheesecake’

You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy this cake. Sweetened with dates and over ripe bananas this has an amazing delicate flavour. Plan ahead – you will need two frozen bananas – freeze with the skins on.

Preparation Time:30 minutes plus 30 minutes fridge time, 8 hours to soak cashew nuts plus 1 hour to set.

Cooking Time: No Cooking Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

Base

175g soft dried dates

150g raw unsalted cashews

100g dried banana chips – soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cheesecake

350g raw unsalted cashews (soaked in water for 8 hours)

50ml coconut oil

2 frozen bananas – defrost and remove skin

100ml maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Pinch of salt

Topping 75g melted chocolate, banana chips and chopped walnuts

For the Base

1. Pour boiling water over the dried dates and banana chips and leave for 5 minutes to soften. Drain

2. Add the dates, dried bananas and cashews to a food processor and blend for a few minutes until a sticky, crumbly mixture is formed.

3. Melt the coconut oil then add it to the date and cashew mixture along with the rest of the base ingredients. Give everything another quick whizz.

4. Transfer the mixture into an 22cm cake tin lined with parchment paper and press down using a spatula or your fingers.

5. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.

For the Cheesecake Filling

1. You need to soak your cashews for at least 8 hours in water for a creamier texture.

2. Drain and rinse the cashews then add them to your blender/food processor along with the rest of the cheesecake filling ingredients.

3. Blend on high speed for a few minutes or until the mixture is completely smooth.

4. Take the base out of the fridge and pour the cheesecake mixture on top.

5. Return to the fridge and leave it to chill for a few hours or until completely set.

6. Decorate with melted chocolate, dried bananas chips and chopped nuts.