Raw and Practically Vegan Banana Cream Tarts

Hello everyone!

If you notice many of my recipes use bananas, it’s because I eat them. A lot. And sure enough while I was working on report cards a week ago, I needed a break and a snack (of course). Inspired by the (Almost) Vegan Key Lime Pie recipe, I decided to make a Banana Cream Pie version…but frozen from the freezer. “Picecream” if you will. 😉 (Yeah, I know…there’s a reason why I’m not in marketing or advertising.)

Banana Cream Picecream Tarts – truefoodlove

Anyway, it follows practically the same method as the previous recipe, but this time I used pecans instead of walnuts for a more maple taste in the crust, and used bananas and coconut butter in the filling. Coconut butter is different from coconut oil since it also has coconut meat mixed with coconut oil, so it’s richer in flavour. If you’ve never tried coconut butter, I find it a great alternative to butter if you’re dairy-free because you can top french toast, pancakes and toast with it and can use it in different recipes too, like this one! I had a friend even mention that she ate a spoonful of it straight from the jar one night when she had a hunger craving, like most people do with peanut butter. Why not? It’s a whole food, full of healthy fats and fibre. I say go for it! If you don’t have coconut butter, no worries, you can use coconut oil. 🙂

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have been…snacking on them straight from the freezer. So. Good.

Stay healthy friends!
Mira

Raw and Practically Vegan Banana Cream Tarts (makes 12)

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 6-7 medjool dates, pitted (and soaked for 15 minutes if dry)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

For the filling

• 2 large ripe  bananas (not overripe though)
• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked for about 1 hour
• 1/4 cup raw honey or maple syrup (if vegan)
• juice of 1 lemon (helps prevent the banana from turning brown and oxidizing)
• 1/3 cup organic coconut butter (I like Artisana – you can also use just coconut oil)
• 1 tsp. vanilla powder (ground vanilla beans) or extract
• generous pinch of sea salt
• shredded unsweetened coconut, for garnish

Make ’em:

1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Using your food processor, pulse the crust ingredients until they are able to stick together when pressed.

3. Press crust into muffin tins – about 2 tbsp. per tart.

Crust ready to go – truefoodlove

4. Wipe the bowl of the food processor clean. Add the cashews and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and blend until smooth.

5. Divide filling mixture evenly between different muffin cups and sprinkle with coconut. Place muffin tin in freezer to set for at least 1-2 hours or overnight. Remove and store in airtight containers.

Ready for the freezer – truefoodlove

6. Enjoy straight out the freezer…..or you can wait for it to thaw a bit if you have willpower. 🙂

Frozen Banana Cream Pie Tarts – truefoodlove