Vegan Banana Cream Pie

This pie is perfection. It’s creamy, luxurious, sweet, decadent, perfectly infused with banana and is super satisfying. Topped with a dollop of coconut whipped cream it is simply mouth watering!

The preparation is simple, too. Just process your dates and walnuts in a food processor and press into a spring form pan, or a round pan or baking dish lined with parchment paper. Freeze and forget.

Then blend your filling ingredients until creamy and smooth. Pour over the crust, cover and freeze to set. That simple!

If bananas really aren’t your thing, you can substitute strawberries, mangoes or blueberries. Just pick your fruit!

Ingredients

CRUST:

1 heaping cup walnuts

1 heaping cup pitted dates (soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and drained)

FILLING:

1 1/4 cups cashews soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight, then drained

3.5 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1/4-cup maple syrup

1 medium just ripe banana (~ 1/2 cup mashed)

1/3-cup full fat coconut milk (scrape the cream off the top)

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. sea salt

2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

1.            Place soaked dates in the food processor and process until small bits remain and/or it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.

2.            Process walnuts until a meal consistency is achieved. Add back in dates and a pinch of salt and mix to combine. When squeezed between two fingers, the crust should stick together and feel moldable. If too dry, add another date or two. If too wet, add a little almond or walnut meal.

3.            Press into a springform pan, or an 8×8 baking dish or round cake pan lined with parchment paper. Press until flat, going up the sides about 1/2 inch. Place in freezer to set.

4.            Add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy – about 1-2 minutes. If the consistency is too thick, add a little more agave or water to encourage it along. It should be silky smooth when completely combined.

5.            Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then pour into crust and smooth with a spoon. Tap to release any air bubbles, then cover and freeze until set – about 4-6 hours.

To serve, let thaw for 5 minutes. Top slices with slices of banana, coconut whipped cream and unsweetened shaved coconut. Keep covered in freezer for up to one week.