Vegan Banana Coconut Pie (perfect for Passover!)

4/6/2016

Vegan Banana Coconut Pie (perfect for Passover!)

To be honest, I've always been a bit wary of raw, vegan pies and cheesecakes. A whole pie that's pretty much made from nuts? A dairy-free cheesecake where the base is cashew cream? Huh? I'm so used to baking my desserts and enjoying nice warm cookies or blondies right out of the oven, that it never really occurred to me to attempt a raw dessert. Last week, Mitch's sweet grandma, AKA Babé-le, noticed that I hadn't posted a new recipe in a week  and thought I could use some inspiration. She sent over some recipe ideas for Passover and after seeing this Vegan Banana Coconut Cream Cheesecake, I was so impressed by all of the healthy ingredients that I decided it was time to try it out!My sister, Jamie, and I tackled the recipe together, with my mom as the skilled camerawoman (thank you both!!).  With 3 Levine ladies in the kitchen, there were a lot of laughs and just a few spills, and we ended up with a seriously delicious dessert! While it's great for Passover since it's grain & wheat-free, I'd definitely make this for any occasion - not only is it pretty, but it's also full of real, whole ingredients that will leave you feeling light and healthy!

Ingredients
Lightly adapted from Joy of Kosher

Crust
1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted (and soaked in warm water for 10 min if they look dry)
1 cup almonds (rinsed)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

Filling
1 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
4 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey (maple syrup for vegan!)
1 ripe banana
1/3 cup coconut cream (tip: put can in freezer for 20 min and then turn it over before opening - the
creamiest part will separate from the liquid, so you get an extra creamy result)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Juice of 1/3 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

Topping
Drizzle: 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (melted) + 2 tbsp coconut oil
Raw almonds (whole or sliced) 
Sprinkle of shredded coconut
2 tbsp chopped dairy-free chocolate

1. Soak your raw cashews in water overnight or up to 36 hours.
2. To prepare the crust, add the ingredients to your food processor and pulse until well blended but
still slightly mealy. It is perfect consistency when it sticks together.
3. Press crust into a lined spring-form pan and smooth it out with the back of a spoon so it's nice and even.
4. Place in the fridge while you work on the filling.
5. For the filling: drain cashews and add to a food processor or blender with all other ingredients. Pulse
or blend until perfectly smooth and creamy.
6. Remove crust from the fridge and pour your filling so it evenly covers the crust. (Tip: bang it once or twice on the
countertop to make it even)
7. Place in fridge for about 10 minutes while making the drizzle.
8. Melt chocolate chips with coconut oil either on in the microwave or on the stove.
9. Pour melted chocolate into a plastic baggie, twist, and snip the point of the bag for easy drizzling.
10. Drizzle chocolate on your pie, then add any other toppings you'd like. We placed almonds around the edge
of the pie, sprinkled some shredded coconut, and then chopped a chocolate bar and sprinkled in the middle of the pie.
11. Let it sit in the freezer for at least an hour, then you can move to the fridge. Wait until
it is completely set to remove from the springform pan and slice.

If you think this looks like it's a lot of steps, don't be intimidated! It was really easy and fun to put together! Once it's set in the freezer, the consistency is similar to cheesecake - yum!

For more Passover-friendly recipes, check these out:
Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut & Cacao
Paleo Chocolate Chip Blondies
Healthy Coconut Macaroons

Wishing you all a wonderful week! Thank you again to Babele for the great idea, and to my sister and mom for being part of the fun!