Banoffee Pie with a Twist

This is my go to recipe when I’m required to make a dessert for a dinner with friends. It’s vegan, gluten, dairy and processed sugar free. But I never mention that bit. The mix of date toffee middle, oaty base, plenty of bananas and whipped coconut cream hits the spot every time, and there’s never any leftovers! This recipe has been developed with original inspiration from Sarah from My New Roots. Her blog always knocks my socks off, and is a favourite for clean yummy food. Nutritionally this dessert is a powerhouse, containing good quality fats from the coconut cream, fibre and amazing minerals through the oats and dates.

Banoffee Pie

Makes 12 slices

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 cup (78 g) raw almonds

2 cups (200 g) gluten-free rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup (60 mL) virgin coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup

1 1/2 tablespoons (23 mL) water, or as needed

For the Raw Caramel Toffee:

1 1/2 cups (340 g) pitted dates

3 tablespoons (45 mL) smooth almond butter

1 teaspoon (5 mL) fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 vanilla bean, seeded, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the filling:

2 (14-ounce/398 mL) cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight*

Raw Caramel Toffee (from above)

3 large (600 g) ripe bananas, sliced thickly on the diagonal

2 squares (6 g) dark chocolate, shaved

Directions:

1. Place 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight (or for at least 12 hours) to allow the coconut cream to solidify.

2. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grab a 25-30cm tart pan and lightly grease the base and sides with coconut oil. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit on the bottom and place it inside to prevent the crust from sticking.

3. Add the almonds into a food processor and process until they are the texture of coarse sand. Now add in the oats, cinnamon, and salt and process again until the coarse, sandy texture returns. Add the melted oil, maple syrup, and water, then process until the mixture comes together and no dry flour remains. The dough should stick together when pressed between your fingers; if it's still too dry, try adding another teaspoon or two of water and processing again.

4. Crumble the dough all over the base of the tart pan in an even layer. Starting at the center, press the dough flat into the pan with your fingers and work your way outward and up the sides. If the dough starts to stick to your hands, lightly wet your fingers every now and then. With a fork, poke the base of the tart about 15 times to allow the air to escape while baking.

5. Bake the crust, uncovered, 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and place the tart pan on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes. If the crust puffed up during baking, you can poke it a few more times with a fork to let the air escape. The crust will firm as it cools.

6. Meanwhile, make the Raw Caramel Toffee: Add the pitted dates into a bowl and pour boiling water over top. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, or longer if your dates are firm. Drain the dates and add them to the food processor along with the almond butter, lemon juice, salt, and vanilla bean seeds (if using). Process until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.

7. Open the chilled cans of coconut milk and carefully scoop off the white cream from the top of the can, discarding the water. Add the coconut cream into a medium bowl. With electric beaters, beat the cream until smooth and fluffy.

8. When the crust has cooled, gently spread all of the caramel toffee onto the base of the crust—using the back of a lightly wet spoon—until the base is covered. Slice all of the bananas. Place half of the banana slices on top of the caramel, pressing down lightly to adhere.

9. Spread all of the whipped coconut cream on top of the banana slices in an even layer. Now place the remaining banana slices on top of the pie in a circular pattern, overlapping and stacking them to create height. Garnish with shaved chocolate (I like to shave it with a vegetable peeler) and serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this pie, as the banana slices get mushy after thawing.