Vegan Banoffee Pie

This Banoffee Pie is decadent while still feeling super light and healthy. The almond-oat crust is layered with sticky date caramel, sweet banana, luxurious whipped coconut cream, and shaved dark chocolate, for a pie that's sure to impress. This is a delicious healthy treat anytime of the year.

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 Medjool 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 (optional)

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 2 (1\398 mL) cans “whipped” coconut cream or coconut yoghurt

  • Raw Caramel Toffee (from above)

  • 3 large (600 g) ripe bananas, sliced into thick “coins”

    dark chocolate, shaved

DIRECTIONS

  1. For the crust: Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grab an 8- to 10-inch tart pan (I use a 9-inch) and lightly grease the base and sides with coconut oil.

  2. 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.

  3. Crumble the dough all over the base of the tart pan in an even layer. Starting at the centre, 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.

  4. Bake the tart, 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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 grated chocolate ( 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.

Elly Grenfell